How long can a motorcycle battery last?

 

I only ask because I replaced the battery on the K this morning[1].

The battery in it was utterlly dead - I knew that because it wasn't
holding a charge for more than a day or two. When I pulled it out, it
had plenty of electrolyte in it but the plates were sulphating badly.

Anyway, it was a Delta, made in Germany. Not a brand I've ever heard of,
and Google isn't much help either. Anyone know what brand BMW fitted as
OE, back in the early 1990s?

As the bike's a 1993 model, I really doubt it was the original battery,
but it could have been the first replacement, in which case about eight
or nine years between batteries sounds reasonable. The one in the Ducati
lasted ten.

[1] BMW build their bikes around the clutch and the battery, don't they?
Remove side panels, lift up seat, remove ABS computer, remove engine
management computer, remove steel strap that holds battery down, finally
remove battery.


--
BMW K1100LT  Ducati 750SS  Honda CB400Fx2  Triumph Street Triple
Kawasaki GT550x2  Suzuki TS250ERx2 GN250  Damn, up to ten bikes!
Try Googling before asking a damn silly question.
chateau dot murray at idnet dot com

 

On Sat, 4 Sep 2010 18:05:01 +0100, totallydeadmailbox@yahoo.co.uk (The
Older Gentleman) wrote:

snip>

It's still only a 5 minute job so not really any worse than a lot of
Japanese bikes.

My ZX10R has to have the pillion seat pad removed, a small cover that
fits between the two seat pads removed, the riders seat removed and I
think you even have to lift the back of the tank to get the battery
out.

 


At least you don't need a paddock stand to accomplish it.

--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home:   Peter@ps-fisher.demon.co.uk                |
| Voxan Roadster Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error"    |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 



Suppose so. ISTR ShiteOld Boxers as being worse. On the K, the battery
is situated underneath the main computer - I suppose (a) because it puts
the battery as low as possible for the C of G and (b) it means that it
the battery does leak, it doesn't leak into the electronics.


--
BMW K1100LT  Ducati 750SS  Honda CB400Fx2  Triumph Street Triple
Kawasaki GT550x2  Suzuki TS250ERx2 GN250  Damn, up to ten bikes!
Try Googling before asking a damn silly question.
chateau dot murray at idnet dot com

 



No, it's easy in a Boxer.

You just have to know which size battery was fitted from new, as mine
came with the high capacity job, but I ordered a normal one...
--
SteveH