Battery life for 2022 Low Rider ST

[Sinker]

I have had my 2022 Low Rider ST for 2 years and am taking it into the dealer for a new rear tire later this week. The bike has 8,000 miles and I am wondering if it might be smart to get a new battery while it is in the shop. It is always on a battery tender when not being ridden. If you are not familiar with these bikes, doing a battery swap is a lot more complicated than the other bikes I have owned and takes a decent amount of disassembly to get to the battery. Do you think I am safe running the factory battery for another year?

[fbn ent]

IMHO if a battery is over 4-5 (max) years old it is time to replace it.

[Nebraskarider1]

I get 4-5 years out of Dekas, which is what the factory HD battery is, I wouldn't waste the money yet

[Tacocaster]

Automotive batteries love to be "cycled (used). Ever notice how long they last if used frequently and allowed to complete their cycles? Think back on that a bit along with the disclaimer that not EVERY battery is perfect - they are man-made, after all.

A Nortel Power Design Engineer made me aware of this one day... He described how wet automotive batteries were designed to discharge, recharge and float then cycle again which meant the lead plates wouldn't sulphate quite as much. ("Sulfation, a build-up of lead sulfate crystals, is the number one cause of early failures of lead-acid, sealed AGM or flooded (wet cell-filler caps) batteries. A sulfated battery can lead to a loss of cranking power").

So what am I droning-on about? IMHO, If you're not running (cycling) the battery much, it will have a shorter life  - Tender or no Tender. If it's starting good after a ride (not fresh out of the shed/garage and just off a Tender) then you're likely good for another year - at least. Always listen for the tell-tale "slow roll" of the Starter, especially after stopping for gas when the engine's good and hot (heat-soaked engine). When that condition - and there are others - begin to occur...it's time.

[fbn ent]

Glass mat batteries don't like to be discharged much...

[Deye76]

If you get a new battery have them install a harness to attach a jump box. Mine exits next to the tender harness. Antigravity makes a good harness that mates to their jump box that is heavy enough cable and the correct polarity.

[Tacocaster]

Glass mat batteries don't like to be discharged much...

Sorry if response #3 above was taken by anyone to mean essentially a full discharge of the battery. Not what was meant. I agree with you in fact fbn ent, a full discharge is not good for ANY automotive battery. I've seen where these batteries have been critically wounded, so to speak by a full (accidental) discharge and had shortened lives (by my standards) after recovery. Admittedly, that may be influenced by Regional Climate. 

Hopefully to better clarify, in the context of an automotive battery and response #3 above, "discharge" should imply one stage of a Duty Cycle (where Duty cycle is the ratio of time a load is ON compared to the time the load or circuit is OFF) and not a full discharge where a battery rests essentially useless against a load.

In our application, the discharge stage of the Duty Cycle for our battery would occur when subjected to near full-load draw, down to a value above ~10Vdc for a very short span of time - as in starter cranking duration on a normally good condition/working engine.

[calif phil]

I think you can safely get another year out of your battery. 

[fbn ent]

Glass mat batteries don't like to be discharged much...

Sorry if response #3 above was taken by anyone to mean essentially a full discharge of the battery. Not what was meant. I agree with you in fact fbn ent, a full discharge is not good for ANY automotive battery. I've seen where these batteries have been critically wounded, so to speak by a full (accidental) discharge and had shortened lives (by my standards) after recovery. Admittedly, that may be influenced by Regional Climate. 

Hopefully to better clarify, in the context of an automotive battery and response #3 above, "discharge" should imply one stage of a Duty Cycle (where Duty cycle is the ratio of time a load is ON compared to the time the load or circuit is OFF) and not a full discharge where a battery rests essentially useless against a load.

In our application, the discharge stage of the Duty Cycle for our battery would occur when subjected to near full-load draw, down to a value above ~10Vdc for a very short span of time - as in starter cranking duration on a normally good condition/working engine.

That's what I said. 

[bigfoot5x]

What tire are you running that it is worn out after only 2 years and 8,000 miles?

[Sinker]

What tire are you running that it is worn out after only 2 years and 8,000 miles?

The Michelin Scorcher. I did a lot of work to the motor and the rear tire gets a pretty good workout.

[Deye76]

8000 on a rear Scorcher is the norm according to owners of M8 Lowriders, what I got out of mine. I don't do burnouts, but I'd say 65% of my riding is curves.

[biggzed]

The battery replacement process on the M8 softails isn't all that bad. Sure, it's not a 5 minute job like the Twin Cam bikes, maybe 30 minutes. Still not to bad.

Zach

[Deye76]

The battery replacement process on the M8 softails isn't all that bad. Sure, it's not a 5 minute job like the Twin Cam bikes, maybe 30 minutes. Still not to bad.

Zach

Any special tools/extensions needed?

[biggzed]

Nothing special. Once you get the right side cover off there is a wire harness caddy that needs to get unbolted. Once that is out of the way access to the battery is pretty clean. I think I used a 10" 3/8" drive extension to take out the primary side terminal. Probably take a little longer the first time you do it. At $100/hr shop rate (or more) it's definitely a job worth doing at home.

Zach

[bigfoot5x]

We bought a new Dyna for my wife several years ago and it came with the Michelin Scorcher. Even with her milder riding and Stage 1, the mileage sucked. I switched her to the Dunlop American Elite and almost doubled the mileage. Having to service 2 bikes all the time means I'm trying not to wear out stuff too quick.