How long should the battery last ?

The battery on my Bike is the original and is now Six years old ,it still seems fine but I dont want it letting me down on AR06 ! I work for RAC and know that a long run can finish a battery off if it is getting on a bit.
Should I just replace it anyway ? any advice welcome

Thats a long time for the battery, but if its been maintained alright then it should be ok. What I would recommend would be an Optimate or some other similiar battery charger/conditioner, this should keep the battery in its best condition.

Originally Posted by falc

Thats a long time for the battery, but if its been maintained alright then it should be ok. What I would recommend would be an Optimate or some other similiar battery charger/conditioner, this should keep the battery in its best condition.

Thanks for that...I use an Optimate thats why its probably lasted so long !

[jambo]

battery's last as long as batterys last. The one in my 1998 Bandit 600 is still going strong after 33,000 miles, yet I've seen them die well before this and last far longer.

If you can go for a run of 10 miles or more, stop the bike, come back the next day and start the bike, the battery is fine. Long runs are the best conditions for a battery to be in, short runs with lots of re-starts are the worst as you take a lump of charge out for every start and it takes a while to put it all back in. Even this will only run a battery down over time rather than killing it long term.

I've heard of the RAC making a fair bit of their profit from selling batteries, not saying they have ever handed you bad advice, but if the bike starts off the button every day leave the battery alone, it's fine

Besides which you'll be on the AR06, sure they'll be volenteers to bump start the bike if the battery does die, and you don't use it when the bike's running

[MrMessy]

Unless your unlucky it should give you some signs before it dies completley. Check its standing and loaded voltages. I knew somebody who worked for Nationwide Car Servicing Centres, they had some sort of tie up with the RAC Breakdown and they where on a bonus to sell batteries! If anybody flattened a battery they recommended a new battery to be fitted even if they just needed charging! Original fitment batteries can last for years if they are regularily charged.

Originally Posted by jambo

battery's last as long as batterys last. The one in my 1998 Bandit 600 is still going strong after 33,000 miles, yet I've seen them die well before this and last far longer.

If you can go for a run of 10 miles or more, stop the bike, come back the next day and start the bike, the battery is fine. Long runs are the best conditions for a battery to be in, short runs with lots of re-starts are the worst as you take a lump of charge out for every start and it takes a while to put it all back in. Even this will only run a battery down over time rather than killing it long term.

I've heard of the RAC making a fair bit of their profit from selling batteries, not saying they have ever handed you bad advice, but if the bike starts off the button every day leave the battery alone, it's fine

Besides which you'll be on the AR06, sure they'll be volenteers to bump start the bike if the battery does die, and you don't use it when the bike's running

.

Blimey hang on a minute Lads I am a RAC Motorcycle Patrol please don't Start knocking us too much...I know there was that programme a few years ago about us selling batteries where they were not needed but like all these 'shows' it was over dramatised and did not show the good side of the work we do !
Last bank holiday Sunday I helped a Lad from London who had a blow out on his rear tyre on Torquay seafront and I spent over two hours sourcing a new tyre and then getting a tyre depot to open up and fit it for him..I took the wheel off and refitted it for him, the same weekend I made up a temporary throttle cable fo a speed triple so he did not miss his ferry to Spain..so as you can see don't tar us all with the same brush !!

[Biker Biggles]

My battery is the same age as yours and still going strong.(Touch wood)
I stick it on the Optimate about once a week and that keeps it maintained,but last year I did discharge it totally by leaving the parking light on all day I thought that might kill it but so far so good.

[northwind]

When my RAC guy told me to replace the battery, he never even entioned that they sell them. Mind you, the same guy had to jump me twice in one week, he as probably sick of the sight of me

Mine was 6 years old when the bike wouldn't start just the other week. I thought, Oh well must be the battery. So 6 battery shops later I finally found one. Fitted it and the very next day it was flat again. It turned out to be the regulator was stuffed and there was nothing wrong with the battery.
So check the reg when you think it's the battery as it's apparently a common prob with the curvies.