| Author | Message | ||
     Kyrocket |
Well, been having trouble somewhere in the electrical system and after it finally gave up the ghost 1/2 mile from home I coasted where and when I could and stopped by the Autozone at the bottom of the hill in my neighborhood. Took the obvious culprit in to have it tested and yep it was the battery. What brand of battery do the rest of you guys use? I'm not dead set on HD batteries if others will last just as long and aforementioned Autozone is 200 yards from my house and closest dealer is 40 miles. I've had the bike seven years and this is the second battery, not bad I guess. I'd just like to know the pro's and con's of different batteries. | ||
| Iamike |
I've had the newest style composition HD battery in my S3 for 4 years. For awhile I was thinking that it may not be holding a full charge (12.9v) but it still is hanging in there. I'll decide next spring weather to change it or not. Due to the vibration of our bikes I'd be worried about buying just any old battery. | ||
| Numb_nutz |
I've been using Car Quest auto parts gel batteries i all my bikes. Perfect fit never any problems. | ||
| Chasespeed |
Well, played with a couple different batteries... The only ones that last more the 6 months, are the HD... Never tried the CarQuest batteries... ANOTHER thing to be wary of, you have an X1, you need a AGM, but, might be able to get away with a Gel battery.. Our batteries lay on their side... I, in a pinch bought a battery from AutoZone(mine died during a trip on Rte2 in MASS).. Added the water, put the caps on, etc etc.. 2 months later, I had crap leaking out of the battery, all over the starter, etc.. So.. Chase | ||
| Rick_a |
I've used Harley and Odyssey batteries. There are some slight differences in dimensions and they Odyssey is more expensive with an extra year of warranty. I've never had a conventional wet cell last more than a few months. | ||
| Djkaplan |
I went to a cheap battery superstore and they wanted $5 more for theirs than the Harley dealer. I went back to the HD dealer and bought two of them. Batteries make great man gifts. You get to show you care and not look like a sissy. I actually tried to buy an Optima car battery for my girlfriend for Valentines Day. Don't do it. | ||
| Kyrocket |
Thanks for the info, looks like I'll stop by the dealer next time I'm in Lexington and swap the old for new. | ||
| Sloppy |
Highly recommend the HD battery. Good quality for a decent price. While you're at the shop, buy a Battery Tender Plus. It will make all your vehicle's batteries last significantly longer. They're about $60 and will quickly pay for itself. | ||
| Eshardball |
I just replaced the battery on my S1. The conversion uses the Glass Mat battery for the V Rod. My local HD parts guy said the original S1 battery was $212. I suggested he not hit the krack pipe before work. I got 5+ years out of the old HD battery. Spend the money on the good battery! | ||
| Kyrocket |
$212  SH*T I'd put a kicker on it first! I have a glassmat on it now and will probably replace it with another. I've decided to go HD, it's an eight year old bike and this will be the third battery. Not too bad I guess, you never get the mileage you do with the original. | ||
| Jjjoutside |
Disclaimer... I have no experience with gel cells in bikes (although most automotive store guys don't know the difference between AGM and gel anyway... most of them will tell you an Optima is a gel cell). Sloppy's point gets very little press, and IMHO, is the number one thing you can do to preserve your battery. Even AGM batteries can sulfate (what kills most batteries if vibration doesn't get them first). A "smart" battery maintenance charger like the Battery Tender or Battery Tender Junior can all but end your battery buying. I put an Odyssey AGM in my FXRT in 1989 and that was the same battery in it when I sold it in 2002. Any time it was parked in the garage, it was plugged in to a Battery Tender. Added bonus... the SAE plug on the DC side of the Battery Tender was the same as on my heated riding gear. I think most have gotten away from the SAE plug now, but it sure was handy to need only one connector. BTW... that same Battery Tender currently keeps my M2 battery topped up. The Battery Tenders cost a little more than the Wal-Mart or cheaper brands of maintenance charges, but they are quality products made to last as long as you do. Last, and I'll get off my soapbox, regardless of marketing hype, normal starting-duty AGM batteries do not like to be deep cycled. Although most can be deep cycled a few more times than a conventional wet cell, deep-cycling can and will kill them. A buddy of mine who worked for Exide claimed three deep cycles could reduce the life of an AGM battery by 50%. While I can't provide data to back up that claim, I can tell you that the 13 year old Odyssey in my Sport Glide was as strong as the day I bought it, but had never been deep-cycled. Anecdotal evidence at best, but just passing it on for whatever it may be worth. JJJ | ||
| Kyrocket |
Here's a pretty good battery tutorial I ran across earlier FYI. In case you don't know what you didn't know  http://www.batterystuff.com/tutorial_battery.html# 2 |
