Terrence,

1.  Properly maintained, an Odyssey battery should last for 5+ years. Incorrect charge voltage will shorten the life of the battery.  Go to the link below to see the proper charging technique.  I would not use a typical automotive charger unless you can closely monitor the voltage during charge. Odyssey says that anything over 15V can damage the battery, and less than 14.2V may not provide a full charge.

http://www.odysseyfactory.com/documents/US-ODY-AM-001_0406.pdf

2.  I read somewhere that some of the later 360 kits were carbon fiber, but I've never heard of a carbon 235.

Tom Gourley