Member Contributer Snafu Posted April 10, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted April 10, 2007 I still have the original battery in my 2003. When I get home from my ride I always hook up the battery tender to it. I'm entering my 5th year with this battery. I wonder how long I can go before I have to replace it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fricksdad Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 The OEM Yuasa in my '94 VFR went 10 years without a hitch. I still use it in the shop whenever I need a 12 volt source. Never had it on a battery tender. Replaced it with a Yuasa of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer stic3 Posted April 10, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted April 10, 2007 My 2000 has it's original battery and it is showing no signs of dying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 I purchased a used 04 VFR's this winter from a local dealer. The OEM battery went t1tts-up this winter and they had to replace it. Dead after approximately 4 years. The bike has 1671 miles on it, but the previous owner didn't have a clue about MC battery TLC. I think that battery life has a LOT to do with how familiar you are with a battery tender. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 767fixer Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 I purchased a used 04 VFR's this winter from a local dealer. The OEM battery went t1tts-up this winter and they had to replace it. Dead after approximately 4 years. The bike has 1671 miles on it, but the previous owner didn't have a clue about MC battery TLC. I think that battery life has a LOT to do with how familiar you are with a battery tender. or just ride it often :beer: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFR4Lee Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 or just ride it often Yeah, just don't let it sit too long. Just a SWAG, maybe 5 years average for batteries I've had. B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobie1dog Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 I bet the one that lasted 10 years didn't go more than a week or so before the bike was used again. Sitting for long periods of time is the curse of all batteries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFR4Lee Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Sitting for long periods of time is the curse of all batteries. Well, maybe not those AAA Alkalines. :D For sure all rechargables. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer VF1000R Posted April 10, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted April 10, 2007 I'm on my fourth battery (replaced last year) in my 500 Interceptor since I bought it new in 1984, so that was three batteries in 22 years. Which is why I raised holy hell at the local dealer when the battery in my 05 Gixxer 750 went belly up 4 months after I bought it. They tried to tell me that it was my fault because I let it go 6 days without cranking it. Uh, yeah, that kind of illogic might work on a clueless squid but not me. After haggling with the owner/manager for a few minutes (and refusing his initial option of splitting the "cost", i.e. the price and not his cost) he finally gave me a new one after I pointed out that I had bought two new bikes worth about $22K from them in the last year and that those probably wouldn't be the last ones I'd ever buy but they damn sure would be the last two I bought from him if he didn't take care of this problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawglet Posted August 5, 2007 Share Posted August 5, 2007 I'm not really for sure since I was the 2nd owner but last year I took the orginal out to replace it only because I didn't have a charger where I was at the time, it was easier to take it to Wal-mart for core than buy a charger and wait a day in a motel. One of those things I guess. I simply left an aux. light on over night and tah-da it was dead in the morning!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JES_VFR Posted August 10, 2007 Share Posted August 10, 2007 The first battery in my vfr lasted a little less than two years. Of course 4th quarter of 2002 was the start of a not good year for me and between that and leaving the key in the run position a couple too many times, I killed the battery. So I replaced it in May of 2003 and added a battery tender. I rode the bike from time to time, but still not really enough. But for three years the battery held up just fine. Then last year in mid august (just after a couple of 200 mile days), the battery goes tits up the night before I leave for deals gap. I tried to jump it only to find that the battery would not take any charge. I run to the local battery store and manage to score a new walsh (made by interstate) brand battery. I check the voltages after filling/charging & installing the new battery and at 0100 hours on the morning I am supposed to leave find everything to be nominal. I did not reinstall the battery tender harness, figuring that I did not need it since I was going to be riding a lot over the next two weeks. The VFR and the battery work flawlessly over the two weeks and I return home with a nagging confusion reguarding the old battery. I take the old battery back into the garage and give it a good shake. Its a maintenance free yuasa, but I don't hear or sense any sloshing of electrolyte. I pried up the caps and looked down into the cells to see nothing but dry plates. There is no liguid to be seen in the battery. So I fill the battery with water to find out if it is a leak. The next morning there is no water outside of the case and the case is still full of water. I put the battery tender on the fully charged battery in my lawn tractor. It goes into the charge mode and I decide to check back on it a little later. I come back an hour later and it is still trying to full output charge the battery! I leaned over and listened, the battery was audibly bubbling and the case was hot to the touch. I quickly disconnected the tender and then checked the battery with a VM. It was fully charged. The tender had boiled my VFR battery dry. The current battery is only a year old, but I'm riding much more (10,000 miles since last september). I expect it to last at least another two years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer VFR_Brandon Posted August 10, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted August 10, 2007 The battery in my 01 lasted 5 years. It probably would have lasted longer if it wasn't for the rectifier going bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer keithbob Posted August 31, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted August 31, 2007 My 2000 has it's original battery and it is showing no signs of dying. Ditto here. My 2000 is ridden regularly year-round, which is the best thing for battery life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 2002 Ridden regularly in the summer and charged in the winter made it to 2006 perfectly fine (OEM Yuasa). Forgot to use the charger this past winter and my battery pooped out a month ago. It did give me warning for about 1mos and I thought I could get it to last the summer, but I was wrong :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer DougFromIndy Posted September 8, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted September 8, 2007 2003 original battery, never been on a trickle charger, just sits all by itself all winter long, fires up fine in spring, I figure why bother with a charger, if dies will buy the best Yuasa made and do the same abuse to it, is very impressive to me because the battery is very tiny..I think technology has come a long way since my 72 yamaha dt250 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Nicole Posted September 8, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted September 8, 2007 They replaced the battey in my 04 when I bought it new in 05. Can't answer the poll yet as she is still ticking! :goofy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Perkins Posted September 10, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted September 10, 2007 Just bought an '02 one month ago and had to replace the battery today. Learned that none of the local autoparts stores carry the hard to find 12S required for 02 models, but everybody has 12BS for pre '02 models. Also quite a price jump to the 12S especially when you have to go to a dealership to get it. Im assuming the battery (a Yuasa) on the bike was original but I dont know how to confirm it. Anyone know how to date the battery I replaced? There arent any date markings just this, JJ2748. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bear22099 Posted September 10, 2007 Share Posted September 10, 2007 The first battery in my vfr lasted a little less than two years. Of course 4th quarter of 2002 was the start of a not good year for me and between that and leaving the key in the run position a couple too many times, I killed the battery. So I replaced it in May of 2003 and added a battery tender. I rode the bike from time to time, but still not really enough. But for three years the battery held up just fine. Then last year in mid august (just after a couple of 200 mile days), the battery goes tits up the night before I leave for deals gap. I tried to jump it only to find that the battery would not take any charge. I run to the local battery store and manage to score a new walsh (made by interstate) brand battery. I check the voltages after filling/charging & installing the new battery and at 0100 hours on the morning I am supposed to leave find everything to be nominal. I did not reinstall the battery tender harness, figuring that I did not need it since I was going to be riding a lot over the next two weeks. The VFR and the battery work flawlessly over the two weeks and I return home with a nagging confusion reguarding the old battery. I take the old battery back into the garage and give it a good shake. Its a maintenance free yuasa, but I don't hear or sense any sloshing of electrolyte. I pried up the caps and looked down into the cells to see nothing but dry plates. There is no liguid to be seen in the battery. So I fill the battery with water to find out if it is a leak. The next morning there is no water outside of the case and the case is still full of water. I put the battery tender on the fully charged battery in my lawn tractor. It goes into the charge mode and I decide to check back on it a little later. I come back an hour later and it is still trying to full output charge the battery! I leaned over and listened, the battery was audibly bubbling and the case was hot to the touch. I quickly disconnected the tender and then checked the battery with a VM. It was fully charged. The tender had boiled my VFR battery dry. The current battery is only a year old, but I'm riding much more (10,000 miles since last september). I expect it to last at least another two years. Wasn't there an issue with some battery tenders that if you did not connect them in the correct order they would never cycle to float mode? You had to connect the battery, then the power cord I think on those ones. If you just plugged them in, then connected the battery they would charge all time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer skuuter Posted September 10, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted September 10, 2007 Daily ridden bikes generally have a much longer battery life than even "tended" parked bikes. Plates in these batteries tend to have a lot less build up, especially if the bike gets some extended riding........... :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer gradus Posted September 10, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted September 10, 2007 I had a battery problem Saturday night on my '05. Had just taken a 300 mile ride 1 week before. But I think it was because I had the brights on for about 5 minutes before cranking the bike. After a quick 20 mile ride down the highway no problems and riding the bike today with no problems. Does that sound right that 5 minutes with the brights on will drain the battery? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer VFRbeliever Posted September 10, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted September 10, 2007 '02. Original battery. I ride April - Nov with just a few rides when the weather breaks in the winter. Battery tender on all winter and even a few times during the riding season. Still starts strong every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Snafu Posted November 22, 2007 Author Member Contributer Share Posted November 22, 2007 I still have the original battery in my 2003. When I get home from my ride I always hook up the battery tender to it. I'm entering my 5th year with this battery. I wonder how long I can go before I have to replace it. Now I know how long my original battery lasted. :wheel: 5 years 3 months. I was leaving work when I hit the starter and it turned over once. That was it. Good thing my coworked had jumper cables. Bike fired right up. Once I got home, I swapped the battery. The new battery turns the motor over soooooo much faster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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