Batteries are still relatively unpredictable things after a point, unfortunately. The Gels and maintainence free stuff has really helped matters a great deal, but when the chemicals/plates stop working, they tend to do so suddenly and without much warning. Plates break, vibrate loose, etc. Preventing them from cycling down and back up helps a lot in the longevity (BT), but in the end, if I've got a three year battery, I start getting nervous after about 3.5 and figure I'm livin' on borrowed time. And with my luck, mine would FU out in BFE after I got through wizzin' in the bushes, and I'd be in a place with no downhill or flat ground for miles.

And I ain't big enough to push the bitch off. My old VW's were easier to push, I think...they got pushed a lot ;-)
The Vrod is the worst...the battery in it is just barely big enough to turn the motor over with 11:1 compression, even if it's just been sitting a week. If you've got a V, you'd better keep it on a BT ALL the time if you don't ride it every day.
And Winston County, Alabama was neutral during "The War" as well.....