H
homtart
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How long should the factory battery last?
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How long should the factory battery last?
Actually - the battery warranty info is very clearly defined in the warranty booklet that came with the bike. 2 years, no mileage limitation. If the dealer quibbled, I would have simply shown him the booklet. The warranty is a contract between you and BMW-Motorad, not you and the dealer.Battery Warranty will VARY between Dealer to Dealer.
My Dealer gave me a hard time but finally replaced the less than 1 year old battery for free. They Claimed 1 year warranty only on batterys...(who really knows)...and if other than an "Approved BMW Battery Charger" was used on the battery the Warranty was VOID...( even when I proved that the DelTran Company out of Florida made the Battery Charger for BMW)..whole 'nuther story...
The batteries that are giving trouble are Exide. And they fail even on 2009 models with very little to no warning. Since Exide is a division of Yuasa now, the fault that used to be fairly common on Yuasa batteries a few years ago seems to have traveled to the Exide brand. AFAIK - the bikes for the US received made in US batteries.Supposedly for about two years..2005 through 2007 and possibly into 2008, there was a rash of badly manufactured batteries, made by ##### in Europe (I read and was told this many times).
I would be calling BMW-Motorad if a dealer warrantied one for less than 2 years. Dealers can't change the terms of the warranty.These batterys would just fail without an type of warnings. Some Dealers would warranty these batterys up to 1 year and some up to 2 years.
So - you got an Exide? Our local no-longer-in-business dealer offered Yuasa replacements. I snagged one the final day the doors were open for a good price, and am about (as soon as it goes over 30F) to replace the OEM Exide in my '07 R12R (mfg date of 10/06). It still starts every time, but it has been a tad slower lately.There are many many different battery manufacturers out there. And many many different opinions on which battery is better or BEST for your bike...
I just went back to the standard BMW brand battery to avoid any "possible" problems or "bike warranty" issues with the Dealer.
I do not have a battery charger on my 2008 R1200RT. I take it for a 1.5 hour run once per month.
Am I reading here that this may cause a problem with my battery life?
I have noticed that when it is about 5 degrees celsius (about 41 F) it takes a couple of tries to get it to start and stay running. First time it turns over and starts then quits. Second or third time it will stay running with a little throttle. I live close to Vancouver BC - so Seattle type weather.
Will letting it sit for four weeks without any battery charger cause a huge drain?
The local dealer said if I take it out once each month everything should be good.
Comments? Suggestions?
Don or Martin - any comments on my approach above re: battery life/maintenance?