Battery problems

[Outlaw6;=-]

last year when i bought the bike my dealer had to charge the battery. When i brought it in 3-4 months after for service they had to recharge the battery again. Now with it being 16 months old i cannot get the battery to charge over 12 volts and in my book it says full charge is 12.9.Could i have a dead cell? If so what battery would u suggest i buy.

[sleddog66]

Many small batteries have a life of a couple years. If discharged repeatabley, probably less. If this is the original battery, it is like 3 years old. Replace it!
As far as brands go, there are only a few manufacturers that make all the batteries in the U.S., they put different lables on them. Any reputable dealer would sell a good battery. Yuasa is a very common bike battery.
To extend the life of the new battery, I would recomend keeping on a "smart" charger when not in use. Somthing like the battery tender Jr. is good.