I usually got 2 years out of a regular flooded cell battery. That was a cheapo from walmart, and not taking it out in the winter or checking the water levels in the cells. In other words, abusing it. In this day though, I would never put another flooded cell in. I would, at minimum, use a typical maintenance free. I choose AGM batteries though. They give a tremendous boost in cranking amps, about double actually, over a flooded cell, or typical lead acid battery.
There are some do and don't though.
DO NOT get a battery off the shelf that is already filled. Battery life starts as soon as electrolyte is added, not when put in the bike. Get a battery YOU have to fill. You can find agm batteries that are not prefilled.
DO, Charge the battery fully before use. If you don't have 1, get a maintenance/float charger that will charge at 1 amp. These are small batteries and you should not charge them at high amps, 1 - 2 is best. Also, do NOT use a trickle charger. Those chargers will continue to try and charge the battery, even when it is fully charged. That will destroy a battery fast. A maintenance/float charger (such as a battery tender jr) will stop charging once the battery is full and start again if it drops below a certain voltage.
Now, when you get a new battery, it should come with electrolyte. They are simple to fill. The electrolyte bottle will have nozzles to pierce the thin foil on the cell openings. So you lower the battery onto the bottle, this prevents possibly spilling the electrolyte, remember, it is highly acidic. Then once the batter is seated fully, flip it over carefully and it will start to fill. let it sit till the bottle is empty, the battery is full then. Don't be worried is the bottle level is lower in some parts than others. The battery cells are not sealed off from each other, so the electrolyte will level out.
Let the battery sit now, for about 1 - 2 hours. After that time, start charging till the battery is fully charged. This is important for full acid absorption and battery life. Charge at 1 amp, 2 max, but I prefer 1.
Once charged, you can install the battery, and barring the battery being built super crappy, or manufacturing defect, you should get a good number of years.
I know a lot of people talk about the lithium batteries and their light weight and power, but I would never put 1 of those in these old bikes. Not with the stock electrics. Lithium batteries are known to burst into flame when not charged right. And these old bikes with their mechanical regulators will run that risk.
If you were to choose to go lithium, change out the regulator for a solid state model. They switch much faster for voltage control than the mechanical units do.
If you DO go lithium, there are rules to those. Get a battery that can balance itself. If you do not, you will have to periodically have to hook up the battery to a charge that is capable of charging and balancing lithium batteries. Also, when starting on a cold morning, turn the bike on and let the headlight burn for a few seconds. This "warms" the battery up so it has full power. Lithium batteries are not fans of cold temps otherwise. Make sure it stays isolated from shock, they are not as tough against vibration, at least I don't think they are.
Ultimately, after this wall of text, an agm is the best choice for these old bikes, at this time.
The ride IS the adventure. The destination is just to get gas!
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