Do you replace your battery before it dies or wait until it dies to replace it? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Do you replace your battery before it dies or wait until it dies to replace it?

Do you replace your battery before it dies or after it dies?

  • I replace it before it dies.

    Votes: 4 21.1%

  • I wait until it dies to replace.

    Votes: 14 73.7%

  • I like to drive my car more than ride my bike.

    Votes: 1 5.3%
  • Total voters
    19
hot12

hot12

Active member
Hello,

I have heard batteries can last anywhere from 1 to 9 years. I am at 3 years now, but I am scared of losing power on the 401, breaking down far away from home.

Just wondering, do you replace before it dies, or wait until it dies to replace it?


Are there any signs that let you know your battery is dying?


Thanks.
 
Are there any signs that let you know your battery is dying?
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Yes. Your headlight becomes dim (and yellow).
Your turn signals slow down. You bike cranks slowly or barely cranks when you start it.
If you check, your horn will be feeble.
But it won't 'break down on the 401' all of a sudden - not if you were able to start it (without kicking) earlier that day...
If you do ignore the very obvious signs of a bad battery and/or charging system, however, your ride WILL eventually roll to a halt.
But in the absence of any problems, don't worry, a newer battery would not be required.
Regards
 
C'mon guy dont be a drama queen, who in hell told you that your bike dies while runnimg because of a weak battery? LOL. Even the question is silly, you only buy a new battery until the old one dies. I rode a bike for 7 years without changing battery plus the years the previous owner had it for.
 
You raise a very legitimate concern. Batteries almost always die at the 3 year mark - often without any warning whatsoever!!! For peace of mind, I recommend getting a new one asap. Coincidently, I offer a battery disposal service and will handle the disposal of your battery free of charge*


* depends on whether your battery fits an R1 or not.


hot12 said:
Hello,

I have heard batteries can last anywhere from 1 to 9 years. I am at 3 years now, but I am scared of losing power on the 401, breaking down far away from home.

Just wondering, do you replace before it dies, or wait until it dies to replace it?


Are there any signs that let you know your battery is dying?


Thanks.
Click to expand...
 
A battery's main purpose in my eyes is to start your vehicle (car, truck, bike, etc).
Once running, the alternator/generator should take care of the rest.

I remember sharing a battery between my Mustang and my Blazer when I had both of them (one for winter, one for summer).
The Blazer's battery had died and I didn't want to spend money on a new one, nor needed to since I was putting the truck away. When I put the stang away I took its battery and put it in my Blazer, and vice versa when summer came back around.

When it came time to scrap the truck, I put the battery in it to start it and then removed it while the truck was running.
I then drove the truck straight to the scrap yard battery-less, catalytic-converter-less (60$-120$ when sold seperately), stereo-less and bare tires.
Got my 350$ worth of scrap, took my plates off and then went home with my friend who followed me there.


If all else fails, bump start your bike. I've had to do it a couple times until I replaced the battery a month ago. :)
 
Change it before it dies......you ever try bump starting a fuel injected bike on a hot summer day with all your gear on anybody? Not fun and near impossible!!! You cant really compare a mustang or a blazer with a 190+ amp alternator to a motorcycle with a 30-45 amp stator.
Ive seen motorcycle battery's cause more drain then what the stator put out causing it sputter and misfire. For about $100-$150 for a battery, is it really worth that gamble of aggrivation and frustration??
 
Pegassus said:
C'mon guy dont be a drama queen, who in hell told you that your bike dies while runnimg because of a weak battery? LOL. Even the question is silly, you only buy a new battery until the old one dies. I rode a bike for 7 years without changing battery plus the years the previous owner had it for.
Click to expand...

It's easy enough for a marginal battery to cause a bike to die on the road.

Batteries seldom "die" right away unless you cook them by overcharging either via faulty charging system on the bike or via faulty winter storage/chargung habits. Most batteries will gradually lose their ability to hold a decent amount of charge (starting or reserve) over time.

Waiting for the battery to outright die before replacing it makes about as much sense as waiting for your tire tread to be totally gone before getting new tires. Pushing the edge of usability may end up with you getting cut by that edge.

If you are doing stop and go traffic you'll spend a lot of your time at idle or low rpm, and that in turn usually means minimal charge being fed into the battery. Stop and go traffic also means heavier electrical loads than usual, with brake lights on a lot of the time while slowing or stopped, radiator fan running because of little or no air flow moving through the rad on its own, and turn signals on at times. That's over and above the always-on headlight(s) and running lights.

In that kind of riding, it's easily possible to run a marginal battery with little or no reserve down faster than the bike can recharge it. It takes adequate voltage to the coil packs to properly spark those spark plugs, and some bikes also need proper battery voltage to manage their electronic fuel injection systems. Not enough power and the bike will run poorly or stop entirely.

Warning signs are when your dash lights or headlights noticeably dim when the turn signals or brake lights are on. When the charge goes down far enough you can actually hear an engine stumble due to lack of electrical power when you apply the brake lights or turn signals.

When this starts to happen, either your battery is on its way out or your charging system is compromised. It's quick and easy to have a battery load-tested. That's also a good time to do a quick check on the voltage output of your charging system.
 
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hotshotmikeyboy said:
For about $100-$150 for a battery, is it really worth that gamble of aggrivation and frustration??
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Shop around and you can get a battery for even just 1/3 to 1/2 that amount. Changing a battery when it first starts to show noticeable loss of reserve provides some very inexpensive peace of mind.
 
Newer bikes with complex electronic systems rely on a battery with a good charge to operate properly.

I was throwing ABS faults on my bike the whole of last season, and when I took it in to the dealer, their computer could not diagnose any faults. They shrugged their shoulders and recommended changing out the computer for mucho $$$.

The battery finally gave up the ghost at the end of the season. Fresh battery this season and no faults whatsoever. Saved myself a ton of money because the constant ABS faults were beginning to bug me and I was considering dropping $$$ for a new computer + labour to install it.
 
My 98 gixxer has 85,000 on it, with the original battery, buy one when you need one.
 
replace the battery from the warning signs. if you dont it will cost you big bucks for a stator. check the connector from reg/rec to the stator, it may melt.
 
Stewart said:
replace the battery from the warning signs. if you dont it will cost you big bucks for a stator. check the connector from reg/rec to the stator, it may melt.
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If you're talking about my SRAD I rewired that plug a few years ago when my bike died on a back road 300km west of Sault Ste Marie.
 
i like the exercise of push starting my bike, and i like to entertain people as i run down the street with the cars getting my bike started...now why would i rob anyone of that thorough amusement...
 
I just changed battery about 3 weeks ago after having my bike since 2004, now they are cheap, $53 dollars, about 3 years ago when I attempted to buy one they costed over $110. Why the sudden drop in price?
 
I'm afraid to post in this thread in case I jinx my battery. LOL.

I haven't replaced mine yet but will this winter. Not because the battery is dead (5 years old) but because I want a different battery.
 
Stewart said:
replace the battery from the warning signs. if you dont it will cost you big bucks for a stator. check the connector from reg/rec to the stator, it may melt.
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+1 Running some bikes with a bad battery can and will result in a seriously hard load on the charging system.Older bmw's are notorious for this.
 
I have an electronic charger that I use on all the cars and my bike on a monthly basis. Keeping lead-acid batteries charged greatly extends their life.
 
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Pegassus said:
I just changed battery about 3 weeks ago after having my bike since 2004, now they are cheap, $53 dollars, about 3 years ago when I attempted to buy one they costed over $110. Why the sudden drop in price?
Click to expand...
Top shelf Yuasa batteries still retail around that range.
 
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