all the reading I do in here it seems about 5yrs is the normal life of a battery if maintained good.

I just put a new one in mine this spring.. It lasted almost 5yr to the month..

I too could tell last fall she was starting slower,,, After sitting all winter even on the tender she just wouldn't hold a charge...

Got one from Battery Plus,, they have several different prices and warranty's for battery's that fit most any bikes.. Pends on what U pay.



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You're in the same heat wave as me, and getting ready to ride through the Panhandle and southern NM. Change it and roll on. One less thing to worry about...

 

How much is your peace of mind worth? If you are not the worrying type, I would go for it, otherwise it is all you are going to think about.

 

If you read through all the responses here, and look closely at both the posters location (where they live) and the battery life they're getting, it's pretty obvious that living in a hotter climate kills battery life.

Now, how "warm" has it been in Oklahoma City lately?

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Yeah, I was looking at a spare camcorder battery for the same money and it would probably be far more in my interest to replace the scooter’s battery. I would be worried about it the whole time most likely and I really, really don’t need anything else to wear on me.

Thanks for helping me make the decision! I’m going with that Walmart option – I see they are a well regarded manufacturer and Walmart has very recently done well by me in honoring the prorated warranty on my car battery – that lasted FIVE years! Unheard of in this hot climate from my experience.

 

I just replaced the battery in my bike 5 1/2 years old, it still started the bike, but I didn't trust it when I was on the road.

 

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/a...d_acid_battery

Lots of good information here on batteries, if you want to take the time to read it.

I've worked with batteries all my adult life and I can tell you some facts you can take to the bank.
1. There are no sure bets with battery life.
I have taken brand new batteries out of the box to fill with acid and found them bad.
I have seen batteries last as little as a few starts, to as long as 13 years.

2. The best treatment for any type of "acid" battery is to be kept in a constant state of being charged and discharged.......just as it is during normal operation of your vehicle.

3. The worst treatment is to be kept in a constant state of 100% charged.
This allows for much more buildup of sulphates between the plates and wsill quite often show a false state of charge......in other words, it will indicate that the battery is fully charged but when put a starting load on it, the voltage falls below that necessary to start the machine.
This reduced capacity is caused bu thebuild-up of sulphates I mentioned above.

3. New, ECM controlled machines have a "failsafe voltage". If the battery voltage falls below this failsafe voltage... (voltage necessary to enable the normal operating circuits of the machine).....You can push, pull roll, kick, cuss or pray.....and the machine is NOT going to start.
In the case of most vehicles, this is 9 volts.

So...it's a crap shoot. You should do what gives you the best warm & fuzzy feeling you personally feel comfortable with.

 

walmart does not manufacture batteries. they get their batteries from several different manufacturers. if the battery you are getting is an agm or gel battery, you should be good. but stay away from a lead/acid battery. if something as minor as a tip over due to kickstand sinking in somewhere occurs, you could end up with acid all over your paint, and you don't want that.

 

That may have sounded like I believed Walmart was the manufacturer, but no – the manufacturer they carry seems to be well regarded. I’m going to give them a shot and at least have the peace of mind for the trip to have that one less thing to worry about.

The camcorder will have to take a back seat – I’ve got a GoPro that will likely be doing the majority of my video anyway.

 

no, i didn't believe that you thought that walmart actually manufactured the batteries. the point i was making is that they get their batteries from several different manufacturers. one type of battery may be very well made, while the other, not so much......

the difference between the agm, gel, and lead acid still stands though.