I am not sure, however, after putting in a new battery my bike runs more smooth. I notice when is decelerate I don't get that surging anymore, and it idles way better.
I thought I read here that this girl won't charge at idle, so I am guessing we are borrowing reserve juice from the battery then?

Most motorcycles don't really charge until about 2,000 rpm. Found that out when I was commuting about 2-3 miles on my BMW. Went thru 3 batteries under warranty, even though charging system checked out good @ dealership.

I'd start the bike (energy drain #1), ride to work...start bike to ride to lunch (drain #2), the again to ride home (#3). Those energy drains put my battery into any "energy deficit" that was not recharged by a short, stop-&-go ride. On battery #3, I put the 1amp charger on the bike every night for 30-60 minutes (this was in the pre-Battery-Tender days). That battery lasted for over 5 years, at which point I sold the BMW.

Since then, I've installed a battery charger/tender pigtail on every bike I've owned. Besides making the battery last longer, I'm fairly certain it alleviates some strain on the charging system, too.

My '08 has its original battery. I put the tender on it every now and then and have had no problems with the battery.

What's the average life of these batteries and should I be getting nervous about being stranded on the side of the road?

Automotive & (especially) motorcycle lead-acid batteries don't do well when run down flat. (Also, a dead battery can freeze, possibly damaging the internal plates &/or cracking the case.) I have NO experience with the AGM batteries, though.

Your 23-mile commute should keep the battery mostly charged, as long as there are no long idling periods, say, lots of long stop lights.

I have a 2001 Toyota Highlander, bought used, & forgot to turn off the map light once, completely draining the battery. It came back when trickle charged, but cranked the starter more slowly than before. When load tested @ Carquest, it failed. When we put in new Carquest battery, the parts store owner said, "Hey, this is the factory OEM battery!". It had lasted for 12 years, but that one run-down finally killed it.

This inexpensive battery hydrometer/tester ($2):

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Everstart-991W-Everstart-Battery-Accessory/16880587

will help you test the individual cells of the battery, & a voltmeter can test the overall charge:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Battery-Tester-GBT-500A/44642720

Yes, it's possible that you need a new battery, but these tools will verify The battery's actual condition before spending $45-65 on a new one. Also, if you do buy a battery and fill it with the acid, it should be fully charged before installing it. The $2 hydrometer will tell you if the new battery is fully charged by how many spheres float (directions on its use are included).

justin_o_guy2 wrote on 01/11/16 at 22:54:24:


That noggin knock really distorted your perception pal.....