How long on your original Battery? What did you replace it with??

[Spin]

My 16 RT has the original battery and I was thinking about changing it just because of all the problems I've read about people having with a bad battery. My questions are how long have you guys gone on the original battery and what have you replaced it with? Thanks

 

[trikermutha]

I still have my original on my 14 RT. And when I do replace it it will be the stock battery.

 

[billybovine]

It is reasonable to expect a battery to last anywhere from 1 year to 8. With some outliers lasting less or more then that. The age of a battery is a poor way of deciding if it is good or not. So if you think it will give you peace of mind to change it on some schedule. Sure go ahead. It is far better to load test it every oil change. So that means at least once a year. If it passes it will likely last another year. If it fails. Replace it. If you do that. You will likely never get stranded because the battery failed by surprise. The normal minimum voltage on a load test is 10V but I personally would be inclined to replace it at 10.2 or less.

The OE battery is a Yuasa. It is a good battery at a reasonable price. I would replace it with the same.

My 2013 STL I traded it off in 2018 and it still had the original battery in it.

Just a note on reading all the problems with the battery. Often any time someone has an electrical issue. Someone will respond that the battery should be replaced. No matter if the symtoms make sense for that or not.

 

[Bensonoid]

I sold my 13 RT a couple weeks ago with the original battery in it. I have a dry yuasa on the shelf ready to fill and charge when needed. I've never let it sit for more than a couple days without being plugged into a battery tender.

 

[JayBros]

I agree with Billy's recommendations. Remember, "ALL, (emphasis added) the problems I've read about people having with a bad battery" excludes many, many folks who have had ZERO problems with batteries but choose not to comment. My original battery lasted 4+ years but because it was the original OEM battery I had no idea of its manufacture date nor if it was at proper level of charge when connected to the Spyder's electrical system when the bike was assembled from the factory.

FWIW the factory filled Yuasa battery is a YUAM7250H YTX24HL. If you purchase a Yuasa YTX24HL-BS battery, it is one with the acid bottles supplied, ergo the BS at the end of the stock number. With this battery you must install the acid yourself, let it sit for the acid to be completely absorbed by the cells and then charged at a 2 amp rate for 24 hours. If you purchase a factory fill battery be sure to follow the instructions about checking the initial voltage and if below the specified level charged at 2 amps for the time recommended to ensure the best performance of the battery.

 

[Grandpot]

Billybovine is correct. There are a lot of variables. Keep the terminals clean and tight, load test often. Batteries will normally fail in the spring or fall, when the temperature changes dramatically. A crystal ball is also helpfull.:thumbup:

 

[bcer960]

I got 3 years out of the original battery, replaced it with a Yuasa

 

[Icap2U]

Original lasted 6 yrears

The original battery in my 2014 RT lasted 6 years and I replaced with original type, easy job. I got a good price, $90, from Walmart on-line on the Yuasa YTX24HL-BS, delivery was less than a week from CA to VA. Installing the acid and initial charge went without a hitch. I have since traded up to a 2020 RT Limited and now put on trickle charge any time it is not used for a week.

 

[ARtraveler]

I have always been a proponent of when in doubt, change it out. That said, I started this whole Spyder adventure in Alaska. Forty miles away from the big city and you are stuck, stuck, stuck if your battery goes.

Unfortunately, they do tend to go with little to no warning. For the winter sleep, (usually Nov - Apr), I would put the batteries on a Battery Tender Jr. (after a final long ride to charge the unit). I did not start them up during the layover. Come spring wake up, they always fired up to life on the first try. Fast forward to Arkansas...no winter lay up. No battery tenders, since they are being driven most every day.

My usual advice is to change the battery out at three years, whether needed or not. I am coming up on three years on the 2014...so will see how it goes this Spring. I need to make the decision to keep it or move on to another for Linda.

We are not in Alaska, but drive a lot of mostly deserted country roads. I don't want a battery failure miles from help. :bbq:

 

[beaglebain]

My battery died this past weekend. took it in to have it load checked and it had a dead cell. it was OEM for my 2018 Spyder RT (bought used, so I don't know the history).

I replaced it with Xtreme AGM 24HL-BS Powersport Battery CYLA24HLBSXTA

 

[Stache]

Batteries last as long as batteries last, and fail without warning. Simple techniques like regular riding, use of a tender, keeping connections clean and tight MAY improve longevity, but your battery will fail.

Regular load test during scheduled service might offer warning, but that eventual demise will Likely happen without warning. When it fails replace it and ride on.

 

[troop]

I replace my battery every (5) years. Thing with batteries is they tend to crap out with no notice. Stored inside and hooked to a BT year round..

 

[Mikey]

About five years, put a motobat from Lamonster Garage!

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I have always been a proponent of when in doubt, change it out. That said, I started this whole Spyder adventure in Alaska. Forty miles away from the big city and you are stuck, stuck, stuck if your battery goes.

Unfortunately, they do tend to go with little to no warning. For the winter sleep, (usually Nov - Apr), I would put the batteries on a Battery Tender Jr. (after a final long ride to charge the unit). I did not start them up during the layover. Come spring wake up, they always fired up to life on the first try. Fast forward to Arkansas...no winter lay up. No battery tenders, since they are being driven most every day.

My usual advice is to change the battery out at three years, whether needed or not. I am coming up on three years on the 2014...so will see how it goes this Spring. I need to make the decision to keep it or move on to another for Linda.

We are not in Alaska, but drive a lot of mostly deserted country roads. I don't want a battery failure miles from help. :bbq:

:agree: I had issues with the OEM battery from when I purchased my new 2014 RT ..... So I bought a really small Lithium Battery jumper and carried it with me. Al veh's with batteries ( and alternators ) need a large amount of juice to start it .... running the engine uses almost nothing from the Battery, if at all .... Mike

 

[Spin]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I had it serviced yesterday when I had the rear tire put on and the battery is on the long list of things they say they checked. In the winter, I put it on a Battery Tender Jr. once a week until I get a solid green, so I think I'm ok for now. I will order a Yuasa YTX24HL-BS and keep it on the shelf until I need it.

 

[CorwinDM]

I replace my battery every (5) years. Thing with batteries is they tend to crap out with no notice. Stored inside and hooked to a BT year round..

Yeah, they seem to fail all of a sudden. Been starting my bike with just one click for the last 5 years then one day my lights start to acting up. The battery wasn't charging anymore.

 

[trong]

One issue with the lead-acid batteries is they will die with little or no warning at all. Seems like I have to replace the batteries on all the car we have/had owned over the year, we usually keep a car for more than 5 years. For me, average life of a battery is about 5 years; the longest I have seen is 10 years. That was in a 2004 Audi A8 that I purchased in 2014, car cranks and runs just fine, except it cranks a little slower than it should, one day about 6 months after I got it, I decided to check the battery and it was about 11.5 volts. I remove the battery and see that the date stamped on one of the posts and it was 2 months before the manufacture date of the car. I replace with a AGM battery and the car cranks normally like it should. The shortest was a Bosch battery I got from Pepboys for my Crossfire. We don't drive that car everyday but at least once or twice a week and every so often I charge the battery to be sure it has enough juice. One day my wife drives to work and when she got out to go home, the car cranks very slowly that it couldn't start. I jump the battery and when we got home I check the receipt it was 2 years and 8 months. I bring it back to Pepboys and the guy said the battery is bad.
When I bought the 2013 RT-L last May, It has at the time 45 miles on it. The battery in there looks like it original from factory. Everything electrical works like it should but I did not want to take any chances so I replaced with Yuasa.

 

[Spin]

Update- 7 years and I finally had to replace the battery. It wouldn't start when I came out of the barber shop so I had my wife bring my Battery Tender Jr. and the barber was nice enough to let me plug in for a while. I got it home and replaced it with the stock battery. All good now.