Batteries - a confession

[Rob]

they're just plain hours!

Like all of us, eh?

[daz]

I'm going to suggest switching over to the 'Speakeasy' portion of these forums and look at the thread called "crazy battery test". The test speaks about the five most common batteries. Like all things on the net, you decide how factual it is.

[bbelk]

New batteries last longer and are less picky about charging rates than old batteries. However; Old fashion lead-acid batteries have one distinct advantage over the new batteries. They died slowly. You could get through whole trips of marginal cranks in the morning, but they work all day after that. This was great when you are out on the road and can get home with some simple planning like parking on top of hills at night.

The new batteries work flawlessly right up until you hit the button and nothing happens. Then you push your bike into town and start shopping. No jump starts, no bump starts, no electrical system. It sucks.

I have a modern battery in my R65 and a Lead Acid in my R90. In both cases the decision was made by which battery I found first following failure. If I had a choice, I would go with the lead-acid.

[Major Softie]

I'm going to suggest switching over to the 'Speakeasy' portion of these forums and look at the thread called "crazy battery test". The test speaks about the five most common batteries.

That's the 5 most common AGM motorcycle batteries. Not quite the same as the most common batteries.

[Ken in Oklahoma]

New batteries last longer and are less picky about charging rates than old batteries. However; Old fashion lead-acid batteries have one distinct advantage over the new batteries. They died slowly. You could get through whole trips of marginal cranks in the morning, but they work all day after that. This was great when you are out on the road and can get home with some simple planning like parking on top of hills at night.

The new batteries work flawlessly right up until you hit the button and nothing happens. Then you push your bike into town and start shopping. No jump starts, no bump starts, no electrical system. It sucks.

I have a modern battery in my R65 and a Lead Acid in my R90. In both cases the decision was made by which battery I found first following failure. If I had a choice, I would go with the lead-acid.

Brad, my experience is very much like yours. I'm now not a fan of any 'glass mat' batteries, no matter who makes them. Since I run more than one motorcycle each gets sporadic use. If I've not ridden a bike for a while I am almost assured that the glass mat battery has had it's life greatly compromised, admittedly due to neglect on my part. Part of that neglect stems from not being a cold weather rider. Plus the older I get the colder I seem to get.

Like you a conventional 'wet' lead acid battery typically gives me some warning when it's not well. With glass mat batteries I don't remember ever receiving such a warning. And I have owned some glass mat batteries which I didn't even neglect, actually using a battery tender to keep it in shape. And even then I've had them croak with no warning.

Unfortunately, with my preference for 'wet' batteries I find that they are harder and harder to get.

Such is progress I suppose. I am becoming more of a Luddite year by year. (Not that I didn't have preexisting Luddite tendencies anyhow.) As long as they're still available my 'scheme' is to stay away from glass mat batteries.

Ken

[dougie]

(Not that I didn't have preexisting Luddite tendencies anyhow.)
Ken

Ken - you say that like it's a bad thing.

[Chuey]

If you like the old school battery, the Sears Die Hard is a nice one. I have one in one of my bikes and it seems very good. I went on a jag of buying Odyssey batteries and they seemed great at first but out of the four or five I bought, two had problems. One of the problems was a shipping malady caused by very poor packaging. When I went to try to send it back to the seller, I learned you basically can't ship batteries. Others can. But, you can't. So, don't try. Or, maybe you can if you have your own shipping company. I don't know, but it made an impression.

Disclaimer, or maybe an admission that I went against my better judgment policy of shopping at real stores when possible and it bit me in the ass. I bought those Odyssey batteries from the cheapest source on ebay. They are in Florida, I think. The Sears battery, I bought at a local store.

Chuey

[Foxy]

Best ive come across is Motobatt. I have them in my difficult to crank Ducatis and they are absolutely fantastic. Bikes can sit for months and fire up immediately. Not possible with any other brand ive tried. And no more expensive than the normal Yuasa etc. Available in Australia.

[Porge]

I'm tempted by their mbt20.

Good dimensions, 21ah and 280 cca.

[Porge]

I'm tempted by their mbt20.

Good dimensions, 21ah and 280 cca.