| Author | Message | ||
     Levor |
I'm looking to see how long I can tough this WY winter (excepting icy days!) And my original battery in my 09 CR has finally crapped out. Any suggestions on a battery that can better handle the cold weather? The stock battery here is something like 115 plus tax but I'm quite dense regarding battery selection and figured you all might have some alternatives for roughly the same price, but better for the climate. Not worried about shaving weight, just want one that fits and can hack the obscenely cold winters. It'll be my first winter here since moving from OR but should be a great experience being up here in the mountains! | ||
| C818919 |
id say stock and use a trickle charger http://www.ebay.com/itm/08-09-BUELL-1125R-1125-Engines-Ballistic-Motorcycle-Li-Battery-8-Cell-100-011-/400257239222?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item5d3130c8b6 maybe????? (Message edited by c818919 on November 17, 2011) | ||
| Ratbuell |
Trickle charger on a stock battery. I still have the OEM battery in my 06 Ulysses (nearly 30k miles), as well as the OEM in my 09 CR. They get "tenderized"...well, maybe not regularly, but when I think to plug them in. Like if I know I won't be riding for a week or so. Tenders are worth their weight in gold. | ||
| Reepicheep |
As much as I hate to say it, the best battery I have found (for bang for the buck) is the HD battery. The best battery period is the EBR LiIon, but it may take a few cranks to warm up and really make power if it is cold out. $$, but you get what you pay for. | ||
| Timebandit |
H-D sourced a really good battery. OEM is East Penn Manufacturing Co, who sells the same battery under the "Deka" brand name. | ||
| Froggy |
Like the above say, the HD battery isn't bad. Aftermarket batteries aren't much cheaper, and they are not guaranteed to fit. I'll be getting the EBR battery when mine dies. | ||
| Timebandit |
Are you guys all lusting over the EBR Nano-Teck Li-ion battery that sells for $390? If so, why? Specs: EBR Nano-Tek 4.5 amp-hour 300 Peak amps ??? CCA 2 lb. Cost: $390 East Penn 12 amp-hour ??? Peak amps 200 CCA 12 lb. Cost: $130. What I see is 3x the price for a battery that has about 1/3 the energy storage capacity and offers some significant weight reduction. Good for track? Sure. Good for a cold winter in Wyoming? Worth it for a street bike? You can't be serious. Comparing apples to apples: * 3 of those bad boys are needed in parallel to meet or exceed the OEM battery's 12 amp-hour rating. * 3 Nano-Teck batteries weigh 6 lb, which corresponds to only a 50% weight reduction compared to the OEM 12 lb battery. * 3 Nano-Teck batteries cost $1170, compared to the OEM battery cost of $130. After normalizing cost per amp-hour, that's a 9x cost increase. Yes, the Nano-Teck batteries are sexy. They're justifiable for racing, where every competitive advantage counts. But for street use in a Wyoming winter??? To me this looks like you're recommending racer bling just for bling's sake. Please explain what I am missing. (Message edited by timebandit on November 17, 2011) | ||
| Blake |
I paid ~$70 for a "Big Crank"? Works great; looks very well made. Made in USA. Free shipping. http://www.batterymart.com/p-Big-Crank-ETX14-Batte ry.html | ||
| Blake |
I'll give serious look at the following for my next battery. Prices are coming down on the LiFeSO4 batteries. http://www.shop.antigravitybatteries.com/Antigravi ty-12-cell-Motorsport-Battery-AG1201.htm | ||
| Timebandit |
I guess we must have a new site sponsor.  Here's the battery that bigcrank.com recommends specifically for the 1125 application. Looks like the mounting terminals are different from the one that Blake mentioned. $64.95. http://www.bigcrank.com/buell-1125r-1125cc-battery /MAR-YTX14L-BS.html | ||
| Levor |
Hmmm lots of suggestions. Seems 200CCA is about par for the course for batteries near OEM price range unless I missed one somewhere. Do they even really make a basic battery for us that is rated higher? I'm hoping to get a little higher, I think OEM rates at 205? I just figure colder weather means more is better. We're talking -30 -40 temps, and she's gonna be in a shed, not in a garage. I can do a tender probably but more worried about the away from home trips where I won't always have a tender. I don't know the dimensions and its been pretty chilly to get out and hunt down my torx bit to pop the old one out for a measuring, but I'm not terribly worried about misfits, most stores ARE pretty good about swapping if unused! Thanks for the help everyone, open to any and all suggestions, but definitely shooting for 120 (oem price) and lower for budget's sake. As much as id love to be able to swing several hundred bucks for a battery, I sure can't! I'm in agreeance on the EBR battery. I've heard they aren't great for street bikes? Its all hearsay, but I'm curious if that's the case since its a much smaller battery. Not gonna get one, but I rather enjoy a little debate and discussion in my threads  Also, on a side note - will my stock coolant be good for these aforementioned 30 or 40 below temps? Anything better y'all could suggest if not? I'm not accustomed to such cold weather so this is all new to me. Don't even know how to properly winterize my car! | ||
| Rpm4x4 |
I wouldnt worry about -40 temps. You wont need to start it anyway. Not even froggy rides in -40 temps | ||
| Timebandit |
In WY the cold is going to be a formidable enemy. I remember a snowmobiling trip where it was so cold one morning that the sleds couldn't be started. The outfitter had to put blow dryers under the hoods to warm the engines up enough to start them. While we were waiting for the sleds to warm up he threw a cup of water into the air... you know what comes next. Regular 50/50 ethylene glycol mix is only good to about -34F. Regardless of whether you ride in the cold, if you reach temps below -34F then your coolant will freeze. If you increase to a 60/40 ethylene glycol/water blend that will cover you down to -60F. That's the maximal freezing point depression for the mixture. People in Alaska use a 60/40 mix. http://www2.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF6/680.ht ml Another option if you're not going to ride the bike in the coldest part of the season is to drain the coolant. (Message edited by timebandit on November 18, 2011) | ||
| Froggy |
Only reason I haven't is because I've never seen it get that cold! 
I ran a cheaper Lithium battery (Speedcell) on my street XB without issue for a year. Got in a wreck, nobody turned the key off so the headlight killed it, and it never was the same after that, ran it for another year as it was still starting the bike without too much complaining, then I eventually put a lead battery back in just because it was free. That is near death too, so I'll be springing for the EBR battery. | ||
| Froggy |
Also, the Buell Barracuda 2 was supposed to come from the factory with a Lithium battery, and the EBR 1190RS comes with the EBR battery. Erik wouldn't put it in there if they knew it was crap. | ||
| Sportster_mann |
Will probably replace mine with this when the time comes - http://www.shoraipower.com/p-157-lfx18l1-bs12.aspx | ||
| Reepicheep |
How many years on your big crank battery Blake? And what's the current price on the HD battery? $120 or so? At $70, thats a good deal if the battery is comparable. The Uly battery probably isn't gonna survive the winter, so I am in the market. | ||
| Crustyxpunk |
I really dig the antigravity battery Blake found. Holds a charge up to a year w/o a tender?! That's pretty cool. Not to say I would ever need it since I ride my bike almost every day, but it is cool. And it's only $219 as opposed to the ebr battery that runs $390. But honestly unless you are a pro racer who is trying to shave off all the weight possible oem battery will work just fine. Also when you say lead-acid, the oem battery is really AGM, still has acid in it but also Boron-Silicate glass mat that gels the acid to keep it from spilling, leaking, etc and are not effected by vibration. I found this as well on my google pilgrimage to suss out battery knowledge. Battery capacity (how many amp-hours it can hold) is reduced as temperature goes down, and increased as temperature goes up. This is why your car battery dies on a cold winter morning, even though it worked fine the previous afternoon. If your batteries spend part of the year shivering in the cold, the reduced capacity has to be taken into account when sizing the system batteries. The standard rating for batteries is at room temperature - 25 degrees C (about 77 F). At approximately -22 degrees F (-27 C), battery AH capacity drops to 50%. At freezing, capacity is reduced by 20%. Capacity is increased at higher temperatures - at 122 degrees F, battery capacity would be about 12% higher. | ||
| Spyder12s |
I just went with the Ballistic Performance EVO2 12cell (they say use the 8cell which I think for a track bike would be fine I went 12 for a little extra with the hid's and acc's )batt in mine which is a LiFePO4 type .. price isnt bad, more than a stock one but well worth it imo thus far few months in and all is goot and lots of weight savings as well .. will be putting them in my other bikes soon !! as with the EBR initial cold cold seems weak but the more they warm up the better they work.. check them out | ||
| Levor |
One more question - thinking about getting the bike dyno tuned. As much as I'd like to have an EBR ECM, I'm not sure its my best option for all-season all-weather riding, moreover I question whether it will be ideal being at a rather high elevation. When I was in OR it made a little more sense, but I'm curious if the difference in elevation, climate and so forth are going to be that much of a problem when I simply want my bike to run better, smoother and more predictably. That said, I almost figure the lean running nature of stock ECM settings might be to my benefit - it'll run hotter during these bitter cold winter days. By all means inform me here, most of this is over my head! Thanks for the great info so far guys, much appreciated. | ||
| Rallyrays |
I just installed a Shorai in my 1125CR this week. My previous battery would hover around 11.8 to 13.1 when idle at a light, and the Shorai hovers around 12.8 to 14.1. I will post future updates as the weather gets colder. | ||
| Zac4mac |
My elevation in Colo is 4800 - 6000' ASL normally. 4900' at my house. Loretta(2008 1125R) has 27k miles, ~ 18k with an EBR ECM. love it. I also have the original battery and charging system. I've been watching Shorai for almost a year now as a possible replacement when it's time. It's looking better every day. Zack | ||
| Ratbuell |
Simply tell EBR (in a short, CONCISE email) what you are looking for in an ECM. Include your environment, riding style, current mods, and riding "season" - meaning if you ride year round, tell them. When I ordered the ECM for my '06 Uly, I told them I didn't want every last HP. I wanted durability, all-weather happiness with a minimum of snorting and sneezing, a smooth power curve, and a map that would make the bike as happy as possible, for as long as possible, with a stock exhaust and a K&N filter. I also mentioned I live in Maryland and ride from near sea-level up to about 2000 ft on a regular basis. I've been tickled pink with the way the bike runs. | ||
| Nattyx1 |
I like the shorai batteries. I like Shawn Higbee. Shawn Higbee sells Shorai batteries. If you need a battery, why not get one from him? | ||
| Levor |
I ended up picking up a new OEM battery the other night. Its crazy seeing 14.1+ when its this cold. Before, my other battery struggled to stay above 13.5 with the brights off and would drop like a rock at lights if the temperature was anywhere below 40 or 50. Next up - maybe an ECM, but she runs like a champ so far, down to 10F, so we'll see if I need one for the winter once I get down into the negatives. | ||
| Satori |
Levor, Where about in WY did you move to? I grew up in Billings Mt so I am more than familure with the weather. The advise give thus far on batteries and coolant is good. The thing you need to consider is the effects of Hypothermia. You may feel just a bit chilled, but id you suddenly get a bit sleepy, and confused, youve got a problem. I would at a least probably get a heated vest, and heated gloves. I would say I woulnt ride in winter there. the road may look clear and dry, but come around a corner, and theres some black ice. Down you go. watch out for bridges to, same deal. I really dont want to here about a bad webber dieng from it. Do your self a favor, and Reach out to DR. Greg on here ask him about his accident. Ride carefull! | ||
| Syonyk |
As much as I'd like to have an EBR ECM, I'm not sure its my best option for all-season all-weather riding, moreover I question whether it will be ideal being at a rather high elevation. You grew up in the carburetor age, I suspect... Fuel injection has, among other inputs, barometric pressure sensors that will adjust fueling to match density. It works *great* up in the mountains - I've had my 1125 with the race ECU up over 11k ft. As for the cold... 1125s just don't like starting in the really cold period. Below about 15F I just take the XB9. THAT bike likes the cold! | ||
| Rodrob |
Shorai rocks. Use them in street and race bikes. They support our 1190RS racing effort. Please support our sponsors when appropriate. Tell them crotchrocket.tv sent you. http://www.shoraipower.com (Message edited by Rodrob on December 01, 2011) | ||
| Froggy |
I ride mine with Race ECM year round in NY Winters, rain/snow/shine/heat/cold/hail/Hurricane Irene, no problem. | ||
| Singledark |
no problem? that's nice. |
