Author Topic: what is the average life that you have gotten out of a scooter battery.  (Read 1569 times)

aschrauth

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Just curious I have gone about six months on my current scooter battery from Mightymax

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LFIOLL0/ref=ewc_pr_img_1?smid=A33N703ELCFX8U&th=1


Now I think I may potentially need to order a new one. Battery is fully charged but my scooter takes ten to fifteen seconds to crank. (haven't load tested it yet) I have herd that under normal usage these AGM batteries tend to last about a year.

What is the maximum usage you have gotten out of a small engine battery?
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Stig / Major Tom

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Re: what is the average life that you have gotten out of a scooter battery.
« Reply #1 on: August 18, 2021, 12:09:38 AM »
You'll likely get battery life spans all over the map....
So much depends on how much & often the scooter is ridden, the age/efficiency of the charging system, the quality of the battery, size of the battery, prevailing temperatures, etc., etc.
Watch / read what the pros say about checking and maintaining a scooter battery.....and their estimates of battery life .

BTW - never heard of a battery lasting only one year!
Stig
« Last Edit: August 18, 2021, 12:11:47 AM by Stig / Major Tom »
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Iahawk

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Re: what is the average life that you have gotten out of a scooter battery.
« Reply #2 on: August 18, 2021, 02:44:11 AM »
my first replacement battery for my S200 barely lasted 2 years. I realized too late that I had a parasitic draw. Now I unhook the neg battery cable after I ride and I'm going on 3 years with no issues. I do put a battery tender on it from time to time.

My motorcycle battery is also going on 3+ years and going strong.

If you're only getting a year I'd look at my riding patterns (lots of very short trips?) and also check the volts on the battery when scoot is on and revving...to see if you're getting proper charging.
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Kansas kymco

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Re: what is the average life that you have gotten out of a scooter battery.
« Reply #3 on: August 18, 2021, 04:06:57 AM »
I use a combination of batteries. I purchase Chrome Pro AGM from eBay so far they seem to be doing OK on their third year. In the 500 cc and above I use Bikemaster  True gel in the blue case.  I replaced a couple of Bikemaster true gel  just because of age,  the batteries were still good.  The batteries I replaced the oldest was from 2013 and I'm still using it  in the riding mower. The other I put in a smaller cc scooter

As another person suggested I would look for a parasitic draw if you are only getting a year. If your scooter sits for long periods of time get a battery maintainer* or remove the negative cable for storage.

* make sure it's a maintainer and not just a battery charger.
In parts 200S and Grand Vista and my motorcycles 2 CS BMW'S and one GS BMW.

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aschrauth

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Re: what is the average life that you have gotten out of a scooter battery.
« Reply #4 on: August 18, 2021, 04:29:33 AM »
my first replacement battery for my S200 barely lasted 2 years. I realized too late that I had a parasitic draw. Now I unhook the neg battery cable after I ride and I'm going on 3 years with no issues. I do put a battery tender on it from time to time.

My motorcycle battery is also going on 3+ years and going strong.

If you're only getting a year I'd look at my riding patterns (lots of very short trips?) and also check the volts on the battery when scoot is on and revving...to see if you're getting proper charging.

I believe short trips is my issue, I live three miles from my work and I ride on average about 5 days a week. Winter commutes are worse. I do hook a battery tender charger up each month. Checked charging system and scooter is charging at arond 14ish volts.
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aschrauth

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Re: what is the average life that you have gotten out of a scooter battery.
« Reply #5 on: August 18, 2021, 04:32:05 AM »
I use a combination of batteries. I purchase Chrome Pro AGM from eBay so far they seem to be doing OK on their third year. In the 500 cc and above I use Bikemaster  True gel in the blue case.  I replaced a couple of Bikemaster true gel  just because of age,  the batteries were still good.  The batteries I replaced the oldest was from 2013 and I'm still using it  in the riding mower. The other I put in a smaller cc scooter

As another person suggested I would look for a parasitic draw if you are only getting a year. If your scooter sits for long periods of time get a battery maintainer* or remove the negative cable for storage.

I ride my scoot almost everyday. I think it is the short trips that kill my battery. Im not sure if i have a parasitic d raw

* make sure it's a maintainer and not just a battery charger.
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aschrauth

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Re: what is the average life that you have gotten out of a scooter battery.
« Reply #6 on: August 18, 2021, 04:34:12 AM »
Another thing i forgot to mention. Could it be possible that im using just a cheap battery and that is what is causing me to go through them or would it be worth it to upgrade to a lithium battery?
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Kansas kymco

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Re: what is the average life that you have gotten out of a scooter battery.
« Reply #7 on: August 18, 2021, 04:38:43 AM »
I believe short trips is my issue, I live three miles from my work and I ride on average about 5 days a week. Winter commutes are worse. I do hook a battery tender charger up each month. Checked charging system and scooter is charging at arond 14ish volts.
Three miles is not enough to charge the battery properly regardless what type battery you use, especially during winter when it takes more energy to crank the engine.
In parts 200S and Grand Vista and my motorcycles 2 CS BMW'S and one GS BMW.

Sold-32 Kymco scooters of various sizes this summer.

Stig / Major Tom

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Re: what is the average life that you have gotten out of a scooter battery.
« Reply #8 on: August 18, 2021, 11:20:34 AM »
Another thing i forgot to mention. Could it be possible that im using just a cheap battery and that is what is causing me to go through them or would it be worth it to upgrade to a lithium battery?
Are you parking at home where you can connect a good battery maintainer every day?
There are few things worse than wondering when your battery is going to let you down!
You don't need a lithium, IMHO, just a good battery tender....or, take a better job further away😊....
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Re: what is the average life that you have gotten out of a scooter battery.
« Reply #9 on: August 18, 2021, 01:28:22 PM »
Basic 12V 4-6ah batteries has lasted two years or more, when in year round use and hour trips to drive regulary. With no need to charge when not standing still more than a week. Temperatures between from +30c to -10c, fully loaded does not freeze.
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rjs987

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Re: what is the average life that you have gotten out of a scooter battery.
« Reply #10 on: August 18, 2021, 02:53:04 PM »
All of these replies sound way too short for battery life.
My wife's Metropolitan seems to go through a battery somewhat closer to an average of around 6 years. She's had that scooter since 2004 and I just put the current battery into it last year.
All my bikes that I have owned last around 5 years on a battery and I don't buy expensive Lithium nor high dollar AGM. I just replace the original OEM stock battery in my 2013 Burgman 650 early this year so that makes that first battery an 8 year old battery and it was really not spent, just starting to show some slight signs of age. I was about to leave on a long trip of 1700+ miles so wanted to be sure it would not die on the way. It might have made it fine, but it might not have. And I ride my Burgman, as I have all my bikes, through every month of the year including the coldest months when snow is on the ground, but NOT on the street, and temps are significantly below zero F with no issues. That's what I get for living in central Iowa.

I have had one battery in a bike show NO signs of impending failure and working perfectly... until I tried to start the bike and it was totally gone very suddenly. But usually the symptom I see is that it becomes harder to start the bike, then it will turn over but not fire until I let up on the starter and then the engine fires (has to do with the momentum of the fly wheel keeping the engine turning just long enough and amps no longer being used to spin the starter motor all allowing just enough amps to fire the plugs). That's when I know it's definitely time to get a new battery in there pronto. But like I said there was that one time when there were no symptoms and the battery was just suddenly dead.

Now I have read about a very few new batteries being DOA or dying very soon after being installed. Defective batteries. Hard to pinpoint if those are brand related or just luck of the draw. But not the norm in my experience.

A battery maintainer (NOT a trickle charger) is good to use once in a while. I don't leave one always connected when parked but I do rotate the one I have around to my bike, my wife's scooter, my JD riding mower, etc.
I also have a trickle charger that is ONLY used to attempt to recharge a totally dead battery or initially charge... which a battery maintainer such as a Battery Tender may not be able to restore or charge.
« Last Edit: August 18, 2021, 02:55:42 PM by rjs987 »
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aschrauth

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Re: what is the average life that you have gotten out of a scooter battery.
« Reply #11 on: August 18, 2021, 10:58:14 PM »


So I pulled the battery from the scooter and load tested it it's reading above 12 volts but when I apply a load it drops into the weak zone the battery is currently rated at 103 cold cranking amps.
« Last Edit: August 18, 2021, 11:14:15 PM by aschrauth »
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Neil955i

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Re: what is the average life that you have gotten out of a scooter battery.
« Reply #12 on: August 19, 2021, 10:21:03 AM »
I've had motorcycle batteries last 5+ years on bikes in daily use, but these days I tend to change out at 3 years so as not to get stranded by a flat battery!
Regards & ride safe,
Neil

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aschrauth

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Re: what is the average life that you have gotten out of a scooter battery.
« Reply #13 on: August 20, 2021, 07:44:06 PM »
So I contacted the company that sold me the battery through amazon (mightymax) Great customer service by the way. They agreed to send me a new replacement battery free of charge since it was within the one year warranty period. 
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Togger

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Re: what is the average life that you have gotten out of a scooter battery.
« Reply #14 on: August 21, 2021, 03:56:35 AM »
So I contacted the company that sold me the battery through amazon (mightymax) Great customer service by the way. They agreed to send me a new replacement battery free of charge since it was within the one year warranty period.

My last battery lasted about 7 years and it was some no name battery. Never used a trickle charger and my scooter is stored out all winter in Michigan, so I thought that was a pretty long life.

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