I took the battery out and recharged it. Now the bike cranks a lot quicker. This particular battery has had pretty low static voltage for the past two years - around 12.2 Volts. When the engine is running, the alternator charges the battery and the voltage shown is 14.2 Volts.
That is the voltage of the charging system + battery, not the battery (but you probably already know that, just pointing it out so anyone else reading this will know).
The battery never failed to start to bike so I did not replace it. Even after being recharged, the voltage dropped back to 12.2 Volts. I will see what happens next but I am getting ready to buy a new battery.
Yeah, I have had issues also with my stock battery being weak, and it is two years younger than yours. I started using a Battery Tender Jr. on it... which I should have done in the past because that would have prevented sulfation.
I will also replace the batteries in the fobs.
It is a good idea- and is cheap and doesn't take much effort.
A good fully charged battery static voltage should be around 12.6 Volts.
Yes, when it is at rest (having not been used or charged for a while... perhaps 30 minutes min, although I think an hour rest is better).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lead-acid_voltage_vs_SOC.PNG