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.

 

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.

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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.

 

Delta is a brand that Aldi sells for household electric stuff.
I think the sandwich toaster I bought was Delta, and a few other bits,
the knife-sharpener maybe. May not be the same company, of course.

"delta battery germany" mainly returns links to US vets...

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Brunel University. Ivan.Reid@[brunel.ac.uk|cern.ch] Room 40-1-B12, CERN
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KotPT -- "for stupidity above and beyond the call of duty".

 

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...

 

The original on the SO R80RT lasted 19 years, its eaten 2 since
because I don't use it enough and am too fucking idle to keep charging
it. Totally self inflicted

Boxerboy

 

I got 6 out of a /secondhand/ battery on the Guzzi - last Rob Hunter also
lasted 6.

MZ ES250 (Snorky) 6v battery lasted over 6 years - it was robbed off the
Frankfurt machine.

So that's four sixes.

 

I once read an article in which the original owner of a small
displacement 1960's Honda claimed that the original 6 volt flooded
cell lead acid battery lasted 27 years...

I hate to imagine devoting even the smallest amount of time on a
regular basis to match that sort of "record"...

 

(The Older Gentleman) wrote in

OE in my 2000 bike was an Exide[1]. Lasted 5 years. Replacement Hawker
Odyssey is 5 years old and still going strong.

Are you sure it was Delta, as DETA is a brand owned by Exide
http://www.exide.com/portal/server.pt/community/brands_community/212

The battery could be OE but most likely a replacement from a BMW dealer[2]
in the early noughties. There should be a date code somewhere.


[1] Mareg is the other brand seen from the same era
[2] I think all of their batteries have BMW branding now, probably to
disguise that they are made in Shanghai rather than Hannover.

 

Rob Hunter normal lead-acid batteries are fine, but I wouldn't use
their sealed gel batteries as they are proper poo.

--
Lozzo
Versys 650 Tourer, CBR600F-W racebike in the making, TS250C, RD400F
(somewhere)
BMW E46 318iSE (it's a car, not one of those 2-wheeled pieces of shite
they churn out)

 

Vibration isn't good for batteries