I replaced my motorcycle battery last week. It stopped holding a charge sometime this winter.

The amazing thing about this is that the battery was manufactured in 1997. That's right - ten years ago. It was the OEM YUASA YTX12-BS battery that was in the bike when I bought my Honda CBR1100XX new in 1998.

Complicating the situation: the UNGO motorcycle alarm that I had installed when I bought the motorcycle. During periods where the motorcycle was left unused, it could drain the battery fairly quickly, due to the standby current draw.

Extending Battery Life

How did I manage to squeeze ten years of reliable service out of a lowly OEM battery? Simple: keep it clean, keep it charged! I've alternated between the Battery Tender and, more recently, the more modern CTEK battery charger.

In all, I'm amazed (and pleasantly surprised) at the extended service life I experienced.

R.I.P. YUASA YTX12-BS. I'll miss you.