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battery life

2K views 19 replies 17 participants last post by  jester6 
#1 ·
i have a 06 vtx 1300r that i got back in march of 06 . now 8 years 5 months later it's still going :yikes: , so how long will a battery last :dontknow: ?
 
#3 ·
I have an 03 1800R. It had the original battery when I bought it in spring of 2011. I had to change it out in the summer of that year.

If I were you, I'd just change it out now so that it doesn't leave you stranded somewhere. It's easy to say "I'll buy one so that I have it when this one dies". There is no guarantee that it will crap out on you while you are at home. That would be too convenient. (That said, mine did crap out while I was at home. Lucky, I guess)
 
#5 ·
it'll last until the least best time for it to die. . . then you'll be stranded.in the dark, on the side of the road, with no cell service. . . . or maybe that's just my luck. LOL

If it were me, I'd change it out. . . I don't gamble tho. I pushed mine to 5 seasons and replaced it.
 
#6 ·
I just replaced mine after 7 years. It crapped out 2 days before a 5 day ride so I was extremely lucky that it didn't wait a few days. I will change it every 5 years from now on as a cheap insurance policy
 
#7 ·
Battery life?

I just replaced mine after 7 years. It crapped out 2 days before a 5 day ride so I was extremely lucky that it didn't wait a few days. I will change it every 5 years from now on as a cheap insurance policy
I can't tell you the answer to your question yet, but as soon as my "05" quits working I'll give you a heads up. Never on a charger,no battery tender, starts right up each spring & I'm going to ride it till it dies, just to answer the question!

Ride Safe
:lol:J.V.:lol:
 
#9 ·
How long will it last at that age?... My experience has been... it will last till the day you need it most.
Like tires... I don't wait for a blow out to change them... same for batteries. I budget 5-6 yrs for replacement... but YMMV
 
#10 ·
I bought my 2002 1800R in October 2009 with what appeared to be the original battery. It is still in use and I do plug in the battery tender after each ride. I should probably be investing in a new battery soon.
 
#11 ·
Bought the bike 3 years ago, original battery always on a tender by PO. First thing I did was get a tender. At last years' ECG, took advantage of the 25% off sale @ Fredericksburg Powersports,and bought a battery for insurance. They didn't have a Yuasa, so I took the Bike Master. Ran the bike on the old batt. all last year, parked it for winter in an unheated barn, on the tender. This April, decided to wet the new battery, slow charged it, put it in, ran it around here for a month or so, then ran it out to Beriah's tech session end of May. Ran it 3 more weeks, took it off the tender to go to a local bike meet, NO GO. Stupid POS! Luckily I'd kept the 11 year old batt., the next day put it back on trickle to bring it up full, put it back in the bike, and been riding it since, no problems. Still on a tender when not riding, which is a good bit around here. In the meantime, I bought the correct Yuasa at the local Honda shop, and have it charged on standby, JIC.
 
#13 ·
I ride my VTX every day back and forth to work. How often should I be putting it on a battery tender? I've never had any issues, but I notice a lot of guys use them.
 
#14 ·
Maybe I'm weird

Maybe I'm weird, but I've always replaced the batteries in my atv's, watercraft, and equipment every year to eighteen months whether I needed to or not. I'm doing the same with my VTX; I replaced the battery when I bought it a year ago and I'll replace it again here in the next few months. I've just had to many experiences with dead batteries and I am not willing to put them on a tender (or, more accurately, I always FORGET to put them on a tender!).

The only time I didn't was when I put in a huge tractor/truck battery in my boat. That thing was great, but it weighed as much as sixth grader :rolleyes:
 
#15 ·
I ride my VTX every day back and forth to work. How often should I be putting it on a battery tender? I've never had any issues, but I notice a lot of guys use them.
Some guys put their bikes on tenders after every ride but except for habit (ie "that's what I've always done"), there's zero reason to. Even if you ride only every week or two in the Summer (shame on you :mrgreen:) the battery will be fine. I ride at least 4-5X per week....

Even in the fall and spring when I might only ride weekly, or even less there are zero issues. The tender is only for times of extreme cold or inactivity imo. Mine goes on from first snow until ice is gone Dec - March primarily.

To johnnie, there's no reason to replace your battery every year. Just put it on a battery tender (not trickle charger) for the months you're not riding and it will not let you down for years.
 
#16 ·
To johnnie, there's no reason to replace your battery every year. Just put it on a battery tender (not trickle charger) for the months you're not riding and it will not let you down for years.
Totally agree... But I'm gonna do it anyway. There is no logic to it, it just gives me comfort. Maybe this time I'll go two years, but the slightest hesitation that's not solved with a battery cable check and it's gone. I'm here in TX so I ride year 'round - not gloating, just sharing (OK, maybe a little gloating).
 
#17 ·
After my second battery died on my 06 13 I always keep it on the tender. 3 years and no issues. The dongle tucks nicely into the side cover and takes 2 seconds to plug in after a ride.

I live in TX with attached garage, extreme cold not a factor in my other 2 Yausa battery failures.
 
#18 ·
If you take really good care of your battery it can last a decade or so. Thing to remember is that lead acid batteries love to be fully charged. They perform better and last longer. They're not like your Lithium Ion batteries in your phone which perform best when charged up, run down to 20% and then charged again. Still, you should probably be looking at a new battery. This is my favorite:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BFLW75O/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Lotsa power and you cannot beat the price for an AGM battery.
 
#20 ·
Replace my battery at the last Daytona Bike Week this year on my 2007 1300C. Bought my bike new in 2007. First new battery. Never used a battery tender on it.
This is the first battery I've used a tender on too. I'll let you know how it goes... check back on this thread in a decade or so...
 
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