Do you ever replace your battery due to age alone?

[Fritz The Cat]

I have no idea how old my battery is, it was in the bike when I bought it 3 years ago. I've never had a minutes trouble out of it but I'm concerned it might leave me stranded one day. Should I replace it now or hope it shows signs of eminent failure before it leaves me stranded somewhere?

[Patrick]

I wait, but, if it was fairly old [8-9 yrs or so] and I was taking it on a trip I'd consider a new one.

[RRS]

I replace batteries after five years.  They will fail either when you are in a hurry or a long way from home or a shop.

[Jess from VA]

Mine last 10 years (or more) on battery tenders (24/7/365 when not riding or traveling).

Except for one that has been sitting for a few months, my bikes start in 2 seconds.  When one started to consistently take longer to start (even when being run a couple times a week), I replaced the battery.  I think having a new OE Yuasa (with acid on the side), ready to go in the shed/garage is a wise idea.  Esp with two bikes: but even with one.   They never seem to go bad when it's convenient.   

[old2soon]

When ANYTHING craps out it's tween B F E and last and found.  All my years trucking/driving/riding/boating I've NEVER had anything crap out before I leave or when it's near a shop.    If yer gonna do a lot of riding put a new one in.  The one that came with my bike is gone but I COULD NOT find a manufacture date on it anywhere. RIDE SAFE.

[Pete]

Time is a replacement element but not part of the analysis.
I replace when the battery turns over but fails to start promptly or turns over and then starts when I release the starter button (indicating lack of sufficient power to turn over and fire the ignition).

All this assumes a properly maintained battery. I will usually charge the battery on the first occurrence and replace if the issue resurfaces again or if sulfation(sp) is noticed.

[salty1]

You might want to have one on hand. They store just fine dry.
http://www.amazon.com/YUASA-YTX14-BS-Maintenance-Free-Battery/dp/B000WJX4BQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390761313&sr=8-1&keywords=Battery+for+Valkyrie

[Farther]

This one has a little more power and is on my Amazon wish list:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000N5ST3C/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3EVT9YFBXS6IW&coliid=I2YAKT4O2H9648

[gordonv]

I would be more inclined to add a volt meter, than just change my battery due to age.

Like others have already mentioned, replace when you start getting indicators of a bad battery.

However, some of these signs could be a bad alternator. That is why I like a volt meter in the circuit also.

[Hoser]

Never did that.  I am on my third since new in 1999.  It will start and run well off the alternator, might need a little bump start if it goes out sudden like. I road 600 miles to get home once when the battery puked at a gas stop, never shut down the engine all the way home.  Just fueled up at idle.  The battery plus unit I am on now seems just as good as the OEM.  Hoser   

[Fritz The Cat]

I've got one of those idiot alternator lights and it says everything is OK. Might just order me one off Amazon but it'll be my luck that the old one craps out far from home and I end up with 2 new batteries.

[Jack B]

I replace every 5-6 years. You never know when your battery will died. My battery from my 98 Tourer has been in my lawn tractor till this fall. It was tried.

[fudgie]

I do every 5. Mine went very fast the 1st time.

[vanagon40]

"Do you ever replace your battery due to age alone?"

Yes and no.

I replaced mine when it was 10 years old, even though it was functioning perfectly.  However, a large part of my decision was that I needed a new lawnmower battery.  So I bought a new battery for my Valkyrie and used the old battery for the lawnmower.  Notably, when I sold the lawnmower two years later, the 12 year old battery was still functioning flawlessly.

[Fritz The Cat]

Great idea. My lawn mower does indeed need a new battery. I was planning to buy one in the spring. Now it's gonna get the Valk battery. 

[old2soon]

Good plan on putting the Valkyrie battery in da lawn mower.  When ya gots ta ride ya gots ta ride!!  You can cut the grass whenever!  Riding ain't a matter of life and death-it's WAY MORE important than that!!  On a more in line with this thread note-i've read-and NO I can't point you there-that summer is harder on batteries than winter is. And then again I could be not correct!!  RIDE SAFE.

[whitestroke]

Do all the Valkyrie models take the same battery?

[donaldcc]

  Interesting question.  I have just bought, filled and charged a Yuasa YTX14H-BS Battery.  To replace the YTX14-BS Battery and I will do this tomorrow.  It has additional plates to provide 240 CCAs (Cold Cranking Amps) vs 200 CCA for the YTX14BS.

The one in the bike is 4 years old.  I read about people going 8 - 10 years with a battery, but I can't imagine that happening in the desert with very high ambient heat for 1/2 the year.  My bike has always started by just touching the starter button, but over the last month or so the engine has to turn over more times.  Always starts, but a definite change.  Interested to see the difference with new battery tomorrow.

As a guideline, each 8°C (15°F) rise in temperature cuts the life of a sealed lead acid battery in half.  I have definitely seen this in car batteries here and suspect the same is going on with the Yuasa.  While life is lengthened in colder temps,  battery capacity is decreased at colder temps.  This is why your battery dies on a cold winter morning, even though it worked fine the previous afternoon.

[Pete]

Do all the Valkyrie models take the same battery?

Yes.

[Jess from VA]

Do all the Valkyrie models take the same battery?

Yes.

Actually no.  We each have to get our own battery. 

[donaldcc]

This is the only one Yuasa has listed for the Valkyrie so I am not sure why you were using a smaller battery?

---whoops!  had a scrolled down a little more I would have seen the listing for a second battery duh.  Wonder why the two batteries?  

Battery Type: YTX14H-BS
 C.C.A.: 240


Battery Type: YTX14-BS
C.C.A.: 200

exactly the same battery except the YTX14H-BS has more plates inside the battery so more C.C.A. (Cold Cranking Amps).

  And more is better, right?

MODIFY:    YTX14H-BS is 8.6 lb and  YTX14-BS is 8.1 so I guess the extra 0.5 lb is weight of extra plates in battery with higher CCA.

[donaldcc]

 so I went out to install the new charged battery because the last few times I am out riding, it took several revolutions of engine to start.  I thought I would start it today with the old and then replace with new and see difference.

   I turned on key, put bike in neutral, all lights came on and I hit starter.  all lights went off and bike would not turn over.  WTF

  Installed new battery turned on key, all lights came on and it started right up as soon as I touched starter.  Now what are the chances my old battery would fail just as I was going to replace it?

 I am going out to buy a Powerball ticket.

[salty1]

HDL parts has 15% off all batteries. FWIW

[98pacecar]

Nope,  always wait, till I get one a da lil,, tell tale signs,,, ta buy replacement..   



 

[Jess from VA]

Now what are the chances my old battery would fail just as I was going to replace it?

Paying attention often pays off.    

I'd shoot some electronic cleaner/lube into your starter switch anyway.  Though it's so dry out there corrosion may be unlikely.  But a dirty starter switch can give the same symptoms as a failing/low battery.

[donaldcc]

  Thanks Jess.    I did spray some cleaner in starter switch, but think it is very clearly battery life over.  Desert heat is rough on them.  Quality Yuasa dies in just under 4 years while guys in more temperate climates get double that.

  oh well, I am riding in 80* now.  I can afford a new battery.