The '03 Ninja 500r I just bought had been stored for a year and a half. The battery was completely dead and I have gave it my best attempts at bringing it back to life. What charge should it be set at and for how long? Or is it even worth it? SHould I buy a new one?

 

Kudos on the bike. I've always liked that year/color.
Get a Battery Tender Junior for about 25-$30 (from any motorand let it charge until the little light is green.

Depending upon how long the bike sat, the battery may not be able to hold a charge and will have to be replaced. But getting the charger is cheaper than a new battery AND a battery tender is a good tool for any motorcyclist on the North American continent to have.
I have one and I live in San Diego where we don't even have winter.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Peace!
-Chris in C'bad

 

If you already have a charger make sure you set the amps at the lowest. This takes a little longer at 2amps than, say, 10 amps, but will ensure that you give the battery the most complete charge. Not sure if winter will be an issue for you, but for future reference it is pretty handy to pull the battery before storage and place it on some cardboard or a block of wood in a warm, ventilated place indoors. Obviously my craftsman tractor isn't quite the same as a motorcycle, but in the 3 years we've had this battery it has never needed a charge to get things going for the first time after winter storage. Good luck!

-Joe

 

1+ on taking in the battery inside during the winter. Many people wouldn't have to replace their batteries every spring if they would just do this.

 

Yep. Just had too much oil in it. Cleaned it out put fresh in, fresh filters as well. Now its running like a raped ape.