Wonder if anyone has an opinion on the battery life for the Multi. I have a 2013 Multi S, just over 3 years old, and starting the bike from cold seems just a bit more of a struggle. I do not want to be let down when away in Spain next month. Has anyone any experience and/or changed their battery.
A friend and myself both have 2010 bikes, both are still on the original batteries which will be coming up for 6 years old soon. My bike lives in a garage and I stick the battery on an Optimate thing once a month or so but my mates bike lives outside and so far has always started after sitting unused for 3 months under a cover all winter :Happy: He doesn't expect to get another winter out of it though, but you never know. Mine has given me no problems - so far.
I had to fit a new battery last year, after 5 years. Bike kept in garage and on an Accumate, but it was too far gone and wouldn't recover. My bike always seems to be struggling on turnover.
My 2011 bike is on the original battery, which still works fine so far. I have just fitted a set of Exact Start cables (supplied by @Exige ) so I shall be testing to see if it starts more vigorously now.
My 2012 is running same as it ever did on original battery, I put it on an optimate over winter and so the charge level has never dropped very much. I use the optimate because I have found that if you ever let your battery go completely flat then it will never recover properly.
This is a well known electronic fact. It's called damaging deep discharge. My first ever full sized production design was the "RB007" relay board (circa 1987). It cut off a burglar alarm back up battery from the circuit to prevent this condition. It also did other functions, depending on how it was wired.
Given the total price of a break down I'd replace the cables and the battery at the same time. There is a forum member on here that sells a replacement set that replaces all the important heavy current cables. If weight was a worry...eat less and change the battery to an LiPO one (circa £150), normal Lead Acid ones cost around a third of that.
A battery is a consumable or service item on a bike. You can either wait until it fails or change it every 3-6 years depending on charge cycles / storage conditions / vibration.
I've just replaced mine on my 2010 and I believe it was the original one. Started to lose charge after I fitted some spotlights and heated clothing but was in its way out anyway and that just pushed it over the edge....I think. Got a direct replacement Yuasa one for 44 quid and delivered next day.
