date code info on Interstate FAYTX14?

[RANBUSH]

Last year I bought a very low-mileage 2016 R1200RT and the seller didn't have much in the way of service records for the bike. Last week at the Redmond rally, I made a couple of short rides to dinner and groceries, no problem. But the battery was dead on Sunday AM. I suppose it's possible that I left the key on all night, but I doubt it.

When we opened it up and jumped it we noticed that the ground cable was a little loose and tightened that up. The bike started up right away when attached to another bike's battery and was charging at 14.2V all the way home and started right up again on Monday AM.

Today I pulled the battery and saw that it is not an OEM Yuasa, it is an Interstate FAYTX14. When I bought the bike I did not think to ask the seller how old the battery was, and now I don't have the seller's phone number to call him.

I've looked all over the web, but I can't figure out the Interstate date code. It appears to be RA14MR-YTX1400M. Does anyone here have info on reading the date code on an Interstate FAYTX14?

 

[omega man]

Try this-
How do I date my interstate battery code?


Digit - indicates the year in which the battery was manufactured (Example: 9 for 2019, 0 for 2020, 1 for 2021, etc.) For example, an automotive battery date code that starts with "B1" would be February 2021. In February 2027, this battery would be 72 months old.
or this-

All digits are numbers. The date code label is on a label located on either the top of the battery or the back side of the battery. The code on the top is 12 digits with the last 4 representing the month and year. In the example below 0220 means February 2020.

Beyond that, at the age of the bike it could be the bikes second battery. Probably could have it load tested either professionally or by leaving the key of with any accessories for 3 or 4 minutes and see if it starts.
Battery condition or cleanliness can be a clue. If you are lucky, and the battery is really clean, it could be the bikes 3rd battery.
OM

 

[20774]

Any other writings/codes? Maybe the info would have been on some label that was on the battery but it was taken off during installation.

 

[RANBUSH]

Thanks, gents. This series of alpha-numerics is on the back-top edge, and it's all I'm seeing, no stickers, no other punched-out labels on top or front of the battery.

> starts with "B1" would be February 2021
So, if my first characters are "RA1", maybe the date is January (A) 2021 (1). Using of course the "R" Roman calendar, not the "M" Mayan calendar.

This battery does look fairly clean, and the Ground terminal is only a little scuffed up, as if it had not been removed or disconnected too many times.

And if that January 2021 date is accurate, this battery is about 3.5 years old.

Given my understanding of dependable battery life being 3-5 years, I think I'll buy a new battery, just in case. Costco is selling this same battery for $90, could be a good investment.

Sorry if I've started another "reliable battery life" thread discussion. 8D

 

[strataj]

My 14R2000RT didn't come with a Yuasa. I haven't any luck with OEM batteries. My 14 was replaced prior to 2 years at no charge (not a Yuasa). After 2 years it too started to fail so I changed it out for a Yuasa YTX20CH-BS and sold the bike with that 4 year old battery doing fine. I can't remember the OEM brand.

My 22R1250RT, it's about 28 months old and I'm at the point I don't trust the OEM battery. It hasn't failed to start yet but the power drops fast when I'm doing a GS911 scan (coming off trickle charger 13.0 to 12.1 v). I have to put the battery on a charger or I can't complete an Auto Scan. I'd rather replace it early than fail. I ordered a Yuasa YTX20CH-BS for $106.

 

[RANBUSH]

> I can't remember the OEM brand.

The Max BMW fiche shows the OEM battery as an Exide, so the Interstate in my bike could be its second battery in ~ eight years.

 

[strataj]

Exide is correct, that's what my 14RT came with and the replacement was also an Exide. No telling how many batteries your bike had without history. Short rides are hard on a battery, it may not have enough time to recover from the start. So when you add up a couple of them it can take a toll on a battery that wasn't in great health to start with. Good luck with the replacement.

 

[RANBUSH]

> Interstate FAYTX14
Costco sells this battery for $90, so I bought one. Of course AFTER I installed it, I realized I should've noted the date code on the new one so I could decipher the age of the old one!

Oh well, at least I know how old this new one is ...