So in response to a recent thread concerning battery life I thought i'd start this one for a short battery discussion...
Personally I'm just starting to have battery issues... or what i BELIEVE to be battery issues (man i HOPE it's not the starter). Over the past year or so, my bike (XL2009L) has been hesitating upon depressing the START button after switchin her on and injecting the fuel. I would hit the switch and sometimes it would turn over once, think about it for a second, then turn over a few more times and start up. Other times it would fire right up. but LATELY, I've been occasionally getting a couple clicking sounds (reminiscent of a car trying to start whose battery is killed) and then it would fire.
A few days back I got the clicking sound.... and then nothing. tried again, a few more HORRIFIC clicking sounds, and then nothing. My buddy at the time suggested I left the key switched on but i swear on my mom's life I didn't. We then proceeded to push it down a hill (YES i was on it) in 3rd gear and pop the clutch, after a few tries it worked and she fired. Then again yesterday, click click click click...... then one turnover, and it fired. Getting a lil' unnerving to say the least.
My girlfriend told me to stop leaving it switched on, but then I smacked her up and told her to go finish the dishes (that was a joke, she'd probably beat the $h1t outta me if i did that... :spar) but seriously, i definitely didn't leave it on. I'm thinking it's a battery issue, bike has almost 10k on it, and is exactly 5 years old. I'm told that the battery life expectancy is about 5 years.
Any comments on battery life, starter problems, tips, tricks and suggestions as far as replacement and brands are concerned, WELCOME and SUPER helpful to all us n00bs!!
Personally I'm just starting to have battery issues... or what i BELIEVE to be battery issues (man i HOPE it's not the starter). Over the past year or so, my bike (XL2009L) has been hesitating upon depressing the START button after switchin her on and injecting the fuel. I would hit the switch and sometimes it would turn over once, think about it for a second, then turn over a few more times and start up. Other times it would fire right up. but LATELY, I've been occasionally getting a couple clicking sounds (reminiscent of a car trying to start whose battery is killed) and then it would fire.
A few days back I got the clicking sound.... and then nothing. tried again, a few more HORRIFIC clicking sounds, and then nothing. My buddy at the time suggested I left the key switched on but i swear on my mom's life I didn't. We then proceeded to push it down a hill (YES i was on it) in 3rd gear and pop the clutch, after a few tries it worked and she fired. Then again yesterday, click click click click...... then one turnover, and it fired. Getting a lil' unnerving to say the least.
My girlfriend told me to stop leaving it switched on, but then I smacked her up and told her to go finish the dishes (that was a joke, she'd probably beat the $h1t outta me if i did that... :spar) but seriously, i definitely didn't leave it on. I'm thinking it's a battery issue, bike has almost 10k on it, and is exactly 5 years old. I'm told that the battery life expectancy is about 5 years.
Any comments on battery life, starter problems, tips, tricks and suggestions as far as replacement and brands are concerned, WELCOME and SUPER helpful to all us n00bs!!