New Battery

[SilverFusion2010]

If you get 5 years out of a battery in Florida you did very well

 

[CharlieBauer]

Consumer Reports some time back found diehards were the top performers in many different sizes.

On that basis I went with diehard, but only got 3.5 years out of it. I heard of similar low lifespans from diehards made in the last several years, so I think quality has gone down recently.

As has been mentioned, heat kills batteries, so low mileage such as 1000 a year is going to mean the battery sees less stress over 14 years than the average battery will in 5 years. And as has also been mentioned, cold weather when batteries are unused does not deplete them as badly as summer weather does.

 

[4ever4d]

On a similar note. Had to replace the battery in the wifeys car a couple weeks ago, purchased from an independent battery dealer in town. Guy's been in business for well over 30 years. Picked up a group 51R for $70 with core trade in and he puts an 84 month warranty on all his batteries no questions asked, if it goes out it's replaced free for the 7 year period. I was happy!

 

[brave sir robin]

Originally Posted By: Trav
Originally Posted By: brave sir robin
Out here in Northern California batteries only last 4-5 years with regular use. Motorcycles its even worse more like 2 years tops in V twins closer to 3 with smaller bikes. Simply leaving a battery sitting on my patio will kill it within a few months. Many a worn but not fully tired motorcycle battery has spent its final days powering various 12v things on my patio over the years...I have probably half a dozen that have succumbed.


True. I haven't been able to keep a bike battery going more than 2 or 3 seasons tops either, nature of the beast I suppose.

I just counted five old batteries since 2009 and that's with me going without a bike for two years. Current battery is getting close to three years old and is by far the longest lived but I am sure it will not last into December. It took me upgrading all the wiring and modifying a Honda rectifier and adding an extra 1.2ah battery to lessen the effect of the natural parasitic drain to get even this far.