So I was out riding this morning, enjoying the crisp, cool autumn air. Came home, parked and everything was copacetic. Mounted up again about 3pm and hit the ignitions switch only to hear the screaming siren going off along with the blinking lights. No problem I think. It has been a couple of years since I replaced the battery in the fob. I walked across the street to the dollar store to get a new 2032 battery, came home and put it in the fob. Still, no joy. The bike would not crank a lick and still lots of screaming from the siren. By the way, the siren will scream for what seems like about 5 minutes before it finally goes off, only to start up again. Eventually, it finally goes off and stays off, unless you turn the ignition on again, at which point it starts all over again. I was really perplexed, to say the least. I took the new battery out of the fob and tested it for voltage. Right at 3 volts, like it is supposed to be. Reinserted the battery again and had bad results once more. At this point I was getting damn annoyed and I was on the verge of breaking out the ice cubes and brown water. For the third time I take the battery out and put it back in. No joy.

And then it kind of dawns on me that I might have the fricken fob battery in upside down. Surely they would not make a battery holder that would accept the battery upside down...would they? So I opened up the fob, flipped the battery over and tried starting the engine, once again.
It started right up and everything was right with the world.
So, boys and girls, the fob battery can go in upside down and NO it will not allow the bike to start until it is put in the correct way. Stupid old man.

 

I have had the same battery since new, almost 10 years. How long do they last?

 

Not ten years.

 

Mine went bad at 5 years on the nose. Owners manual says replace once a year. I'm cheap so I go three years then carry a new one in the truck to use when needed.

For those that don't read the manual it does say place the battery in with the + side up. Book learning is such a powerful thing.

 

Evidently about 2 years if you forget to change them. I think the prudent rider should replace it every year. The new battery was only $3.00.

 

Good quality button batteries should last 5 years in the package. Bit less in a fob where it gets some drain,

 

I changed both of mine at 2 years. I didn't want to be in your shoes in the middle of nowhere and try to remember my P.I.N..

Now I keep one of the old ones in the tour pac. It might get me home.

 

You're on borrowed time! Buy two and fit one, carry the other as back-up.

 

Nope. The stupid old man would have called the dealer and had it towed in and they would have spent a day figuring that one out...

 

I never read the directions unless absolutely necessary !