motorcycle battery life?(noob question)

[pointybum]

So i went out to my bike today and battery was almost totally dead. didn't have anywhere near the power to start the bike. barley had the juice for the lights to be on. it only Sat for 4/5 days. Fluid on battery fine.nothing left on.just was sitting

I own a tender but it cant reach the bike. i would have to take the battery to it every time if i wanted to tend it.

My question to y'all is how quick does your bike die from sitting. should i just get in the habit of pulling the battery if i know its been sitting fora few days? i have a cheap Autozone battery is there something else i could buy that would last longer between charges/running.

Also how many years are your batteries lasting. mines only 1.5 years old maybe a bit less than that and quick search from internet said this is normal?

[Stig]

lots of factors affect batteries such as quality, outside temperature, how long its left between uses, if its been boiled during charging, whether its high enough ampage to start with, if theres any drain from such as alarms or poor connections, if the alternator is working correctly to install enough charge thats been used to do the last start-up or how long the last ride out lasted

I got through a battery every 2 years. They were good quality and I used to leave them connected to an OPTIMATE charger over winter.
Eventually, I found that the best way s to disconnect the battery and charge it every few months as the optimate was wrecking them by boiling off the electrolyte. My current battery is now 4 years old and starts the bike without any issues even if left dormant for up to a month at a time

[pointybum]

What battery do you have

[Stig]

its a VARTA, YB14 A2

[~JM~]

I buy my batteries from "Batteries Plus" http://www.batteriesplus.com They have several levels of quality, from the cheap lead/acid batteries from China to a higher quality AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) type of battery manufactured in China and then the high quality "Made in the USA" AGM type of battery. I have a "Made in the USA" AGM battery that is about 4 years old now. I do not keep it on the battery tender throughout the winter. I rotate my battery tender through a few bikes about once every month or two & that seems to be fine. Be prepared to spend about $100 on a high quality "Made in the USA" AGM type of battery. For that type of money you will receive a battery that lasts a long time, has an extended warranty, produces the most Cold Cranking Amps that you can fit in you battery holder, and is a sealed design so it does not puke acid or fumes onto your bike creating rust or worse. These AGM batteries are much like the Optima or Odyssey type of batteries & are a far superior design as compared to the ole standard cheap lead/acid type of battery.

If you want to check out the ultimate in a compact & lightweight battery take a look at: http://antigravitybatteries.com Here is the FZR400 battery: http://antigravitybatteries.com/ytx12-12 How about a battery that only weighs 3lbs! These batteries are available from Amazon.com for a lot less than the MSRP listed on the site, or I know a small dealer that can often beat the Amazon price. This is an easy way to remove a good 5 to 10+ pounds from your bike that is mounted up high & help lower your center of gravity somewhat.

Good Luck
~JM~
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