Every new motorcycle I have owned, in Philippines, comes with a cheap @ss battery that craps out within the first year. Now I will grant you that I have only owned 6 new motorcycles over 10 years here so some folks are way ahead of me on this but that seems a pretty impressive number of crap batteries. So the question becomes: Why would I want to replace the battery with original equipment that just does not stand the test of time? (Note that this is a sore point today as the battery in my 8-month-old Honda has just crapped out and needs replacing).
The battery of any Honda I ever bought lasted about 3 years or so. If you look at the battery in your bike there is a paper sticker that should have the serial number of your bike. That sticker is applied by hondH at the factory. My stepson took his bike for service at a roadside place and latter found there was someone else's clapped out battery installed. You might want to check that detail.
The manufacturers will install the cheapest battery possible to get them through the warranty period. Also it's possible they will pro rate the warranty based on how many months you own the battery. Take a permanent marker and write "dont steal!!!" on top of it when you use a roadside shop. Show the mechanic that when you drop it off. I always change scooter batteries every 18 months to maintenance free and never worry about being let down on the side of the road... Best 15 USD a year you can spend.....
Honda battery lasting only 8 months? I owned an XRM for seven years and the battery was going strong, the machine started promptly pushing the starter button every time, when I sold it. The replacement XRM is now in its 3rd year. I know at Rusi when you take it (their Chinese bike) in for whatever repair, they will say it needs a new battery. I went with a friend who owned one, the mechanics would not even do a test. I assume that Chinese engineers design a bike by dismantling and copying everything from a Japanese bike, with cheaper materials perhaps. But when it comes to the battery they cannot take it apart to try to duplicate it.
I am starting to suspect my own stupidity in this. I think I may have left the key in the ignition for 24 hours or so. The headlight is auto-on with this model and I think I killed the battery. Mea Culpa.
A battery's lifetime of 7 yrs under tropic conditions is far above my own experience. Though I have to admit that my motorbike is not being used while out of the country each year for a month or more while the battery is not connected to a trickle charger. So the maximum life spam I have is limited to 3 and sometimes 4 yrs.
My original battery lasted about 18 months (yes I did make sure the distilled water level was maintained), the replacement battery, which I bought at the small shop with the Panasonic sign across the from the front of the mall, that one is still working fine after 3 years. It's a maint-free battery.
If you add an off switch, you can forget about Du Ek Sam doing repair or maintenance in future. Or so they say.
