Batteries

[Marc Albea]

The battery in the V65 crapped out while I was away from home this weekend.  I could not find a match anywhere except of course on line and I didn't want to wait for delievery.  So.....i went out to Wal-Mart and bought the closest fit I could find.  From what i could gather it's a battery for an ATV/Concours.  Rated amps is 18 instead of the V65's recommended 14.  Anyone with any opinion on this?  I don't want to run a battery that's going to do anything harmful to the bike.  So far it runs well and putting on a voltmeter doesn't show anything bad from what i can tell.

Thanks!
MArc.

[roboto65]

Well really your better off with that if it fit just think of it as a breaker in your house the more amps the more load it will handle but that also depends on your wire size to but lets not go that far lets just say it will work great and go with that hehehehehehe

[Greg Cothern]

Marc I bet you will be ok with just a slightly stronger battery.  I believe the post request will only ask for what it needs, not the battery will send all it has.
What is it with batteries, the battery in my Super just died today, LoL, I may just replace the one on the Valk just to be safe, LoL.

[Marc Albea]

I think it must be the cool weather.  Mine seemed to be working fine right up until I went out for gas Friday night.  Started fine at home, turned it off at the pump and it wouldn't come close to starting after I was done.  Took the battery out and walked home and charged it but it was kaput.  the battery I bought was the closest I could find.  Posts are in the wrong position but I made do.

Marc.

[roboto65]

Yeah I have to replace mine as well just that time of year

[taz]

If in doubt, take your battery off and take it to an Interstate battery dealer and they should have the ability to test it.  If is shows a weak cell or something, you will save yourself some trouble down the road.

[Marc Albea]

The old one was only a little over a year old and one of them thar new fangled gel suckers so you woulda thunk it would have lasted longer than that.  I checked the charging system and it certainly looks as if it's charging properly.  Maybe I just got ahold of an old battery when I bought it.

Marc.

[rjb/AKA Bob Barram]

I am curious about your riding schedule for those whose batteries just died.
I have a '99 Magna, bought used in May '04 with 3500 miles, therefore I do not know how old the battery is. It is still running strong, I now have 26,000 miles on the bike and am thinking that consistent daily riding may have an effect on the life of a battery.
Any thoughts?
Bob #69

[Marc Albea]

I ride 5-7 days a week.  Monday-Friday primarily back and forth to work on the HOV lane of I-10.  Approximately 60 miles a day.  Sat. & Sun. generally for pleasure, maybe a couple of hundred miles if I can break free of honey-do's.

I bought the current battery in March or April of '04 (give or take).  I think I've put right around 18 thousand miles on it since the battery was replaced.

Marc

[DC Smith]

Time is more of an enemy of batteries than use.  In fact keeping the battery well charged through constant use is better that letting one sit for extended periods.    I had a battery in my airplane that lasted 5 years and I put it in my car and it lasted another year and a half.   The problem is knowing when it is getting ready to die.   Most don't give much warning.  At least with a MC it is fairly easy to get them started.  Unless I was going on an extended trip, my personal choice would be to wait till death was apparent.

[Greg Cothern]

Bob my 96 Magna's battery lived 5 1/2 years, and it has been my experience that they die either in the Summer or the Winter at the extremes.
However the battery in my Super just died a week ago and it began service in March of 03.