2011 RT battery question

[stanleyjhuber]

I had to get my RT jumped today. I was running errands around town, came out and she wouldn't start. I attempted to use my battery tender 600 amp, but it wouldn't do the trick. I had no notification that the battery was on its way out. No issues starting before this, voltmeter was at 13.X volts. I keep a tender plugged in whenever I"m not riding.
I have a few questions regarding replacement batteries...
1) I have to replace my battery every 1-2 years. Is this normal?
2) The last several times, I replaced the battery with a Yuasa - YUAM7250H YTX24HL (This last one lasted 24 1/2 months). I can't seem to find this available anywhere. Are there other batteries that are reliable? Are there issues with the -BS model?
3) Is there any insight to availability of this battery. Should I buy now (end of the riding season is near) or hold off until next spring?