Battery age

[lucky_1_chris]

How do you determine the age of a Yuasa battery? Mine is a YTX14-BS. Google tells me that there is a code stamp on the top of the battery, but there is no such code on any side of my battery.

Gracias

[9Ball]

I write the date that I fill the battery with acid and put the initial charge on it....probably won't help you in this situation but might help when you install your new battery.

[Ricky-D]

How do you determine the age of a Yuasa battery? Mine is a YTX14-BS. Google tells me that there is a code stamp on the top of the battery, but there is no such code on any side of my battery.

Gracias

It might be that the battery is OE.

***

[R J]

How do you determine the age of a Yuasa battery? Mine is a YTX14-BS. Google tells me that there is a code stamp on the top of the battery, but there is no such code on any side of my battery.

Gracias

It might be that the battery is OE.

***

Also, 90% of the people who sell batteries, motorcycle, do not mark them.  I've got 4 different batteries at 4 different places and none of them were marked or stamped.

My last battery had a chart sticker on it.   Seller never touched it, I plunked the buttons out so as to know how old or how long I'd had it.   Had the 12 months, and 3 slots for year.   Yuh just plucked out the little round tab for the month and year.    Top row was Jan thru Jun. next row was Jul thru Dec.  Next row had 3 slots for the year, which in my case was 06 07 & 08.   Got it at a Wal-Mart type store in Idaho.   Battery was flat one morning at the Motel and directly across the street was this store.    They had their batteries on a continuous charge, which I didn't like, but what the hey, they had a battery and it got me home.   I hauled the battery in the trailer home, tried to revive it, but it was toast.   That was when my HOT alternator came out and went back to stock.

Here is a picture of us shortly after installing the battery.   We were hungry by then.    LOL

[Ricky-D]

That too when putting the battery in service.

I was more thinking the manufacturer stamps the battery as to the date of manufacture of the battery.

But again, you are right.

The sellers hardly ever indicate the info like they used to. Probably don't give a care anymore.

Now they all tell you to hold on to the receipt.  Ha, what a laugh.

***

[gordonv]

Now they all tell you to hold on to the receipt.  Ha, what a laugh.
***

I agree, but with computers today, my printer is also a scanner, and I scan all my receipts and file away the image. These and all my doc I want to keep (tax receipts, bills, etc), take a lot of room, and since I back up my computer monthly, I can have a life time of this stuff in no room at all.

Receipts fade, they are all on thermo paper now and they don't really even last a year, unless they use a ink ribbon.

[lucky_1_chris]

I guess it'll remain a mystery. Thanks y'all.

[sugerbear]

batteries and tires, if in doubt change them out. doesn't matter how old or new.
cheap peace of mind.

[skromfols]

How long should I expect my battery to last?  Or what should I look for to see if the battery is close to the end of it's useful life?  I bought my Valkyrie used 3 years ago.  The battery has given me no trouble at all, but I'm sure that one of these days.......There is hardly ever a time when the bike is not ridden at least once a week so I never have to use my trickle charger on it.

[Bone]

Bought my 98 Tourer (black) in "05". It had a Bike Master battery so it was not OEM. I was curious as to it's life having never seen one. I rode until 2010 with out a problem except me wondering when I would get stranded. I bought a Yuasa battery and gave the Bike Master to a friend who's still running it in his lawn mower. I travel long distances alone so peace of mind is very important.

[Jess from VA]

How long should I expect my battery to last?  Or what should I look for to see if the battery is close to the end of it's useful life?  I bought my Valkyrie used 3 years ago.  The battery has given me no trouble at all, but I'm sure that one of these days.......There is hardly ever a time when the bike is not ridden at least once a week so I never have to use my trickle charger on it.

If your bike is a keeper, then ordering a spare battery (the Yuasa from HDL) and having it on hand is a good idea.  It comes dry with an acid pack on the side and will last indefinitely until ready to fill, charge and install.

Because the coils and ignition take a fair amount of voltage to fire,  the first sign of failure is often a bike that turns over just fine, but will not fire up.  Na, na, na, na, na, na, na.... but no vroom.    

Using a Battery Tender 24 X 7 when not riding, regardless of how much I rode, made my original '99 IS battery last 11 years, and it never failed, but when it regularly began taking more and more cranks than usual to fire up, I changed it.  

It has been argued here that running a failing battery can stress your alternator to the failure point, and I don't want to do THAT job.

[Ricky-D]

The problem of trying to estimate or determine when the battery is gonna let you down is next to impossible.

That's because of the many different ways it can fail.

All batteries have a guaranteed life to which you have redress if the battery fails within that period of time.

Most times the battery life will exceed the guaranteed lifetime to which, you become the beneficiary of the extra performance.

I think the best thing to do is purchase a new battery that is "dry" and keep it on the shelf in anticipation of the time when you will need it.

If you purchase a new battery for future use that has already been filled it must necessarily be kept on a battery tender until such time you choose to put it in service. As to how a battery in this condition ages I cannot comment except to say that I feel it has to have some affect on the life expectancy of the battery when compared to a dry battery.

***

[Patrick]

If the battery isn't 'punched' , I always punch it for the farthest date out[ the heck with them] and then just write the in-service date on a chunk of masking tape and stick it to the battery.. Best of both worlds..
The original Valk battery only lasted 10 years.. Some of my batteries are well over 20 years old.. I never use a maintainer.. I had to change the battery in the Model A recently, the date on it was 8/17/83..
But, you never know.. Anything can fail at any time..

[alph]

i called YUASA and told them the code stamped on my battery.  they told me it was made in 1999, the year of my cycle.  i replaced it last spring.