Extracting best battery life

[Ack535]

I am a big fan of running a battery tender. Living here in Michigan I leave my battery in year round hooked up to a tender without any problems.

I am no battery expert, but from what I can recall, as battery voltage drops, the battery tends to "sulfate up" between the lead plates, which eventually leads to battery failure.

The battery tender automatically senses when battery voltage drops, and adds a charge then. Which in turn keeps you battery from sulfating, and incrcreases battery life. So I am told...

 

[FJRMGM]

I have always used a general rule of thumb to replace the battery every three years. I have seen batteries work strong one day,dead the next. What is the best battery available for the FJR??

my '05 FJR battery lasted almost six years.

 

[CAJW]

Related topic on longevity.

Battery Survey

 

[Abercrombie FJR]

Ride - often.

Real funny! You could have a little more sympathy for us Northerners. If were lucky maybe the ice age will break in March and the poor bikes will see the light of day.

 

[RadioHowie]

Ride - often.

Real funny! You could have a little more sympathy for us Northerners. If were lucky maybe the ice age will break in March and the poor bikes will see the light of day.

Just keep waiting on that "global warming" thing. Your time will come.

 

[Patriot]

wife still uses the same energizers for 23 yrs in her, ah, you know...

I used to travel alot

 

[OkieBikerDude]

I'm with Blueman. I rode into Casper, Wyoming one afternoon with a buddy on a BMW and when he tried to start after refueling, his battery was dead as a hammer. Have you ever tried to find a BMW battery in a state with less than one million residents? Well don't and with that thought I suggest m/c battery replacement every three years if leaving an area where you know a replace exists. Westco make a great battery.

OKie

 

[Bike Effects]

I got rid of my conventional Battery Tender for this:

Battery Optimizer

Seems to do a great job.

 

[wheatonFJR]

I enjoy my optimate 3 as well...however, it looks like the new ultra light, strong cranking type of batteries coming out (not lead acid) can't use this type of charger.

Hopefully optimate will come out with a charger for them as well...

 

[Big-D]

I have several ATV's and other types of machines (generators) that utilize batteries. People expect cold weather to help shorten the life of a battery, but living just this side of Hell in Lake Havasu where summers don't drop below triple digits after June 1st even at midnight, batteries wear out fast. At $115 each for my ATV batteries, I learned that a trickle charger is well worth its effort in saving money. I keep a 1.5 amp charge on all of my motorcycles, atv's and generator when not being used. This heat will kill your battery very fast. Under normal conditions, batteries will start failing after 2-3 years around here, even in your car or truck. Although I did get 4 years from my F-250 Diesel batteries.