Battery life?…

[SpookDog]

On average I need a new battery once a year. If I don’t replace it I start to get the headlight dim when I use the brake lights, or even horn sometimes. I’ve tried 5amp, gel, they all die a bit over a year…

I’ve always had a Chinese replacement Rectifier/Regulator that came with the bike. It has its own short cable loom (2~3in) The original block connector that is connected to the loom has a melt mark on the connector block. The new~used R/R is marked bn with a load of numbers after it. The lighting coil was FUBAR when I got the bike as well. It looked like the block connector rested against the exhaust and earthed out the lighting coil, the previous owner replaced the R/R with the cheap and nasty that’s currently on there. I have the new~used R/R to go on and a new battery coming…

So my question remains: how often do you have to replace your battery? This only applies to 1988~96 bikes. As I remember they went from 3 coils (A/C lighting) to being totally DC so the headlight ran from the battery and the ‘R/R’ had no provision for A/C for the ‘old fashioned’ headlight on the early bikes…

[Calum]

I had the same battery that came with my bike up until 2019 until I misdiagnosed a problem to the battery. So that was 9 years of service and I don't know how long it was on the bike before then...

I'd definitely be looking at getting a genuine regulator, I had a lithium battery go up in smoke when I accidently fitted a Chinese regulator to my RS

[SpookDog]

@Calum

I remember you having a Li-ion bonfire
but the thing I’m most interested in is the old AC/DC bikes that have three coils on the stator. The ignition coil is horizontal on the top of the stator. The lighting and charging coils are at a V at the bottom of the stator.
I don’t claim to understand it but the lighting & charging coils are both numbered the same in the Haynes manual and seem to be connected, unlike the ignition coil which seems to be more isolated.
It would seem to have something to do with my investigation into why my headlight dims badly (when I have a FUBAR battery) when I use the brake lights, horn or indicators.
I’m hoping that the short life of my battery’s is down to the Reg/Rec being of the oriental OEM variety that’s always been on the bike since I got it. Like the lighting coil being burnt out. It’s the last gremlin on the bike since I got it as a basket case back when the pandemic started. Unfortunately my multi metre chose this time to die, just when I want to check the coils….

The later DC only bikes (anything with more than 3coils) don’t apply to me, unfortunately ….