| Author | Message | ||
     Bensbike |
I am looking for a new battery, What one should I get? The one harley has for $125 it is sealed no need to dump the fluid in, or should i get a cheaper one where I manually put the electorates in? Buell recommend the pre charged harley battery | ||
| Pariah |
I'd recommend Al Lighton's (American Sportbike)... less expensive than OEM and works every bit as well: http://www.americansportbike.com/shoponline/ccp0-p rodshow/16251.html | ||
| Aseecobra |
Deka batteries have been performing well for me. The Deka ETX14L. You can find them for $65 shipped. | ||
| Bensbike |
Thank you just ordered the deka! | ||
| Syonyk |
You really don't want to use a non-sealed battery in the Buells unless you like corrosion of everything around the battery. The non-sealed ones are designed to be upright at all times (more or less). If they're laying on their side, like they would be mounted in any of the modern Buells, they'll leak battery acid all over everything. Most older UJMs had upright battery mounting, so the wet types worked fine. | ||
| Aseecobra |
Russell, So everyone is aware, the Deka referenced above is a sealed AGM type. Deka is also the maker of the HD batteries. Chris | ||
| Timebandit |
AC -- I know that Deka is the OEM for H-D, but do you know if the ETX14L is the same battery as the OEM battery in our 1125? If so, that's a great piece of information to have. And the price sure is right. | ||
| Syonyk |
Yes - I was referring to the question about manually putting in electrolyte, not specifically the Deka. | ||
| Pariah |
FYI, Al Lighton's shop is a sponsor here, and he sells the Drag Specialities battery, not the Deka. Al has taken the trouble of doing numerous exhaust shootouts for Buell bikes. He's a very helpful dude. I realize the Deka is cheaper, but the right thing to do is to buy Al's battery... I realize US consumers believe that they have the right to buy whatever they want, but sometimes you gotta think about where your money's going and the long-term implications of shopping at Walmart. It's why many of us own Buells in the first place, is it not? Just my two cents. | ||
| Aseecobra |
Bob, I buy them directly from the factory here in PA. The rep told me the internals and specs are the same except the case on the HD battery is black and the non-HD version is white. Chris | ||
| Timebandit |
Chris, thanks for the helpful answer. I was really more interested in knowing if that model number was the same model number for a crossover part, because I am too lazy to do a lookup; I was not specifically asking whether you had inside information about the innards, but I'm glad you responded the way you did! | ||
| Timebandit |
"I realize the Deka is cheaper, but the right thing to do is to buy Al's battery." WTF?!?! "sometimes you gotta think about where your money's going and the long-term implications of shopping at Walmart." I have no reservations about buying a quality product, that's manufactured by an OEM with a good reputation, that comes out of an American factory in Pennsylvania. I don't see *ANY* negative long-term implications in buying the Deka product. In contrast, I have no knowledge of the provenance of the re-branded battery that gets re-marketed by Drag Specialties. Is it of higher quality? No. It is of equal quality? Maybe. Does it cost more? Yes. If it's OEM'd by Deka for Drag, then it is an equally good product that I should consider buying based upon it's merit, but not based upon it's price. There's no point in paying more to buy the same battery with a different label on it just to support a merchant that you like. If that were the case, I could get even more satisfaction by going whole-hog and buying an even more expensive re-branded Deka battery from my local H-D store. If supporting Al is the right thing to do, consider this: Another option would be to just buy the Deka product wherever it's cheapest (after all, it is a commodity) and send a check to Al because supporting him is "the right thing to do." If you just want to support American Sport Bike, you don't even need to buy a battery. You can just send Al a check because you like him.  I like Al, and I do buy from American Sport Bike. Al sells lots of things that make sense. IMO the Drag battery isn't one of them. Just my opinion. I think that Drag Specialties batteries are overpriced because you've added to the price of the battery another layer of middlemen/distributors who need to get their cut. If Al carried the Deka product, he could offer the same quality battery at a lower price. But he doesn't so I have to shop elsewhere for that one item. I would really like to be able to buy the Deka battery from Al, because I'd be getting the right product at the right price from the right guy. Three things working together. That's what it takes to be "right." Just my $0.02. | ||
| 99buellx1 |
I'm in the need of a new battery, and I'm buying a Shorai. Sorry Al. I have also specifically mentioned to Shorai that the reason for my purchase with them is their support of Rob and Shawn in their racing the crotchrocket.tv 1190RS. | ||
| Aseecobra |
The model of battery is based on the model of motorcycle. I don't know if they crossover HD numbers. It is a direct drop in replacement physically. Chris | ||
| Pariah |
"I think that Drag Specialties batteries are overpriced because you've added to the price of the battery another layer of middlemen/distributors who need to get their cut." You're wrong, the Drag Specialties battery is probably better. You're paying for quality. " I don't see *ANY* negative long-term implications in buying the Deka product. " How about negative short-term implications? When Harley kicks you to the curb and you're on your own for parts, it will be people like Al who keep you running. Like I said, I know you think you have the right to be buy whatever you want, and you'll make whatever excuses it takes to make cheap the right choice. But maybe your thinking is the reason my Canadian two cents are worth more than your American two cents right now. Just sayin'. | ||
| Timebandit |
Drag does not manufacture batteries. Drag is a rebranding and remarketing company. It is possible that the Drag batteries are quite good. At the same time, I know for a fact that the Deka batteries are a top-quality AGM product, and that Deka is one of the main OEM manufacturers for AGM batteries that are rebranded and sold under other labels. Their quality is top-notch. It's hard to imagine anyone's AGM batteries being better. Knowing that there are few companies that OEM the AGM motorcycle batteries, it wouldn't surprise me if Deka OEM's them for Drag, just as they do for H-D. In that case, the price differential is attributable to VAR to brand-loyal customers. The Deka is not an inferior battery, and it is also less expensive. If you think that Drag batteries are better than Deka, then you are a brand loyal customer who perceives a benefit from VAR and you should pay more for the Drag battery. For the record, I have no problems with Al. I support him. I do have a problem with someone pontificating that that everyone should pay more for a battery from their favorite vendor because "it's the right thing to do." This implies that one person is enlightened about what is right and wrong while the rest of the population is not. It's far more likely that there is at least one person in the population who knows something useful that other people who are preaching don't already know. I'll point to AC as an example. I have no fear that will be "crying when H-D kicks me to the corner" because I can't get parts. Buying the brand-new 1125 was a calculated risk, and my investment strategy fully depreciated the bike to zero value before the closure of the federally mandated 7-year parts availability window. I also put enough miles on my bike that I hope I'll be able to totally expend it's value before that 7 years is over. I don't think parts will be a problem. I'll be riding something else by then. In the big scheme of things, this is not about being cheap. It's about not being stupid. Buy the more expensive battery from Drag if you're confident that doing that is the smart decision. But don't assume that people who don't think the same way are stupid or cheap. Chances are they are not either. The facts are that the Deka product is a damned good battery. Because most people don't recognize it for being what it is, it's inexpensive to boot. | ||
| Pariah |
"I don't think parts will be a problem. I'll be riding something else by then. " Sounds like all you give a $hit about is yourself. Do you get that a lot? | ||
| Timebandit |
"Sounds like all you give a $hit about is yourself. Do you get that a lot?" Isn't it a violation of the user agreement to intentionally circumvent the profanity filter, and to lash out with personal attacks on other users? I think you're missing out on the spirit of why we're all here. I'm not the person who made this discussion about me. You focused your personalized attack on me when you projected the following statement: "When Harley kicks you to the curb and you're on your own for parts, it will be people like Al who keep you running." I only responded by telling you that your projected outcome wasn't going to be a problem for me. I guess you didn't like that, because you responded by morphing this conversation into a personal attack, using profanity. You're spoiling an otherwise very useful thread. The truth is that I have plenty of good reasons to worry about my economic situation, and not one good reason to worry about yours. Since you weren't contributing to the purchase of my bike, and I had to buy it all by myself, my calculus involved my interests and only my interests. If you'd like to change that, then feel free to contribute some money to my next bike purchase and I'll figure you into the calculations. Until you do that, the answer is going to be, "No. -- I really don't have any motivation to care about your interests, only my own." | ||
| Pariah |
"Isn't it a violation of the user agreement to intentionally circumvent the profanity filter, and to lash out with personal attacks on other users? I think you're missing out on the spirit of why we're all here." Hey, you said the F-word first, Doctor. See your original post: "WTF?!?!" What is your Ph.D. in anyways? Mine's in electrical engineering, and I find your tone amusing, as if you're the only smart person here. "I only responded by telling you that your projected outcome wasn't going to be a problem for me." Actually, many people on this board (particularly outside the 1125 sub-forum) love their Buells. Many are enthusiasts who desire to support the brand unequivocally, for the long term. So now tell me whose viewpoint is irrelevant? BTW, in case anyone still cares, a spec comparison of the Deka and Drag Specialties batteries: Deka (ETX14): AGM/Sealed 220 CCA (cold cranking amps) 12 A-h (capacity) weight: 12.0 lbs Drag Specialties (YTX-14) AGM/Sealed 200 CCA 12 A-h (capacity) weight: 8.1 lbs So, it would appear that the DS battery is considerably lighter (I find that quite surprising, but it might help to account for the higher cost of the DS), but the Deka puts out marginally more cold cranking amps. Having seen both the Deka and the Drag Specialties batteries, I do not think that they are manufactured by the same factory— hardware looks quite different, especially the terminal parts. (Message edited by pariah on April 26, 2012) | ||
| Froggy |
Next personal attack or swear in this thread will result in a ban, I don't care who says what or who started anything. Can't we all just get along?  | ||
| Pariah |
Sure, Froggy. I was just trying to plug for one of your sponsors here, is all. | ||
| Aseecobra |
The Drag battery looks like its made by Yuasa. Model YTX14L. The spec sheet shows a 9.7lb wet weight. The Deka brochure uses the words "larger" and "heavy duty" in describing the different parts of the battery internal construction when looking at the cutaway. I could not find the same descriptors in the Yuasa brochure cutaway. Perhaps there is more lead inside making up the additional 2.3 pounds. I'm in battery heaven. Deka, Yuasa and Enersys are all within 20 miles of me. | ||
| Pariah |
Good find... I mean a weight savings of 2 to 4 pounds (over OEM or Deka) and helping out a BadWeb sponsor for only an additional $20? Sounds like a good deal to me... | ||
| Timebandit |
"Perhaps there is more lead inside making up the additional 2.3 pounds." You are a master of understatement.  The weight has to come from somewhere, and if anyone pauses to think about what comprises the greatest input cost in making a battery they will find the answer. The tricky thing about comparison shopping for batteries is that the specs that have been quoted here don't give you the whole story about service life, so you have to dig a little deeper. | ||
| Pariah |
I've had both types of batteries (OEM/Deka and Drag), and Al told me the Drag would be good for 3 years. It's been one year so far, and it's still good, no problems. The Drag seems to hold its charge better than my original OEM battery which needed more tendering, but, granted, who knows how poorly the dealer treated it and we did have a few firmware updates. | ||
| Reepicheep |
I've always gotten at least 5 years out of the factory HD batteries, without any kind of tender (though I do ride the bikes regularly, and even in the winter they never sit for more than a month). | ||
| Timebandit |
I have put bikes in a corner with the H-D batteries on a Battery Tender and let them sit idle for years. I am not kidding. Last year I took a bike that had been sitting on a tender for 2 full years, poured gas into it, and pressed the starter button and it fired right up. Rode the whole season on it, always starting on the first crank. (Message edited by timebandit on April 27, 2012) | ||
| Ridenusa4l |
ive gone through 4 HD batteries in about 4 years... Jake | ||
| Timebandit |
That's an interesting problem. How you use the battery effects it's life. Your profile says that you're a student in Tucson. Do you make lots of short hops? If so then it's possible that your battery could be in a chronically depleted state and won't last long. Sulfation is a problem in chronically depleted batteries, and that's really bad for service life. For anyone that does a lot of short hops, you may need to keep the bike on a charger. A tender may not have enough current to replete the battery overnight if the battery gets chronically depleted day after day. You might need a higher current charging device to perform the restoration charge, and a lower current tender to maintain the top-off. My duty cycle is at the opposite end of the spectrum. When I take my bike out for a ride, I'm up to speed for 3 hours on backroads without any stops in city traffic. My battery is always in a topped off state. It gets ridden every day. With that kind of treatment, my battery life span has been very good. Years of service without problems. A lot of the functional lifespan depends on getting the battery fully recharged to avoid sulfation. That is difficult if you make a lot of short runs. Of course, being in the AZ desert doesn't help things either. | ||
| Dannybuell |
I heard batteries can sit unused for too long and have sulfate issues. | ||
| Tbowdre |
Al and joanne are awesome. American Sport Bike really adds a hell of a lot to the whole BUELL thing. I bet if you were to ask them why they carry the more expensive drag specialist battery, they could probably tell you. They sell nothing without Al checking it out first, engineering it, riding it, dynoing it etc My 0.02 | ||
| Ridenusa4l |
Bandit- I do usually make short hops as id rather ride my bike around town occasionally than my truck. I have a tender (after this last battery) but do not have a convenient place to plug it in. and this battery i got now i paid 50$ for on ebay shipped...was it as nice to put in as the HD, no. But would i rather lose 50$ compared to 110$ in a year...yes. I just try to ride it or at least start it once or twice a week. So we'll see what happens, my next battery will probably be a shorai. Jake | ||
| Fast1075 |
Battery sulfation occurs when the battery is allowed to discharge and sit in that condition. On a tender, the battery charge is maintained. I don't know at this time how many manufacturers there are that produce batteries. (lead/acid) I am sure there are a ton of imports. But in the US, there are (or were) only three. Most batteries come (or came, if my info is dated) from one of those three. |
