The starter makes a pretty good load tester, procedure as covered above.
I've had good luck with Westco and Panasonic AGMs. I seem to get at least 3 years-maybe 5 years out of a battery before it goes south. The symptoms are that after sitting for a day or two without being plugged into a charger, the starter cranks slowly, the indicator lights dim, etc.
I've had batteries that failed while on the charger for long periods of time. As Anton has pointed out elsewhere, AGMs can lose electrolyte as vapor, and there is no practical way to refill them.
Yuasa (Exide) reliability depends on the model. Some Yuasas had connectors that would fracture internally, so the battery could suddenly drop dead even with the cells charged.
If your battery is 3-4 years old and you're getting suspicious--or if your bike has integrated power brakes--just replace the battery now before it causes further problems.
pmdave
I've had good luck with Westco and Panasonic AGMs. I seem to get at least 3 years-maybe 5 years out of a battery before it goes south. The symptoms are that after sitting for a day or two without being plugged into a charger, the starter cranks slowly, the indicator lights dim, etc.
I've had batteries that failed while on the charger for long periods of time. As Anton has pointed out elsewhere, AGMs can lose electrolyte as vapor, and there is no practical way to refill them.
Yuasa (Exide) reliability depends on the model. Some Yuasas had connectors that would fracture internally, so the battery could suddenly drop dead even with the cells charged.
If your battery is 3-4 years old and you're getting suspicious--or if your bike has integrated power brakes--just replace the battery now before it causes further problems.
pmdave
