Are there any good Motorcycle batteries?

[like2wheel]

Yuasa for me, too. IIRC, they used to be Harley's OEM...

Tommy

Don't know what time frame you are referring to, but I toured the Deka plant about 20 years ago & they were making Harley batteries at that time.

 

[Git]

Maintained a fleet of Police motorcycles for 35 years the only battery that lasted was Odyssey, I tried every battery in the world. Plus they have a 3 year warranty and everything else is 90 days.

Yuasa doesn't handle warranties - it is all done through their vendors and is normally 12 months, but it would pay to check with whoever you're buying it from

"Yuasa Battery, Inc. does not handle warranty issues directly. All inquiries should be directed to the dealer where the battery was purchased. The dealer's distributor sets the warranty period and handles all warranty claims. The warranty time frame and terms are not specified by Yuasa."


http://www.yuasabatteries.com/faqs.php?action=1&id=24

 

[floridafarmer]

Any one else here switch to a Li-ion battery? They're pricey ($140-$180 or so) but I love mine. Bike cranks faster, and the battery can sit for 6+ months without a tender. They're relatively new to the market, but if you don't abuse them, I think they'll probably last awhile, only had mine for a year, no issues yet. Park the bike and turn the key 3 months later and it starts no problem. They're worth the money to me to not worry about a tender. Smaller and lighter to boot, they only weigh like 2-3 lbs and leave enough spare room in the battery compartment for a power commander.

After many poor experiences with HD brand at 170 a pop, I put a Lithium Ion in one of my choppers and have been really impressed - as you mentioned it was a little pricier - I paid 220 from Advanced Auto but the better CCA spins the high compression motor like a plug is out. Added bonus is about 8 pounds lighter.
The only thing I have heard is this route may not be ideal for folks with lots of electronics/added lights.
So far, my experience is thumbs up.

 

[PhysicsDude]

After many poor experiences with HD brand at 170 a pop, I put a Lithium Ion in one of my choppers and have been really impressed - as you mentioned it was a little pricier - I paid 220 from Advanced Auto but the better CCA spins the high compression motor like a plug is out. Added bonus is about 8 pounds lighter.
The only thing I have heard is this route may not be ideal for folks with lots of electronics/added lights.
So far, my experience is thumbs up.

Yes, that's the big downside is their reserve capacity is generally lower, and completely draining a li-ion battery is REALLY bad for it, i.e. leaving your lights on overnight or whathave you.

That's another big upside though - better cranking. I have a 113ci motor and it spins it WAY faster than the stock battery, just like you said. I have a friend with an older 107ci ultima motor on a chopper and it really has a hard time starting, and the carb isn't tuned that well either. I keep trying to convince him to buy a li-ion battery but he doesn't trust them.

 

[PhysicsDude]

For me, there isn't enough benefit to make me pull the trigger, yet. My Yuasa certainly weighs more, but I seem to get the same life out of them as people report they get with Shorai, EarthX, Ballistic, Antigravity, etc. The other thing that holds me back is most of the Li battery brands aren't clear on if they have on-board charge circuitry of some sort or a battery management system to properly charge the battery. I know some brands recommend (or did the last time I checked) putting a charger on their Li motorcycle batteries on occasion. When I'm clear they have worked this out I'll make the switch. It would be nice to drop 5lbs+ just by changing the battery.

I was really hesitant about that as well.... the Shoria batteries have a balance charger they sell... but they don't tell you that you need it or if you should balance charge once a year or what. I'd be more comfortable if they just told you the shortfalls of the battery that way you'd know what to avoid, it seems like they're hiding something.

In any case, most people I know have had good luck with li-ions so far, at least Shoria and Battery Tender brand ones. Time will tell.

 

[MikeF2316]

I got 13 years out of the Yuasa MF (maintenance free) in my FJ1200. Its replacement, also a Yuasa MF, is still going strong after 8 years.

 

[driftpin]

I've used Li-ion batteries from Shorai and Ballistic in my V-4 1200 cc Yamaha VMax and my FZR1000 and like them.

If I was going to buy something else for price alone it would be an assembled-gas-mat (AGM) construction battery, and I like Yuasa. I've had Deka too and got my $'s worth.

 

[C_F]

I've used Li-ion batteries from Shorai and Ballistic in my V-4 1200 cc Yamaha VMax and my FZR1000 and like them.

If I was going to buy something else for price alone it would be an assembled-gas-mat (AGM) construction battery, and I like Yuasa. I've had Deka too and got my $'s worth.

I've had this Ballistic in my V-max since 9/2013, and it's still going strong. The initial purchase price is a bit steep, but so fat it's been totally worth it.

The balance charger doing it's thing...

 

[RGKSR]

I run Earth-X batteries in my KTM and Beta. They work great. My current Earth-X in my '13 KTM 350XCF-W takes a beating and is 4 years old.

 

[Outlander]

+ another 1 for YUASA. Had to replace the OEM battery in my ATV after 8 years. This ATV lived, slept and was driven in harsh conditions: -30*C to +30*C. I did keep it on a battery tender for the last couple of years during the winter in my unheated garage.

 

[adam728]

In all my research AGM Yuasa and Dekas are pretty good, and plain ol maintenance free Yuasa's are extremely tough to beat for overall longevity. It's all we've been buying at work for a while now.

Original Yuasa in my 2013 so far. Unheated garage, stored on a tender in off season, ridden till the roads get salty (often below freezing in the morning commute). If it dies tomorrow I'd replace it with the same.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

If I was going to buy something else for price alone it would be an assembled-gas-mat (AGM) construction battery, and I like Yuasa.

Absorbed Glass Mat batteries are the best choice for high vibration applications. After having nothing but trouble with Optima batteries in the GT1 car (they wouldn't even last a full season) we went to an off the shelf big box store AGM battery. I don't remember the name, but it was flawless for the last 6 years we ran the car.

Tommy