I posted a few days ago about my bike just losing all electrical power. The lights came back on but I did very little to it. Naturally, I got stranded again. Today I took all the battery connections apart and cleaned them (none were corroded) and I took out the battery and took it to an auto parts place. They told me the battery was made in 2002 and it was too low to test. I got a new battery and installed it. All systems seem to be working.
Could a battery just fail like that with no warning?

 

Yes, but the intermittent bothers me. To have a battery just crap out isn't odd but to have one crap out then come back and crap out again. Never happened to me before but I guess it could.

 

Batteries can go that fast. I used to work in an auto shop and have charged and tested batteries for customers and they came back good. The vary next day they return and the battery failed.

 

It is normal for batteries to do a lot of odd things.

 

So, how do I know if the charging system is working? - other than waiting to get stranded again.
Thanks

 

I had the battery in my cage last minter do that. One day it was fine the next nothing, the next fine then nothing the following day. New battery fixed that. I never thought it could just chit like that but I was proven wrong.

 

that Battery was 8-years Old,, How long did U think it was Gunna Last..

 

There is a thread in the Electrical section on how to test is yourself. Or pay a shop to check it out. An 8 year old batt. I would go with that.