wonder battery

T

The Gecko_imp

Been there
Thread starter
My OEM battery is now some 7 or 8 years past her (unknwn) manufacturing date. She's been mistreated by the former owner, and this is how she performs these last days:

- last frequent rides in October,
- temps these days, lower 40
- put her on a charger, and the charger says "full" without delay
- push the starter button any time, and the engine runs ....
- a few short rides, not enough to charge her ...
NO CHANGE

Last winter the same. Didn't charge, even after 4 weeks in the garage. There was no need to charge.

Sure, this is nothing to complain about, but ... when has lead battery technology made such a leap in performance and lifetime? I am stupefied.
 
For most of us it hasn't. Typical life of a battery is 4-5 years.

According to the Yuasa website

How long should a battery last?

AGM: Sealed AGM batteries typically last 3 to 5 years on average. Typically sealed AGM batteries will give warning before completely dying. They will start slower, and require more charging. This is your clue to replace the battery. Typically they do not fail all of a sudden.
 
Nah ... hang on Gecko and see how long it lasts. :P I've heard of one other OEM battery that has lasted a ridiculous amount of time.

However ... my experience with the sealed AGM batteries differs from the Ferret. I'm on my third now and the first one both failed without warning. Well, as far as I'm aware anyway. It refused to start the engine after it had been running a while and I stopped to fill up with petrol. Luckily, I bump started it and rode to a dealer for a new one. I can't remember exactly what happened to the second one, but it went from working perfectly well to not working well at all quite suddenly.
 
Thread starter
Cormanus_imp said:
Nah ... hang on Gecko and see how long it lasts. :P I've heard of one other OEM battery that has lasted a ridiculous amount of time.

However ... my experience with the sealed AGM batteries differs from the Ferret. I'm on my third now and the first one both failed without warning. Well, as far as I'm aware anyway. It refused to start the engine after it had been running a while and I stopped to fill up with petrol. Luckily, I bump started it and rode to a dealer for a new one. I can't remember exactly what happened to the second one, but it went from working perfectly well to not working well at all quite suddenly.
Click to expand...
That's a little worrisome, I must say. In summer, bump starting a 500+ lbs m/c may be limited to downhill adventures. But now in winter, at an automated gas station with no personal or place to warm up, what you described may just be me turning into a frozen sculpture found the next day by a truck driver. Guess it's either a new battery, or ... I have to selct my gas supply places more carefully.
 
Cormanus_imp said:
Nah ... hang on Gecko and see how long it lasts. :P I've heard of one other OEM battery that has lasted a ridiculous amount of time.

However ... my experience with the sealed AGM batteries differs from the Ferret. I'm on my third now and the first one both failed without warning. Well, as far as I'm aware anyway. It refused to start the engine after it had been running a while and I stopped to fill up with petrol. Luckily, I bump started it and rode to a dealer for a new one. I can't remember exactly what happened to the second one, but it went from working perfectly well to not working well at all quite suddenly.
Click to expand...
No my experience is EXACTLY like yours Cormanus. I cut and pasted what it says on the Yuasa website.

I bought my bike in March 2014.

One day my original battery started fine at home. I stopped at my local shop. Started fine there. Stopped for gas and it wouldn't start. Had to bump start it to get it home. Replaced the battery May 2018. So 4 years.

In January 2023, my second battery started fine at home, went for a ride, stopped for gas and bike wouldn't start. Had to bump start it to get home. So 4 1/2 years.

I'm 1 year into my third battery which will be replaced in January 2027 after 4 years if I'm still riding. Getting too old to bump start.

That's the only thing that worries me about my NC 750 DCT. Bought it June 2021.There is no bump starting them. I am considering one of those little Li-on jump starters to keep in there with my tire repair kit, but no matter, the battery in it will be replaced in June 2025 (4 years) if I'm still riding.
 
Ferret: That is what I sometimes carry is a lithium-based battery booster. Good for 6 cylinder vehicles and less. Compact. Just insurance, but so far not used. The Honda OEM LiFePO4 battery expected to serve 5 to 10 years.
 
Dang wish youd have shown it to me at the rally.

Have a pic, or model name. Is it a Norco?
 
I think is NoCo?..
What model GB.. they have few
Good stuff, we have a few at work.
Pic or never happened
 
Batteries are not what they used to be. My Triumph Tiger 1200 was on its third within 4 years (original and two replacements) and my my 9 month old GS ate a battery recently. I did/do have alarms on them but they always go on a tender if left for anytime. The CB never goes on a tender but no alarm either, it just starts.
 
At around $100 USD, my Honda Optimate 3 has been very helpful. I use it as a battery tender, but, if the battery goes bad, it lets you know before it is too late and you don't get stuck somewhere. Nice piece of equipment.
 
I have not had luck with Yuasas over the past few years. The original one on my '13 CB lasted until a month after I bought the bike in April of '19, so not bad. (I continued to use the Harbor Freight trickle charger on that bike that the original owner handed me, and figured it was the bike's good luck charm. Unfortunately I blew it up during a hilarious wiring mistake when I accidentally wired a new outlet in my shop to the flourescent light circuit which was running over 300 volts.)

Only got about 2 years out of the next two Yuasas I put in the bike. Also only got about two and a half years out of the last Yuasa I put in the Triumph. I put all of my bikes on Optimate tenders when I'm on the road for work for a few weeks at a time, and the CB since I only ride it a few times per month.

I decided that if I'm only going to get a few years out of a battery, why pay for a premium one. The last time my CB battery went out over the Christmas break last year, I went on Amazon and bought a $30 battery, just to see if I could get at least a few years out of it. If I do, I'll be money ahead!
 
Walked out to the garage and noticed my Battery Tender connected to the CB had a red light instead of the normal green.

Ordered this LiFePO4 battery from MightMax. It arrived and was installed over the weekend. The LiFePO4 chemistry seems like a great fit for an automotive battery. While not quite as light as a lithium ion, it's dang close. The chemistry is far more stable however, so no worries about thermal runaway and fire comsuming such a pretty bike. It seems Lithium Iron Phosphates typically last about 8-10 year life span (2000+ charge cycles at 80% load according to the website), no memory, fully usable capacity similar to lithium ion, minimal charge decay (doesn't need maintenance charge to curb sulfation like lead, gel or AGM). And it has a nifty control panel on the top that displays current capacity, charges, etc. I am intrigued about the possibility of going twice the time span between replacements for a measly $80. Time will tell.

While it fit into the space under the seat just fine, the posts have a plastic tab next to them that prevented a direct drop in replacement. Instead I had to use a utility knife (thereby likely voiding the warranty) in order to trim away the plastic a bit so the bike battery leads would fit. Only took about 5-10 minutes, but I don't feel one should have to do that if they are building the battery to be a direct replacement for a YTZ14S.
 
Thread starter
Nachodaddy_imp said:
At around $100 USD, my Honda Optimate 3 has been very helpful. I use it as a battery tender, but, if the battery goes bad, it lets you know before it is too late and you don't get stuck somewhere. Nice piece of equipment.
Click to expand...
How does it tell you that the batt is about to go bad ?
 
My Optimate 3 has a dizzying array of lights. I just look for two solid greens.
 
The Gecko_imp said:
Nachodaddy_imp said:
At around $100 USD, my Honda Optimate 3 has been very helpful. I use it as a battery tender, but, if the battery goes bad, it lets you know before it is too late and you don't get stuck somewhere. Nice piece of equipment.
Click to expand...
How does it tell you that the batt is about to go bad ?
Click to expand...
How does it tell you that the batt is about to go bad ? It has green lights if everything is good and yellow or orange if the battery won't hold a charge. On mine, it would never go to green, even though the battery would turn the engine over and it would start. I knew that battery was on it's death bed.
 
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