The last couple of weeks I've noticed the bike becoming difficult to start unless I turned the lights off first .
Finally this morning I needed to jump start her .
She'd turn over , but a bit slowly and rather than churn away untill the battery was completely drained I jumped her and she started OK.

So bought a new gel battery which has been charging on the 'Optimate' since this afternoon.

Tried her about an hour ago and she started immediately with a good strong charge

Just wanted to know what the rest of you guys think?

She lives on the 'Optimate' battery conditioner so I reckon the battery is just old and knackered , yeah?

 

My routine everyday when I get home is into the garage up on the center stand
and plug the Optimate in ...........I have run the included plug down to the rear
left foot peg.......... Always charge on the center stand with the wet battery
that way the electrolite is level and no plates are bare.........mine leans a fair
bit on the side stand !

My routine ..........these batterys have to have full juice ......and cold weather
tells you what condition your battery is in..........my latest addition of the
voltmeter .........is great visual insurance

Can't say enough good things about an Optimate smart Charger/Conditioner

I run a wet battery right now ......so periodically check the electrolite levels
as a regulator going "iffy" will quickly boil off electrolite without you knowing
it...........next time out I'll probably pony up for a sealed GEL battery like
you Steve .........good ones are about 80 USD here........ Wet one was 25

 

Yuasa are the go for me,value for money.
Been caught out a few times with cheaper brands that constantly lost charge.....But the more you top up with distilled water AND dont add the acid,the weaker the electrolyte becomes.........
The Yuasa cost me $au85.00 18 months ago,Bike parts aint cheap in Oz thats for sure.

 

Hawk, yes... i'd definitely say it was the battery.
If you had it hooked up to the battery tender all the time and it wouldn't start.....but with the new battery it fired right up.... then all signs point to a bad battery.

I'm running a diehard wet right now. It's been in there for about 1.5yrs, I think? I never plug into my battery tender, though.... unless it's gonna sit for a while.

 

That's the way to do it, steve! I just need to get some studded snow tires....

A couple of my buddies use the tenders all the time. I barely ever use mine. Maybe I should? I don't know how much time they're getting out of batteries, really. Not sure if it's any more or not.
I use mine more for the lawn mower...

How long did this last battery last for you, Hawk, and what kind was it?

 

I just keep her tip topped all the time less work for the bike then and I clean the
battery terminals with WD 40...........look at that another use for WD 40

 

I have to agree with CBRclassic that all you really need to do is run the bike. My bike sits all winter so every now and then I start it, maybe once every two months while it is sitting. You need to keep a battery at 80% or more. Even cranking at non-starting bike to less than 80% of full charge will shorten battery life. Batteries are rated at how many times you can take them below the 80%. Also the lower the charge the more likely it will freeze. I don’t see the need for a tender if you keep the battery to between 100-80% while it is sitting. I have had them last several years without tending. I actually fear shorting the life of it by tending and evaporation the water out.

I also use a sealed battery as it gets hot down there under the saddle and a non-sealed one dries out.

There is some very good info in this link. It should answer many of your questions.

http://www.windsun.com/Batteries/Battery_FAQ.htm

 

The battery I took off the bike was a DETA , made in Germany .

It's lasted me since November when I bought the bike , but who knows how long it had already been on there?

I've replaced it with a gel battery , like the idea of a maintenance free battery

I've got the 'Optimate 4' all singing all dancing charger as I can go away for anything up to a couple of weeks and want here to be ready to go!

 

I see.

I may do that the next time around, too.
Which reminds me... I need to go check my fluids.