Battery life = 3 seasons...

[growler81]

I go thru a battery every 3 years. Just wondering if that was typical or if I can do something different to get one extra year out of it. The charging system on the bike does its thing in the summer. I use a trickle charger and have the battery in the garage on the workbench in the winter and top off the fluid level with distilled water. Thanks for any replies. Looking forward to March riding weather.
joe.

[Anonymous]

Three years is pretty good. I wouldn't press my luck and try to stretch it beyond that time. A battery is cheap enough at Pep Boys or Walmart or Sam's Club. There is no sense, to me at least, in attempting a stretch beyond 3 years. Those batteries on GS's are small, subject to lots of abuse in the form of cold, heat, vibration, and load.

I always have a spare battery hooked on to the Battery Tender in my garage. Fortunately, my battery failures in the past 15 years have always taken place when starting the bike in my garage. A battery older than 3 riding seasons is going to the recycling center.

Nick

[Paul]

As Nick says, three years is a good life-span for a battery. If it fails whilst you are out you will be trouble!

[growler81]

Thanks fellas. I figured 3 years was max for such a small battery. Having a bike w/o a kickstart adds to the equation as well. I even pack my trickle charger with me on trips just to be safe. Just wanted to double check with other GS riders experience with their battery. Late.
joe.

[Anonymous]

Battery life

My '79 GS850G is 25 years old and I am only on my 4th battery, which was replaced last year. That makes 3 batteries in 24 years or 8 years per battery.
My routine for extended battery life is;
1) Check the water level monthly and top off as needed
2) Remove before cold weather sets in & store in a warm space.
3) Do not store on a concrete floor. Set it on a 2X4 or such.
4) I do not trickle charge the battery through the winter
5) I do charge the battery periodically, about every 4 -6 weeks, with a regular battery charger keeping the charge current below 1 amp. I do this by inserting a low ohmage resistor in series with the charger leads. (1.2 ohms 10 watts). My charger has an amp meter and I take the battery off charge when the current has dropped to 1/2 the initial charge current.
6) Do the obvious, clean the terminals & connections, not just the exterior, but the mating surfaces.

[saaz]

3 years is good life. I use my bike through winter, and it has higher compression, so it gets a workout starting in sub zero temperatures. Heat and vibration do get to them.

[jimcor]

Yeah...3 years is the going lifespan of the Taiwanese batteries, give or take. Replaced the 550's battery last year...guess I 've got another year and a half on Connie's battery.

[Anonymous]

How long do unused but filled batteries last? I bought a GS1100 14 months ago and the seller insisted on putting a new battery in the bike so that I could here it run. Anyway, the bike has been in storage ever since and I charge the battery twice a year when I go home to visit my family. I'm hoping to still get a couple years out of it since I plan to riding the 1100 the summer after this summer. That would mean that the battery will be sitting for two years before I start using it...I've been considering selling it (The battery, not the bike :P ).

Thanks, Steve

[opiewontaylor]

Re: Battery life = 3 seasons...

I go thru a battery every 3 years. Just wondering if that was typical or if I can do something different to get one extra year out of it. The charging system on the bike does its thing in the summer. I use a trickle charger and have the battery in the garage on the workbench in the winter and top off the fluid level with distilled water. Thanks for any replies. Looking forward to March riding weather.
joe.

Small world. I've got an '83 850L I've had for 16 years too. It's the longest I've ever kept a bike. Anyway, 3 years is about the use I get out of a battery. I just switched to a maintenance free sealed unit, so maybe that will last longer. (but even if it doesn't, I really hated having to worry about keeping the water level topped up).

[Gerry]

How long do unused but filled batteries last? I bought a GS1100 14 months ago and the seller insisted on putting a new battery in the bike so that I could here it run. Anyway, the bike has been in storage ever since and I charge the battery twice a year when I go home to visit my family. I'm hoping to still get a couple years out of it since I plan to riding the 1100 the summer after this summer. That would mean that the battery will be sitting for two years before I start using it...I've been considering selling it (The battery, not the bike :P ).

Thanks, Steve

Hey Steve, I am about to use my battery for the fourth season. I used to have to replace it once a year or year and a half. The Battery Tender Changed this. You could just plug it in and walk away knowing the battery will be ready for you when you need it.