Battery Longevity

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mikemax04

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I'm looking for a consensus to find out how long a stock Max battery is good for. Also how long aftermarket ones have lasted for you guys.
 
Mines a 99 that still had the stock battery in it when I bought it in '04; it crapped out shortly thereafter but was very low on water when it went. I put a Yuasa replacement in it and it's going on two years.

I also put a headlight kill switch on it so it could still charge when at idle rather than discharging at idle; Like when I'm warming it up or just playing with it in the garage....I think it's helped but I dunno...
 
mikemax04 said:
I'm looking for a consensus to find out how long a stock Max battery is good for. Also how long aftermarket ones have lasted for you guys.

I've only used the Yuasa batteries but I always get at least 5 years out of them. I always leave them on a Battery Tender when I'm not riding the bike, so that may help.
 
Thanks guys. Mine came with a Yuasa and bought the bike (04) new in Jan of 04. That's less than 3 years. Was going to go with a Panasonic but 2-3 week shipping. Locally nothing much to choose from. Have a new one in a box from a few years ago (dry cell) and am planning on using it. It's 1/2" wider so I have to alter the battery box. Hope it will work out. :confused2: :thumbup1:
 
I got an oversize battery box from Exactrep and run a Goldwing battery. 5 yrs and still going strong. I also plug it up to a battery tender once a month.
 
vmx12s said:
I got an oversize battery box from Exactrep and run a Goldwing battery. 5 yrs and still going strong. I also plug it up to a battery tender once a month.
Got her done with little effort and 1/2" extra on the width is about the maximum space available. Not much room in there for those with big hands. Now she wants to start before I even hit the button.........well, almost. Strange thing about the old Yuasa, after three years it still didn't need any water added. Never had a battery that did that. I'm wondering if the dealer used acid that wasn't fresh? Anybody up on batteries?
 
mine is starting to go. Ive only had the bike for 2 years so Im not sure how old the battery is. But if I dont throw it on the battery tender on cold mornings for about a 1/2 hour it wont turn over.
\
Ill get a new one this winter
 
I use the Odyssey PC680. It's lasted 5 years so far. The stockers last anywhere from 1-3 years.
 
My 97' had the stock yusa battery in it when I bought it last year. It ran fine over the winter but over thispast summer, I started having hot start issues and then about a month ago I ended up with a no start.

Local dealer wanted $89 for a new yusa battery and would have to order it. I went to autozone and picked up a Magna battery for $50. It's been great so far, but time will tell. But then, at $50, if this batt goes to shit in the next year, I won't feel too bad, but I'll know to find something else.
 
Mark, that is great, I have odyssey in my bike, I am really happy with it and the fact that it requires no maintenance.


maleko89 said:
I use the Odyssey PC680. It's lasted 5 years so far. The stockers last anywhere from 1-3 years.
________
wiki vaporizer
 
Last edited:
Amen Ibrahim. It's not unusual for them to last 10-15 years.
 
I highly recommend buying a battery tender and wiring in a plug to stay on the bike.

Black and Decker has a nice one at Walmart for $20 that is switchable from 1 amp to 2.I was bummed that the first one I bought was $65 for a battery tender.I love the black and decker now. Both are smart and will float after full charge.

I put it on once a week and never have any issues anymore.Work is only 2 miles so I had a lot of starts with low miles.
 
Reading this thread has cursed me.

This morning and yesterday morning I couldn't even crash start untill the 7th try.

Gonna pull the battery and stick it on a charger tonight as that seems to be the problem. If that doesn't work... time for a new batt.
 
Waylander, check your charging voltage too....could be your charging system. BTW, happy belated bday.
 
maleko89 said:
Waylander, check your charging voltage too....could be your charging system. BTW, happy belated bday.

lol cheers. Will be checking the charging voltage this weekend Need to borrow the tools to do it from work since all mine are in storage at the moment. And also if I can get the PDF file I have for the shop manual to show up in something other than black pages...
 
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