AGM style battery life in XJ1100J's???

I just replaced my battery as I let my other one get too low on water and it finally ruined it. I didn't have much of a selection where I was at and ended up getting an AGM style battery.
At first I thought this might help prevent the drying up problems...but on second thought if it does dry up it's sealed and I'll have no way to get water back into it which might leave me in a bind if I'm away from home.
Any thoughts or experiences with the AGM's in these machines??

 

If you put two pots of water on the stove, one covered , one not.....same thing.
they will both dry up but it takes so much longer , covered.

 

AGM batteries are great, cost a little more but worth it. You get more CCA for cold weather and no more acid spills. I have them in all my bikes. The XJ has had one for 4 years and still going strong. I could only get 3 years out of a standard flooded acid battery in the same bike.

 

I have battery Tenders for all my bikes and have no problem getting 5 plus years out of them. That being said AGM batteries are superior even when dead they can be revived with correct charging procedure

 

I have mine on a battery tender most of the time, esp during the Winter when I'm not riding it as much.
I've had quite a bit of trouble with the battery drying out on this particular bike. I live in the Pacific NW so it's. Not usually hot for months on end. I've checked the charging system repeatedly and it puts out 14.4-14.6 volts...which is right at the soec the manual says. All my covers and guard and such are in place so I have no reason to believe it is catching heat from someplace...yet it seams to really lose a lot of water compared to evrything else I've owned.
Kinda wonderd about the effects of having it on the battery tender (yes it's a real Deltran, not a cheap HF thing). They are not supposed to boil the batteries....but still.
Now with the AGM I have no way to tell when the battery is getting low either.
Just have to take my chances I guess.

 

I can't speak for the 1100's, but I was told here that it is not uncommon for the XJ's to go through water in the battery. I now am in the habit of checking levels 3 times a year; once prior to tender storage in the winter; once prior to riding season and once about mid season.

I'm thinking my next battery will be an AGM.

 

Yes, I check mine at least that often...but that is apparently not enough. I think mine might be in need of some insulation from the engine or exhaust heat. I've also thought of hooking up the Voltmeter set on record while riding to see of the voltage regulator is over charging intermitantly.
Puzzling.

 

I put an AGM battery in my 700 in the spring of '09. Still going strong. I've never put a charger on it and this spring it started the bike like it was run every day.

 

http://batteryuniversity.com/

Get yourself a diploma

 

7+ years and still going strong with my Odessey battery. No battery tender. charge it in the spring and go. The wet cell in my Kawasaki made it 1.5 years and junk.

 

Oddesy makes a nice battery. I got 8 years out of the one in my truck.

 

I live in south Florida where batteries don't last very long due to the year round heat. I bought an AGM battery about 3 years ago for my '83 XJ750K and has been great.