Battery Life?

[AlexV]

What is the average life of a 1150GS battery?

I had a Fazer for 4 years and it still had the original battery when I chopped it in for the GS. I never once charged it.

As I'm sure most of you are aware, the latest models are fitted with AHO (automatic lights on) Are there any thoughts on whether or not the AHO will have any extra drain on the battery when starting, particularly on cold winter mornings?

 

[LivNorway]

Cold winter mornings? In London?
How cold?

Here on the Norwegian glacier it's often -15 in the morning.
But on the other hand; I guess you don't have plans for Norway next winter.

Do you treat you battery well: Do you charge it sometimes? It's a living thing, so a little love won't heart.

But the average life? I don't know.

Liv.

 

[wessie]

My bike is just coming up for 3 years old.

The battery has seen 3 winters, 2 in my care.

It does not hold a charge like it once did.

Short trips are no longer long enough to keep it topped up - and the only drain on it is the clock.

I kept the Optimate plugged in most of the time.

I will not be surprised to have to replace the battery come next winter as anything over 3 years is usually a bonus from my experience with 12V batteries in cars & bikes.

 

[MikeO]

My 02 Adv (which does have a light switch) has a facility which isolates all electrical activity when the starter is activated (ie, your lights go out while the starter motor turns - my car does the same thing). So long as you don't leave the ignition on for a while before you start your bike, I can't see why it would be a problem.....

MikeO

 

[AlexV]

Ok Liv, got me there!! Perhaps not as cold as Norway and no I don't intend to visit Norway in the winter!!

I'm not so sure about charging it if it doesn't need it, but I always liked to make sure the lights were off before I turned the fazer over... Just a little concerned about the AHO

 

[Quattro]

My 02 Adv (which does have a light switch) has a facility which isolates all electrical activity when the starter is activated (ie, your lights go out while the starter motor turns - my car does the same thing). So long as you don't leave the ignition on for a while before you start your bike, I can't see why it would be a problem.....

MikeO

Alex,

My 03 GS has AHO but as Mike says it has the above facility so the only current drawn from the battery during starting is the starter motor.

Cheers

Q

 

[AlexV]

Thank you all for your input. I was a bit concerned about the battery not lasting well. I would be interested to learn if it is necessary to charge the battery from time to time or only when it gets a little low. I ride every day and all year round and presume that the battery will stay pretty well charged.

 

[Steve]

I would be interested to learn if it is necessary to charge the battery from time to time or only when it gets a little low. I ride every day and all year round and presume that the battery will stay pretty well charged.

I've had my GS from new for 2 years. It lives outdoors, gets ridden every day when possible, but sometimes sits for two or three weeks without even being started, especially in the winter. I've never needed to charge the battery, and it always starts first time.

I don't think it will be a problem for you, riding every day.

 

[Captain Beaky]

Just had mine short out on me via the starter cable.

Wonder if this'll shorten the battery life?

Or rather, wonder if the battery will ever work again!

 

[Rob Farmer]

I've just swapped mine. It's the original battery 8 Years old and still starts the bike without any problems. I swapped it because my ABS had failed to engage reliably.

Just bought one of those Hawker odyssey dry cell batteries (£76) and the problem has gone away.

If anybody has a GS without ABS and needs a battery you are welcome to my old one if you want to collect it.

 

[Geezer]

My bikes three years old & at just under 29k the battery started to show some warning signs, it gets put in a nice warm garage & is plugged into an optimate every night. when i plugged it in the display would show that the battery was nearly fully discharged
it would recover overnight but the next evening when i put the bike away it was discharged again , I ride day & night with my additional riding lights on plus the heated grips in winter BMW told me that considering the way I use the bike 29k sounded not unreasonable, I replaced the battery with a new BMW one & all is well again.