How long does your motorcycle battery last?

[crazydj]

As described in the title. Just wanna get a rough picture.

 

Mine:-

Brand: T.E.T

Model: 12N5-BS

Details: Size 5 battery, 5AH

Lifespan: 15 months

Edited October 16, 2010 by crazydj

[ohayo]

Hmmm...many another determining factors. Putting a volt meter helps alot in monitoring the battery condition

 

1. the frequency the bike is used and the distance it travelled. Sufficient time/distance has to be done for it to reach the optimum charge daily

2. Any additional add on that consume battery life

 

As i dont use my class 2 bike often and i go touring once a week, i changed the battery around 18 months. Decided not to take risk of getting flat battery during tour out. Imagine if you at ipoh towards tour to hatyai.....the bike died...

[BlkeIover]

i once bought a yuasa battery size 5 and it died in 2 weeks cause my recifier died too

[IvikaRazI]

Original batteries lasts longer.

[CMYRS]

how do these guys make their batts last 3yrs?!?!

even if its disconnected, the slow discharge will eventually drain it, age preventing it to hold its charge so well anymore

[Demon]

how do these guys make their batts last 3yrs?!?!

even if its disconnected, the slow discharge will eventually drain it, age preventing it to hold its charge so well anymore

 

On a frequently used bike of small capacity (2b bikes), it is not unusual to strength it to 3 years. This is almost impossible on a car or class 2 bike because the battery needs to cope with the high load when turning the engine during starting.

 

Anyway this poll is quite meaningless because it doesn't specify the type of battery. It is not equal to compare a lead acid with a sealed Maintenance free battery or AGM battery.

[crazydj]

this poll is quite meaningless

 

Ouch. That hurt.

[arthur_chan]

how do these guys make their batts last 3yrs?!?!

even if its disconnected, the slow discharge will eventually drain it, age preventing it to hold its charge so well anymore

 

actually what kills a battery life is when everytime u charge it. if u let it drain out, it wont die as fast. a battery can keep up to storage for 5yr. so those who manage 3yr+ is prob due to lack of use of the bike.

[kaiq]

Mine lasted closed to 4 years. Rode my bike practically everyday. Start engine with headlight on everytime.

 

My bike is 250cc, no HID, no LCD meters, no extra lightings. Bascially nothing extra to drain the battery.

[CMYRS]

On a frequently used bike of small capacity (2b bikes), it is not unusual to strength it to 3 years. This is almost impossible on a car or class 2 bike because the battery needs to cope with the high load when turning the engine during starting.

 

Anyway this poll is quite meaningless because it doesn't specify the type of battery. It is not equal to compare a lead acid with a sealed Maintenance free battery or AGM battery.

 

A larger load from a larger capacity engine placed on a larger starter motor should be compensated with a larger capacity battery.

 

things are proportionate, no?

 

think 7 foot black african with a 1 foot free willy?

 

but thks again God of Batteries, & all things electrical

[crazydj]

Mine lasted closed to 4 years. Rode my bike practically everyday. Start engine with headlight on everytime.

 

My bike is 250cc, no HID, no LCD meters, no extra lightings. Bascially nothing extra to drain the battery.

 

What 250 bike are you riding? I am interested.

[Demon]

A larger load from a larger capacity engine placed on a larger starter motor should be compensated with a larger capacity battery.

 

things are proportionate, no?

 

Your thinking is logical but it never happens in realty.

 

TS is probably riding a Class 2B bike, and battery capacity is 5Ah, a big scrambler like the DR650, battery is 8Ah, and a GS1200, battery is 12Ah.

 

So there are also 5 feet asian with 1 foot willy. Free or not, you have to check yourself

[CMYRS]

Your thinking is logical but it never happens in realty.

 

TS is probably riding a Class 2B bike, and battery capacity is 5Ah, a big scrambler like the DR650, battery is 8Ah, and a GS1200, battery is 12Ah.

 

So there are also 5 feet asian with 1 foot willy. Free or not, you have to check yourself

 

 

ahahahah!!~ someone is speaking from experience eh?

 

Reminds me of a song from yesteryears

"Dont want no, Dont want no, short short man............"

[Phang]

how do these guys make their batts last 3yrs?!?!

even if its disconnected, the slow discharge will eventually drain it, age preventing it to hold its charge so well anymore

 

My 400cc Kawasaki is still running on the stock battery, 4 years and 5 months to be exact.

 

I rode it at least once a week and each trip is not shorter than 100km. If I don’t ride it for more than 2 weeks, I will hook up a charger to top up the battery. I have a friend’s BMW R1150R running on stock battery since 2004 and the mileage of the bike is more than 100,000km.

 

How come you guys’ battery cannot last more than 3 years hah?

[Demon]

My 400cc Kawasaki is still running on the stock battery, 4 years and 5 months to be exact.

 

I rode it at least once a week and each trip is not shorter than 100km. If I don’t ride it for more than 2 weeks, I will hook up a charger to top up the battery. I have a friend’s BMW R1150R running on stock battery since 2004 and the mileage of the bike is more than 100,000km.

 

How come you guys’ battery cannot last more than 3 years hah?

 

I do agree that a battery can last much longer if it is periodically connected to battery charger for recovery.

 

Personally I am using the Optimate4, but I make it a point to replace the battery before it turns 2 years because I don't want to be stuck deep in a trail with a weak battery.

[Phang]

My car’s batteries don’t share the same luck or treatment I should say. The car eats one battery every 24 months, like clockwork, regardless of the battery brand. They gave very little clue before they die, felt the first weak cranking in the morning and die in the evening like heart attack.

 

Now I carry a fresh battery in the boot during the last month of the battery life, when the existing battery dead, I just change the battery with the fresh one in the boot.

[CMYRS]

My 400cc Kawasaki is still running on the stock battery, 4 years and 5 months to be exact.

 

I rode it at least once a week and each trip is not shorter than 100km. If I don’t ride it for more than 2 weeks, I will hook up a charger to top up the battery. I have a friend’s BMW R1150R running on stock battery since 2004 and the mileage of the bike is more than 100,000km.

 

How come you guys’ battery cannot last more than 3 years hah?

 

 

Hello Mr Phang, long time no see.

 

Now I know, regular charging helps further extend batt life.

 

But bike design also plays a big part, we duke monster riders have major electrical/batt issues, prob. inadequate alternator, it just sux the life out of batteries.

[Phang]

I see you everywhere in the forum:angel: I agree with you, the design of the bike plays a big part.

 

I measure the parasitic drain of all my bikes. BMW is the lousiest, it draws 20mA when the ignition is off and alarm in standby mode. If I arm the alarm, it will shoot up to 40mA. If I don’t ride the bike for more than a week, the starter motor will show sign of slow cranking.

 

Kawasaki draws the least current, 1.2mA and the recent MG consumes only 1.89mA when the ignition is off, impressive.

 

I know there are clock, dash/meters memory, ECU memory that need to maintain when the ignition is off but 20mA for BMW is too much in my book. Probably there is a minor short circuit somewhere in the wiring harness or the diode of the rectifier is leaking badly

 

Ah Phang

[CMYRS]

I like to roam

 

which model kawa/bmw did u measure for this comparison?

with the current models with anti-theft immobiliser, the slow constant daily drain is a bother.

but 20mA is high indeed

[Phang]

Kawasaki W400 and R1150R, both without IU.

 

The manual of the BMW factory alarm says the power consumption is not more than 5mA, which is optimistic in my opinion http://www.circvsmaximvs.com/images/smilies/expressive/shrug.gif

[CMYRS]

good lord, means its a greater figure WITH e IU, not including additional add ons like GPS, driving lights, mp3, etc.........

[Phang]

It depends on how those gadgets are connected. If they are connected to a switched supply then it will not drain the battery when you turn off the ignition switch. Most of the IUs I have seen are connected directly to the battery (via a fuse in series). If your IU is functional when the ignition switch is off then it will bleed the battery to dead if you are not riding it for a long period of time.

[CMYRS]

if that is the case, y would the beemer w/o the IU have a tremendous 20mA when switch is off and nothing else is running other than the alarm?

[nelo]

guys..

 

my bike is 4 years old, and the battery havent been changed before at all LOL. but it works perfectly. voltmeter readings connected directly to batt is 12.5 +/- when ignition is off, 11.7 +/- when ignition is on, and about 14.0 +/- when bike is idling.

 

been this way for years, need to change?

[nutboy]

how do u noe tt ur battery's time is almost up?