Batteries

[hillbilly deluxe]

Is there any real reason why i should'nt use a standard lead acid type battery ?

My bike is a 2001 model FXDL.
My current battery was new when i bought the bike a year ago.It has been looked after,ie kept charged,and ALL the charging system is working as it should.I have substituted my useless battery for a one of the same type and used it for a few days,with no ill effect.
I've had a hell of a lot of bikes,of all types,and ridden daily since 1979 up until about 4 years ago,but i've bought very few batterys.

[grbrown]

No! But you may find they are becoming increasingly difficult to find. Or put another way, they are not often fitted to new vehicles now. In part, I suspect, because modern technology has improved battery performance with the current style, but also the 'great safety neurosis' doesn't like acid fumes, or us risking injury from them.

Modern batteries give better cranking performance for starting high performance engines, but can also have a shorter service life, especially if only used occasionally. That is why the battery makers invented the battery minder, to part us from more of our cash!

Having had a battery on a new bike die within 6 months, irrecoverable, I now have 3 battery minders as it is cheaper to buy them than keep buying even more expensive batteries.

[hillbilly deluxe]

Thanks,that's exactly what im thinking.
While i think that the new generation of maitenance free batterys are a good idea,i just do'nt think that they are up to scratch just yet,especially for the cost,and the problems that people seem to be having with them.It does'nt seem to make a difference if a bike is ridden on sunny sundays or every day either.

[banquo]

There's a load of posts on here about batteries, and although I haven't seen anyone trying a wet battery, the concensus seems to be that a Harley battery is one of the (very) few cases where it might actually be worth paying for the genuine part.
My original battery is still working well after 6 years and 36,000 miles. It's left on an Optimate III for most of the winter (constantly on maintenance cycle) and although I've just bought a new one, so I'm not forced into paying an outrageous price if the old one fails on me, I'm pretty sure it would be good for another year or more.
In contrast, I have a wet battery on the Guzzi, which despite being kick start, and not having a lot to do, constantly needs topped up when left on charge, and is getting sick, so it doesn't hold its charge for long.
Others on here tried less expensive gel/mat batteries, and said they did not last as long as the original battery.
Personally, I think 6 years is excellent, and at less than £15 per year, is very good value.

[grbrown]

I've been riding since the 60s and batteries have always been unpredictable. My current BMW's original old style battery lasted no less than 11 years, which is the best, whereas I have already mentioned a modern one at 6 months. Several years ago I bought an expensive super high performance battery for my Glide, which just made it past its 2-year warranty period before expiring. The battery I replaced with it was still on the shelf, unloved, so I recharged it and it carried on for another 4 years!

Batteries are different now, but in my experience still variable in service life. The difference is that we at least have battery minders which will eek out their lives.