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When is the best time to buy a new 2017 RT battery?
- Thread starter dolittle
- Start date
Tourer
Member
Welcome to the forum from North Carolina. Glad you decided to join us.
Don’t think time of year dictates when to replace battery. Age and condition are the decisive factors. Pull it out and have it load tested at the auto parts stores. They do it for free. Go to two or three stores. Have had one store tell me it’s bad and two others say it’s okay.
If you need a new one buy a quality AGM battery that you install the acid and perform the activation charge. No telling how long the ones with the acid installed have been sitting on the shelves at the manufacturer and the retail store.
If it’s the original battery, then it is around five years old. Since I ride very rural country back roads, that is the age where I start to get a little nervous and usually replace the battery. Have always looked at batteries as a maintenance item.
Ride Safely.
Don’t think time of year dictates when to replace battery. Age and condition are the decisive factors. Pull it out and have it load tested at the auto parts stores. They do it for free. Go to two or three stores. Have had one store tell me it’s bad and two others say it’s okay.
If you need a new one buy a quality AGM battery that you install the acid and perform the activation charge. No telling how long the ones with the acid installed have been sitting on the shelves at the manufacturer and the retail store.
If it’s the original battery, then it is around five years old. Since I ride very rural country back roads, that is the age where I start to get a little nervous and usually replace the battery. Have always looked at batteries as a maintenance item.
Ride Safely.
I guess if you are in an area where winter hits hard and the bike won't be used over the winter you could wait until spring. Some will say you need a battery to start and warm the bike occasionally over the winter, but if you are not going to ride it then starting it is not the thing you want to do. You are doing more harm than good. If you have weather like here in southern Ohio where we get some decent riding days over the winter then get a battery and keep it on a good tender. Batteries are getting more and more expensive so a good tender is really cheap insurance and really does prolong the life of the battery.
You can get a "toaster type" load tester for $20 to $30.00 and test your battery yourself for peace of mind. You could carry a jump start battery pack in case of battery failure on the road, and you could buy a battery now that is dry and leave it on the shelf until you need it. As mentioned a battery tender is also a must
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ulflyer
Active member
Dolitle, I put one like this in mine two years or more ago as the OEM was getting weak. Double check the size as I'm not 100% this is the exact one I have. If mine goes tomorrow, I'd get this brand again.
https://www.amazon.com/Mighty-Max-Battery-YTX24HL-BSGEL-Product/dp/B00V76AV00?ref_=ast_sto_dp
https://www.amazon.com/Mighty-Max-Battery-YTX24HL-BSGEL-Product/dp/B00V76AV00?ref_=ast_sto_dp
BLUEKNIGHT911
Sadly Passed Oct 2024 - RIP
IMHO and experience there are 100's of thousands of good batteries in landfills ..... I'm not an ECO freak, but this seems senseless. When my 14 RT started showing signs of " starting " issues ( in 2020 ) I bought a small Lithium Battery jumper, to carry in Frunk. ...... I used it for others but not myself ...... Finally changed the battery last year ..... good luck ..... Mike :thumbup:
trikermutha
New member
Once the battery is gone the battery pack is useless.
BLUEKNIGHT911
Sadly Passed Oct 2024 - RIP
:roflblack: ... and once your buried - you will never eat breakfast again !!!! .... JMHO ..... Mike :thumbup:
Battery
Thanks Blueknight and everyone else, I did buy a small jump pack and I use a tender. The longest I ever got out of a battery was 7 years and I was lucky, when it went my old mom came and got me.
Dolittle
Thanks Blueknight and everyone else, I did buy a small jump pack and I use a tender. The longest I ever got out of a battery was 7 years and I was lucky, when it went my old mom came and got me.
Dolittle
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happyspyder2039
Active member
Not true! You can still jump the bike to get somewhere. Just don’t shut off once started as all the battery does is run headlights for the most part. Also buy a 4 stage charger/maintainer and not just a trickle charger to keep battery on
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trikermutha
New member
Not if the battery is toast. It will not stay running. You can jump start it till you never eat breakfast again.
BLUEKNIGHT911
Sadly Passed Oct 2024 - RIP
" TOAST " .....as in SHORTED internally or just Old and Not 100 % ........ Waaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in the day I had been running test on a 12v car battery ..... and one of the Battery cables came loose ( ie no connection ) the car continued to run ...... WHY ???????? .................. Mike
BLUEKNIGHT911
Sadly Passed Oct 2024 - RIP
:agree: ..... if battery is shorted it won't, and most batteries don't die this way ..... JMHO ..... Mike :thumbup:
trikermutha
New member
Your right carry on! :roflblack:
BLUEKNIGHT911
Sadly Passed Oct 2024 - RIP
hyea:
troop
Well-known member
I think it's pretty safe to say that they don't make batteries like they used to
troop
Well-known member
Hi. Dolittle here, my first post. I have a 2017 RT with 27580 miles and no troubes, but when is the best time to buy a new battery, fall or spring??
Thank you.
Great forum
If you store your Spyder during winter months, throw the current battery on a Battery Tender and wait till spring. You'll likely get a fresher battery.
BajaRon
Well-known member
The best time to buy a battery is just before you need one. But there-in lies the quandary.
It's like trying to time the stock market. It's one of those 'Luck beats Skill Every Time' situations. And why BlueKnight's lament about good batteries being thrown into the landfills is probably accurate. We all have our own Battery Replacement methods. Some work better than others.
It's like trying to time the stock market. It's one of those 'Luck beats Skill Every Time' situations. And why BlueKnight's lament about good batteries being thrown into the landfills is probably accurate. We all have our own Battery Replacement methods. Some work better than others.
IdahoMtnSpyder
Active member
I don't agree. We have a generator at the home farm that has a deader than door nail battery which we use a jump start battery to start. Works just fine. Also, the Yuasa battery in my ATV decided to take a dump. After an hour charge at 10 amps it was still totally 100% dead, but started just fine while the charger was connected.
IdahoMtnSpyder
Active member
My ATV did, and the generator runs as long as needed.
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