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Iron Butt
Posts: 849
, FL United States | My Vision is about to turn 75k miles and is a few months from being 5 years old. I have not had any problems with the battery but my ? is:
Should I go ahead and get a fresh battery now (while I have the $ in the bank) or wait 'til it tells me it wants to be changed? |
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Visionary
Posts: 1365
Central Maryland | That's kinda like fixing something that isn't broke. Run that battery until is starts hinting that it's finished. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 785
Mt. Vernon, WASH. | As long as you faithfully keep it hooked up to your Battery Tender when you park it the battery should last a long time. and as willtill says, just like your cars battery, it'll give you signs if you're paying attention. I've made a lead/acid YUASA last 6 years with the Battery Tender. |
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Central Wisconsin | I would change it out just for the peace of mind. I changed mine out at four years but I wanted to use the old battery for my trail camera. If it was a car battery I would use it right up to the end and carry a portable jumper in the trunk.
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Iron Butt
Posts: 849
, FL United States | Thanks guys. I just don't want to be out ridin' somewhere in the "boonies" and have it decide to quit on me.
All comments are really appreciated, Luke |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 849
, FL United States | Any more? |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 752
Broken Arrow, OK | CoolHandLuke - 2012-07-23 10:10 AM
I just don't want to be out ridin' somewhere in the "boonies" and have it decide to quit on me.
There's your answer. Change it. |
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| You could get it tested. They don't last for ever.
We do get a longer life just cause its in the open air and not boiling like other bikes. |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | What we've got here is failure to communicate. Some men you just can't reach. Change it!! |
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Visionary
Posts: 1365
Central Maryland | No! Keep it! |
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Tourer
Posts: 394
Tucson, AZ | I carry bike jumper cables with me. Seeing as how I seldom ride alone, I figure it's good insurance. I know that when I rode Hondas, they gave you no warning when they died. I wasn't sure about the Victorys as this is my first and has the factory unit still in it. It still turns over strong after three years and eight months of riding. |
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Tourer
Posts: 457
Green Bay, WI United States | Cool Hand Luke, My favorite movie.....
Hell where is you sense of adventure? I know you have your woman with you but I gotta believe you have room for another spare battery in you trunk, just don't tell anyone!!!! Hope to see you and yours at the Spirit Lake...... What we have here is a failure to communicate, not say'n any more.....
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Iron Butt
Posts: 849
, FL United States | Well in case you were wonderin', I did have a new battery installed today when I went in for my 75k oil/filter change. I was actually waiting for a reply from VA-he who has no feeling in his butt and rides for days w/o a stop except for gasoline and potty breaks-RYDER LOL |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | I'm impressed with your your 75,000, that thing doesn't sit still. I'm ansy over the batteries in my motorcycles. Why? Bad batteries can kill your electrical system. $75 for a battery every 3-4 years, or let it ride until it gives you unforgivable trouble at a tune of thousands of $$. Ride hard, ride long, ride safe. We still need to meet for a cup of joe... |
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Visionary
Posts: 2027
Brighton, TN | Coolretiredandrollinghandluke - I'm always impressed by the numbers you throw up here. I still have the same battery from 2007 when i bought it. I know for fact it can be bump started and it doesn't take much. Glad you got it swapped out. Oem? |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 849
, FL United States | Brian, yes it was the one that came w/ Black Cherry back in '07 and the new one is a YUASA like it came with.
Chris, I agree that we should meet b4 one or the other of us has to quit knocking out the miles :-) Soon I hope, chl |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | I rode with an old highschool friend Saturday who lives up in Maryland. After two years we got that ride in, before we were doing it on our walkers...
Soon... |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 763
Anderson, IN (48mi NE of downtown Indianapolis) | My 08 is still going strong. Waiting for that first sign that it isn't turning as fast as it used to. I will change it immediately then. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1365
Central Maryland | This is the thing... you have a multiple year old battery; completely serviceable and showing no issues of starting your bike, and maintaining a charge.
So after years of faithful service; with demonstrated life left... you opt to change it for a new battery.
What are the odds that your new battery (could be) possibly flawed? It has happened. And you just discarded a completely serviceable battery?
Just think about it. Don't fix what's not broken. Squeeze the rest of the life out of it.
If you're really paranoid, buy a cheap set of jumper cables and keep them with you. You'd probably end up helping another biker out; rather than yourself.
And SHAME ON YOU VARYDER... are you not the one that has taken the expected belt life over the 30,000 mile mark? 
Edited by willtill 2012-09-08 3:38 PM
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Visionary
Posts: 2300
Georgia, west of Atlanta | Hope the new one last another 75,000 miles............. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 208
Edmonton Alberta, Canada | Preventative maintance will bite you in the ass!
Here are my experiances!
- Squeaky alternator- replaced (rebuilt) 3 hours from city and 2 weeks old failed- None available except from city 1- day away- had to rent a car for 2 days- drove home and next day traveled back after work to p/u car, 3/4 way home the fan belt shreaded because dealer did not change the pulley on new alt. 6 groove not 8 groove. also did not put old alt back on my car. now another dealer ship call, had to purchase new pulley ( not in stock and had to bring it in, and a new belt. Almost a thousand dollars and 600 miles over a 100 dollar part!
-250000 km on a S10, did not need it for a few weeks so thought hey I would have a shop change it for me. 2 months latter clutch lets go on wife 1 mile from farm.
I havea few more from younger days, but I now go by the old addage
IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T TRY TO FIX IT!!!!!!
I have an 08, 30,000 miles, ride from may to oct, never on a batery tender, as all they do is get you 20-30 miles from home before you find out that your battery is failing, I would rather it fail me at home. I make sure I do one hour ride before puttuing it into storage for the winter. I do not disconect or remove the batery. Just leave in bike. In spring it may be a bit low from the clock but always starts.(4 springs so far) I also do not use it for a radio or music unless I am riding!
just sayin!!!!
Edited by norcan 2012-09-08 5:06 PM
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| You say bump start is easy. I'm sure it is but if the battery is going dead you will not go far or even move.
Charging system will not run the bike. If you run the battery down as far as it will go and then sum you could take out the stator and regulator.
Buy a new battery they will not last for ever and 5 years is a lot out of something that only had 385 cold cranking amps to start with. |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | willtill - 2012-09-08 4:33 PM And SHAME ON YOU VARYDER... are you not the one that has taken the expected belt life over the 30,000 mile mark? Yeah, and it still keep going even after it jump the pulley, bending it in the process and was nicked up. The battery, well, as it is mentioned, it's all part of the electrical process, screw that up, and it's $$$$$$$. Over what, $70? |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 725
Reno County, KS | Hey Coolhand, I remember you from way back. I'm thinking it's good you quit rolling the dice, Sir. I'm sure you know batteries are consumables just like plugs, oil, tires, etc. What disturbs me is someone coming on the boards to tell you to chance it. :-( Hopefully they wouldn't tell you the same thing about oil that's over 75K mi. old. That's a little more black and white than a battery.
What varyder is saying is not based on dumb luck. You REALLY don't want your electrical system trying to fight a shorted cell. Lead/Acid batteries often go bad a lot more ways then just going flat. Going flat is the best possible failure you can hope for on those things. When you finally hit a big enough bump that the built up crud bridges and shorts the plates, you'll wish you had gotten rid of that thing. And if you crack that old, brittle plastic or boil over that thing while riding, guess where all that acid is going to end up! You don't want to rely on your fusing to keep your alternator from cooking out either. I would listen to the guy who has over 125k Miles on his bike vs. Bubba that did the hack-saw exhaust mod. LOL Here's some more benefits of maintaining your bike versus waiting for a complete failure:
Would you rather change your battery at home or on the side of the road?
Would you rather pay for a good battery (hopefully you invest in a AGM) or get stuck buying something that doesn't fit well to get you back home (and buying another).
Do you mind if the battery costs a lot more after paying someone to tow your bike back (because the cops aren't always going to let you wrench on your vehicle on the freeway).
If you have your own trailer and get lucky enough to have a cell phone tower, how do you feel about the idea of leaving your bike dead on the side of the road while you are getting your ride? (And don't tell us you'd leave your Wife alone on the side of the road with it, that's a crummy thing to do over a stupid motorcycle LOL).
Is getting more life out of a dead battery worth losing an entire planned ride or screwing up your weekend?
Nah. I'd just go get a good battery. Plus you get to wrench on your bike and see what's going on down there. That's therapeutic (on your property).
Alright man, see ya'll around. I recommend getting an AGM battery too. Mine was only around $10 more than Lead/Acid. Lead/Acid is pretty much dead technology. AGM (Acid Gel Matting I think???) is right up there with synthetic oil. You'll be glad you did in the long run. There are solid state batteries too but you won't see much return on investment in those because they are uber expensive. Getting a "green eye" (window) battery if you can find one is not a bad idea either.
Edited by bigwill5150 2012-09-08 7:16 PM
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Tourer
Posts: 482
Beer Collins, Colorado (there is no fort) | Stock OEM Yuasa YTX20L-BS has 270 CCA. Best conventional replacement I can find- Big Crank 310CCA for $88
http://www.batterymart.com/p-Big-Crank-ETX20L-Battery.html?Category...
The Odyssey 545 has 545CCA but only for 5 second burst- I had one of these in my TC that went with the bike when traded-$113
http://www.batterymart.com/p-odyssey-pc545-battery.html?Category_Co...
I've bought from BatteryMart several times and they've been good-Brian |
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Cruiser
Posts: 238
SF Bay Area | I say... load test it, if it has an acceptable reserve, then keep using it. I have seen original batteries last seemingly forever if not abused. The shortest lived batteries are those that get completely discharged... each time you lose capacity/rebound. My '99 Vic had athe oriAinal battery for 9 years, my '08 Vision still has the original battery, but it was discharged once (my bad...), so I am riding with probably 80% of potentail capacity. |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 37
Southern Indiana | Go ahead and run that old battery. Changing wiring harness from low voltage high amperage draw cranking and replacing ECU's from jump starting pays my salary every day. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 208
Wichita, Kansas | I do the same thing with my vehicles that we do with aircraft batteries - perform a capacity check. Charge the battery. Turn on the ignition and turn on the high beams and the radio. Start a stop watch (or note the time) and watch the voltmeter on the bike. When it gets to 10 volts, shut it off and recharge it. Do it when new and you have a base line. When it gets below about 60% of the original time, change it out. In other words, my stock battery new went about 30 minutes to get to 10 V. Last week (it's a 4 year old 2008 SSG) I got about 23 minutes. So I'm near that point but I am confident it will get me through the winter and probably next summer. When it goes under 20 minutes I will replace it. The point is - use data, not guesswork or old legends or "common practice." Good data will allow you to get reliable operation at the least expense. But it takes a little time and planning. Some people would rather just spend money. Your call.
Edited by KansasGuardsman 2012-09-14 12:22 PM
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Visionary
Posts: 2027
Brighton, TN | Nice call, I like the way you describe to test it with empirical data. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1308
Sand Rock, AL United States | it always amazes me that people have the disposable cash to replace batteries that arent dead, belts that aren't broken,bearings that are working fine, tires that aren't worn, etc. I guess I'm one of the poor Vision riders. It's your money. If you want to buy stuff before you need it, it's your business, just perplexes me. |
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'08 w/ OEM battery