Bought my '95 ST1100 five years ago. Still running the same battery it came with. Put her on the Tender every winter.
Haven't had any electrical issues since I bought the bike. But I figure that 5+ years might be pushing things, so I'm thinking of buying a new battery to have on hand (on the Tender, of course) for when "the inevitable" happens.
Q: Am I overthinking this? The new battery's "clock" starts ticking soon as I buy it (even though it will be in the garage), and who knows, my current (!!) battery could go another year or two. So should I just ride & maintain until "the inevitable" DOES happen ... THEN get a new battery (so that it's as fresh as possible)? Or is it a good idea to get a fresh one now, to have at-the-ready? (Maybe even just go ahead and replace it now, regardless?)
PS: During my battery research, I realized that I might want to install some manner of electrical system status gage / indicator (voltmeter, status LED, etc.). Anyone have any buy / avoid recommendations?
Haven't had any electrical issues since I bought the bike. But I figure that 5+ years might be pushing things, so I'm thinking of buying a new battery to have on hand (on the Tender, of course) for when "the inevitable" happens.
Q: Am I overthinking this? The new battery's "clock" starts ticking soon as I buy it (even though it will be in the garage), and who knows, my current (!!) battery could go another year or two. So should I just ride & maintain until "the inevitable" DOES happen ... THEN get a new battery (so that it's as fresh as possible)? Or is it a good idea to get a fresh one now, to have at-the-ready? (Maybe even just go ahead and replace it now, regardless?)
PS: During my battery research, I realized that I might want to install some manner of electrical system status gage / indicator (voltmeter, status LED, etc.). Anyone have any buy / avoid recommendations?