How are our batteries doing after 3.5 years?

[AVGeek]

Heat is the biggest enemy for batteries. Here in Phoenix, we're lucky to get 2 years before needing replacement; I managed to get about 3.5 before I needed to replace mine...I was push starting it until I went and bought a battery.

 

[Koinz]

I must be old ... and rooted in past historical error ....

!. as I have never owned any other motorcycle where the battery is mounted non perpendicular to the pull of the earth gravity. (Like the S10 is not)

2. I assumed for safety sake (on motorcycles without kick starts or that trail far from jumper cables) that if the (highly paid auto battery reliability engineers) give a max car battery warrentee is 4 or 5 years ... to be safe I buy a new battery for my cars and bikes every 4 years.

(A funny story ... Wife had a car battery fail while I was away ... she bought a new car before I returned ...)

Most Likely this is the reason for my phobia for changing batteries before they fail ....

Old history off .. and school me in the new reality... of Acid Glass Mat batteries

That is funny. My wife just calls someone 100 miles away to drive up and jump start the battery even though the booster cables and a fully charged marine battery was sitting in the garage ::010::

 

[dcstrom]

Thanks Bob, perfect!

Yeah like you, I'm suspicious of any battery over three years old, but that's because of my experience with lead/acid batteries. So that's why I ask here whether I need to worry or not....

Looks like our size is pretty common in Europe, and while the price varies hugely (up to almost $300!) looks like I can get a YTZ14S on French eBay for under $100.

I'm about to head off to Morocco for a month or so then back here to France for a bit. Will see how things go on the Morocco trip and maybe get the battery tested as Checkswrecks suggests, then decide whether to go for the new battery or not.

As a "just in case," please copy the Yuasa catalog from here to your computer: http://www.yuasabatteries.com/pdfs/Yuasa_Specs_Apps_2014.pdf


The reason for copying it is so that if you are stuck in the hinterlands and wonder what you can borrow a battery from, it has the applicability charts and just about everything else you want to know. The key constraints on the Tenere are the dimensions and the cold cranking amps, shown on page 8. Our OEM battery is the YTZ12S with 210 CCA. Skimming through the other batteries, the YTZ14S is the same case with .7 lbs more lead, giving it 230 CCA. There is nothing else listed which will both fit the tight battery mounting location and give the CCA we need in the big twin.


When it comes time to replace, I will go for the YTZ14S and it's my recommendation to anybody else. While I understand the appeal of lithium batteries and would keep one if the bike already had it, I do not recommend lithium batteries in a big adventure bike where the negatives are not offset by saving a little weight which our bikes carry down low.

 

[caveman]

original battery at 4.5 years, no tender, still fine.

 

[Firefight911]

Replaced mine at 24,000 miles. Mine was one of the first US preorder bikes.

I've abused mine heavily with lots of accessory use, off road use where starter motor got some good workouts with spills/restarts/heat/slow speed droning, etc.

Mine always resided on a Battery Tender when not in use.

Replaced with a Shorai LFX19A4-BS12.

I have always been very good with batteries going very long in their life. This was the shortest time span I have ever gotten from a battery. I attribute it to my use and abuse over the battery being somehow inherently short lived.

 

[Philistine]

I must be old ... and rooted in past historical error ....

!. as I have never owned any other motorcycle where the battery is mounted non perpendicular to the pull of the earth gravity. (Like the S10 is not)

When the Battery world guy saw how the battery was mounted in the S10 he said to me "that is the worst angle you could mount a battery ::005::" and he couldn't believe I got 4 years out of it

 

[Ramseybella]

3 years 27k no issues yet, but now that I opened my mouth watch!! :

 

[dirtsailor]

I'm not sure what the high time is. (The life span) But i will probably work for awhile but show signs of fatigue after awhile and you might have some slow to start turn overs more and more as the battery is aging. As long as you don't dog it out and dont put sustained massive loads on it (Thats what she said) ) she should take care of you. ::002::

 

[jaeger22]

2 1/2 years, 47,000 miles and still on the original battery with no problems. ::012:: And I did run it completely dead one time (hard start issue) which is very hard on batteries. Running them dead usually results in a need to replace soon after in my experience. But this one has gone another year and still working fine. I feel safe in continuing with it until it shows indications that it is near the end because I always carry a Micro-Start PPS XP-3 from Antigravity. ($80 on Amazon) It has saved my butt twice now. The time I ran the battery dead 360 miles from home and once at home when the wife's car battery was dead. It is designed to start trucks and cars and will spin the S10 all day, yet you can put it in your shirt pocket. ???

 

[offcamber]

2 years old, only 12K miles but the battery is good. I put tender on it during the winter...

 

[Checkswrecks]

2 1/2 years, 47,000 miles and still on the original battery with no problems. ::012:: And I did run it completely dead one time (hard start issue) which is very hard on batteries. Running them dead usually results in a need to replace soon after in my experience. But this one has gone another year and still working fine. I feel safe in continuing with it until it shows indications that it is near the end because I always carry a Micro-Start PPS XP-3 from Antigravity. ($80 on Amazon) It has saved my butt twice now. The time I ran the battery dead 360 miles from home and once at home when the wife's car battery was dead. It is designed to start trucks and cars and will spin the S10 all day, yet you can put it in your shirt pocket. ???

Trevor -
For heading off unsupported to the third world, a Lithium backup battery like Jaeger's would be a great small and lightweight bit of insurance to consider.

 

[jbrown]

Trevor -
For heading off unsupported to the third world, a Lithium backup battery like Jaeger's would be a great small and lightweight bit of insurance to consider.

And it'll charge your cell phone!

 

[huchieglide]

RonH, thanks for the verification on the slow cranking of the Tenere. When I first brought the bike home I noticed this machine cranks audibly slower than any other bike I have owned. I thought that maybe sitting at the dealer the battery was not at full charge. I put a charge to it and it sounded the same, by design.

 

[OldRider]

Trevor -
For heading off unsupported to the third world, a Lithium backup battery like Jaeger's would be a great small and lightweight bit of insurance to consider.

+1. I picked up this Pilot Insta Boost last week at Lowes for $79. I tested it and it will start a car. Whole package weighs less than 2lbs.

 

[wessie]

bike registered Jan 2011, still on the OE Yuasa. It's been laid up for about 8 weeks without being on a charger and showed no signs of being sluggish