DON'T Buy A Motorcycle Battery Before You Watch This
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- čas přidán 11. 03. 2023
- Today we'll cover the seven things that determine the lifespan of your motorcycle battery, and how to maximize it. Four of these battery lifespan influences are completely in your control, and it's important to be aware of the other three factors before buying a new battery.
We'll look at why the initial setup and charge of a new battery is crucial for its performance and longevity. We'll also cover how your motorcycle riding habits can impact your battery's lifespan, and the importance of good maintenance and storage.
We'll look at the impact of battery capacity, type, and manufacturer choice. I'll explain why I recommend high-quality brands like Yuasa and Antigravity can produce the best motorcycle battery, and caution people against buying from shady Amazon and eBay sellers that prioritize profits over quality.
Overall, this video is a comprehensive guide to maximizing your motorcycle battery's lifespan.
#motorcyclemaintenance #motorcyclebattery #motorcycleservice - Auta a dopravní prostředky
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and like Ex Girlfriends, lithium batteries might burn your house down. Stick with the standard issue.
Lmao thanks man!
LifePo4 batteries are very safe. I still have an old one sitting in the house for 10 years. They are iron phosphate, a stable chemical. Lithium ion are the dangerous ones. I own both. I keep the lithium ion e-bike battery outside at all times except when charging after a ride.
Have you ever seen a lifepo4 battery for a motorcycle? Its safe
Savage
We just had a lithium ebike battery burn down a house a few blocks away. It seems like a foreign concept until it happens somewhere you've driven past a million times. Though to be honest it was probably the charger to blame not the battery itself
So many people, myself included leave batteries connected to battery tenders when the vehicle is not in use, with no issues whatsoever. Many years ago we had electric forklifts at work. The maintenance crew would check the acid in the cells and test the charge levels meticulously. A lot of those vehicles never had failed batteries because of great battery maintenance!
Yup! Take care of stuff with quality equipment and it will last!
Using the correct charger always helps.
I only live 5 miles from my work and as long as it doesn’t snow or ice I ride year round. I always leave 1/2 hour early so I can go for a bit of a ride before work. Keeps my battery strong.
A little extra riding is good for your mental health. Enjoy! :)
I've watched a lot of videos on batteries and yours is by far the most helpful so far. Thanks!
Thanks very much! I have a couple more linked at the end, which may help too depending on what you situation is :)
Honestly, there's really some solid advice in this video that folks really need to see. Great job!
Thanks Eric!
Some good and fun info. Thanks much
Thank you!
I am a PWC, ATV and small engine mechanic and Yausa is the only brand of small battery I will buy. Yuasa last longer than any other brand I have seen. I did notice that Sulfate Stop use to be printed on the batteries and now its not. My original battery in my 1999 Kawasaki jet ski lasted over 10 years with some TLC every winter.
Thanks for sharing the feedback, good observation too. I wonder if that has something to do with why I'm seeing a lot of people complaining about Yuasas in the comments... if maybe they changed something in recent years 🤔
My 04 r1 battery lasted 14 years. Battery Tender. When not riding, plug it in. 😊
That's amazing 🤩 100% on plugging it in when not riding
My 2011 R1 lasts 14 minutes. That's why I'm here, lol.
I’m a dirt biker lithium nerd. I expected to come here and find the typical nonsense on many motorcycle battery posts.
Not only was your presentation accurate, I learned a bit about charging a lead acid.
I certainly didn’t expect that.
Great advice!
Glad I could exceed expectations lol. I have a video coming up on the pros and cons of lithium batteries for motorcycle applications. I'll try my best but if you're a nerd for that stuff I'm sure you'll something in that to correct me on when I publish it haha
My first Yuasa battery lasted over 5 yrs w/o additional charge in hot/cold environment which is a good life for that. Now being more informed on them my new one is on a trickle/conditioner charger when not being ridden and 3 yrs already wlo issue. Really good vid my friend.
Thanks very much! Hope you get at least 5 more out of it :)
The OEM (Yuasa) battery on my good-old Ducati Multistrada 1000 lasted for an incredible 13 years.
In all that period I spent one year away from home and the bike connected to a trickle charger.
I've had yuasa batteries last over ten years. They are quality.
Awesome! Proper care and a quality battery go a long way.
My yuasa battery lasted 12 years in my st1100 Honda in California.
Commuted 100 miles round trip then always hooked to a battery tender when parked at home.
Always purchase a yuasa.
Amazing. 100% agree.
I ran the same battery in my 2012 Goldwing for 13yrs, kept it on. Tender over winters
That's amazing. What brand was it? The right care goes a long way.
Hi, thanks for the video. I've been on motorcycles for two years and had no idea that there are AGM batteries that can't be charged with a standard charger. That's why I also destroyed the YUASA motorcycle battery, the voltage after charging was fine, but the battery didn't work, later I found out that it had a low starting current. I bought a good quality Ctek charger and a new battery. When I winterized the motorcycles, I took the batteries out and recharged them, and once a month I measure them with a multimeter to make sure they don't have a little voltage.
From streetrodracer on the 1130cc forum:
"Adri - the other items to add on for battery life extension are -
1) Don't use a vented Lead Acid battery in a M/C unless you're just flat outta money. Certainly not in a V Rod, EVER.
2) Disconnect the battery when the M/C is in longer term storage or top charge before battery voltage gets low.
3) Remove the battery from the M/C in extreme cold or hot garage storage conditions, take it in the better environment of the house in A/C or Heat & charge once every couple weeks inside. No need for a constant battery tender.
4) Pull the system fuse ( if easily removed ) when the M/C is in short term storage to prevent parasitic drain.
5) If you have a Lithium battery and the M/C is in regular daily service there's no real problem, unless you have a large constant parasitic drain, or the M/C sits for a week or more. In that case have your pigtail to the battery in a convenient place to plug in for 5 minutes while you get ready to ride and check tire pressures, etc. and top charge the battery. This will greatly extend the battery life, and give you a topped off battery at the beginning of every ride."
Source: www.1130cc.com/threads/how-to-get-8-years-from-your-battery.446667/post-4793682
I like this guy! No blah- blah, just brief info. Also, it is true what he says, "You get what you pay for". Good channel to follow.
Thanks so much!
Good info. I never knew about those first steps with a new battery. Well done. Subscribed.
Thanks for the sub! Glad it was helpful. A lot of people don't read the instructions, but typically, whatever brand you buy, the instructions want you to be patient with the initial setup to make sure you get the most longevity you can. I have a video going through it step by step here: czcams.com/video/BlmgvbUcusA/video.html
I don’t have a motorcycle anymore but I still have atvs, I bought a gel mat battery for my Artic Cat in 2013 from Battery Sharks, it’s still in it, performs flawlessly no issues. It even survived the Vermont flood in July 2023. I just bought another battery for my other ATV, just thought I’d pass it along.
Wow. It's almost old enough to start thinking about getting it's own license lol. Cheers.
Thank you. Ive been looking for this info.
That's awesome, glad I could help!
I bought a brand new battery before one winter. I let the bike sit for 6+ months without taking care of the battery, by the end of the winter the battery was dead! Save your money, pull your battery and treat it right! Thanks for the video! 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Thanks Mike, sorry you had to learn that one the hard way!
Thanks for making this informative and helpful video 👍🏻
Thanks for the kind words I appreciate that
So to the point and only key points. Enjoyed listening vs getting bord. Ty
I bought a brand new 1980 Mazda glc wagon and it had a yousa battery. It was the old type that you had to add water to. It lasted for 13 years. I gave the car to my sister and her husband and they did short runs so that was probably what finally killed it. The last three batteries I have bought for my car have been junk. The longest lasting one was 3 years. I owned 27 different motorcycles in my life and almost all had yousa batteries and they held up very good.
That's impressive👌🏻
Just watched your video and I do have a Z900RS that I bought new in Dec/19. It was on a trickle charger because I don't ride too much. Went to start it yesterday and it just clicked. Took the battery out and it had a sticker on it from Dec/17 . So it died after 6 yrs. It's a totally sealed battery so acid is already in it from the factory. Great info on the upkeep side of things... THANKS !!
Thanks for the kind words. Seven years is pretty good! 👌
A bike is for life, girlfriends come and go!
Great information, I’ll checkout your other videos also. Thanks 🎉
Replaced my 2013 Gold Wing Yuasa with same model Yuasa just out of caution before a trip. Put the old one in my 1965 Cub Cadet lawn tractor. Both batteries still start strong. The old one is probably 12 yrs old now! Never tendered, always garaged. I used to get cheap Walmart batteries for the Cub Cadet and would be lucky to get 2 good years then have to use a tender. The Yuasa in the lawn tractor is physically smaller than the intended size so I block it off to keep it from rattling around. No parasitic drain in either application.
No complaints!
They're little tanks. I'm surprised you're getting that kind of life without that putting it on a maintainer though!
@@YouMotorcycle I THOUGHT about it but wanted to see what would happen if I just kept the same routine. Selling the Gold Wing and focusing on small bikes so not sure what to do when this one eventually gives out. The Cub has an 8hp Kohler so not a huge load to start.
I had a Yuasa Battery in my old z750 for 12 years , no problems. Don't leave the bike in the garage, ride the bike man!!!
In 2018 I bought a brand new R1200 RT. Still have the original battery in it. Bike is used for long distance touring, not short urban trips.
Excellent 👌
Great useable info. Additionally, unlike lead acid which thrives being topped off through a trickle charge, lithium batteries sustain damage being charged after be charged to the max. So it’s important to remove a charger once the have been fully charged.
Another option is a charger like the Tecmate Optimate dedicated lithium charger.
Lithium battery charge rates are the opposite of lead acid batteries. Charge rates on new batteries. Lithium batteries start off with a slow trickle charge and then reach high voltage the closer they get to be in topped off. The Optimate charger uses this procedure which produces the maximum storage charge in a lithium battery. once the battery reaches maximum charge, the Optimate goes in to essentially what would be a sleep mode and then every 24 hours checks to see if there’s a voltage drop if none it won’t charge if it does find a drop it charges. This works great on bikes. That may have a parasitic draw. This enables the user to leave the battery connected and not worry about overcharging the motorcycle battery.
Thanks for the added info! I have a Tecmate Optimate lithium charger and have been using it about a year now on a couple of lithium batteries. All good so far!
Victron chargers are the best on the market, no argument whatsoever.
Great video thank you for the info
Happy to help!
Good video, great info 👍, thank you 💯
Thanks for the kind comment!
In 2007 i bought a ZRX1200R brand new (2006 model) the stock Yuasa battery first died on me in the spring of 2021, now thats actually pretty wild since i never did any thing to take care of it, just put the bike away in fall and put a charger on it in spring when it was time to ride again 👍
Holy! That battery was almost old enough to start voting lol. Out of curiosity, were you riding the ZRX a lot during that time? Great bike btw
I love your video. Very informative
So glad! Thank you!
Good advice! I'll have to check out some of your other videos. 👍
Thanks! Here's one on whether to recharge or replace an old battery: czcams.com/video/UGOYFIvTh3g/video.html
and another on how to properly fill, charge and install a new battery for maximum performance and longevity: czcams.com/video/BlmgvbUcusA/video.html
Very helpful - Thank you !
Happy to help! Thanks for stopping by and come back soon haha
I worked in motorcycle shop in the 70’s and the best battery, which is still the same to day is Yuasa batteries and if you plug them in to a battery conditioner ALL THE TIME, it will last years (up to 10 years is not uncommon) as these recycle the battery charge and keeping it warm, especially in the winter.
OptiMate 3 (or 4) Motorcycle Battery Charger & Tester is worth every penny for doing this job. I’ve got the small cigarette style socket on my Triumph so this is a very fast way to plug in when you get home, it takes seconds.
We call them battery tender pigtails here and yep, being able to quickly plug in the bike in two seconds is great!
I used Yuasa in my small honda scooter. I did nothing for 5 years and 3 more years I charged it once a month in winter season. I sold my bike and the battery is still good to go. Very good brand indeed.
Oddysey expensive but worth it
I bought one and it didn't last 5 months lmao. Did everything how they said in manual and even had it trickle charging in winter, wouldn't hold charge.
Return it under warranty. Free replacement.
Very informative. Thxs
Thanks for watching!
I bought a maintenance free Yuasa for my Shovelhead, got 11 years out of it. And in 2000 I think I paid $85 for it!
Money well spent!
I have one for 7 years it stills going strong.
Nice. What brand?
Hi
Thanks a lot, your tips really came in handy, l have used them, though when l went to the website to say something, asking for more advice, for some reason it would not let me submit my question or some other problem, l have forgotten now its been quite a while. Hope this has been resolved.
Please do a a video on the Z900RS SE, maybe compare it to the 2018 or so model if it is the new one or vice versa if it is the old one. l would also like to see what the differences are between the standard and SE versions and whether it makes any sense at all to choose one over the other.
Unfortunately where l am they only have the standard one so l am curious to hear what wee are missing.
Kawasaki W650 Yuasa battery lasted 8 years for me.
Amazing.
Thanks for all the help!! New motorcycle owner and mechanic
Glad to help! I have videos on how to tell if your battery needs replacing or just recharging, and another one on how to properly fill and charge a new battery for the first time, those might also help. Ride safe, but have fun!
Thanks for info 😊
No problem 😊 More to come!
I been using Yuasa battery's for over 45 years always had good luck with them and always put on a battery tender when not riding or in winter storage
Good stuff. That's one of the most important things you can do!
I had a Yuasa battery on my Yamaha 400 Majesty that lasted 14 years.
Amazing👌🏻
My 2011 BMW F800r had the original battery when I traded the bike in with 90k kms in 2019. Bike was always plugged in when not ridden. Altemate 3 did the trick.
Holy 🐮 way to go!
Great info. Thanks
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, I appreciate it!
The girlfriend story got the INSTANT THUMBS UP!!!!
LMAO thank you
I purchased Shorai battery with 540 CCA and it was great FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS and it stopped working. I opened up the bike and the battery opened like a Jack in the Box. The company has NO SERVICE REPS. COULD NOT GET IN TOUCH WITH THEM. I'm lucky it didn't burn the bike and garage down.
Yikes! Very disappointed to hear this! What a bummer. Shorai should have done better.
I'm still running a Yuasa battery that was made in July 2004. It goes on a Yuasa smart shot .900ma charger about once a month in the off season.
That's awesome! Merry Christmas
2017 Street Glide with the factory battery still working just fine. When parked for a long time or stored for the winter, it's on my battery maintainer. Fingers crossed... Almost 7 years old.
Nicely done 👌🏻
This is great info!
Thanks so much for your support!
Great video great channel . Intertaining and interesting. Subscribed !!
Welcome aboard! Thanks so much :)
Use only lead-acid batteries that have cells with screw caps or removable rubber-plug strips.
This is so that distilled water can be added to battery's cells.
The sealed-for-life batteries cannot be accessed to add water to them.
You need the add water at some point because the battery's chemistry will break down the water into the gases, which won't recombine back into water but will be lost.
This loss of water will happen especially if you leave a battery for a long time on a trickle charger, unless you have a really expensive one, but even then I wouldn't trust it to not dry out the battery.
You can rehydrate sealed-for-life batteries by drilling into the top of each cell and using a syringe to add water to them, and resealing them with stainless steel screw.
However, this is a big faff trying to shine a torch light into a cell through the drilled hole to see if the acid level is above the top of the lead plates.
Also, it is good to check the battery health with one of the new electronic battery analysers, like the Topdon BTMobile Pro linked to a mobile phone with its own app, rather than just a volt meter. These calculate the remaining capacity of the battery and how much life it still has left in a battery.
I own a 2010 Suzuki Bandit 1250 I owned it from 12 months old still got the original battery on just keep it on and optimizer
👍👍Great info, thanks!
Happy to help! Thanks for the support!
Love this review Adrian and the GF part 😂 Raf, Ottawa.
Hey Raf, thank you! Hope you've been well man. I had my own exhaust installation issues this past month. Hope you were able to sort out the exhaust! Stay tuned for what I had to get up to with the set I got for my Triumph.
The Yuasa battery on my 2008 FJR1300 still works perfectly.
Wow that's amazing 🤩
Man speaks sense 👍🏽
Thanks!
Respect for video👍
Thanks!
Great video nicely done and entertaining. What do you think about solar chargers for motorcycles ? I don't have a plug near my storage unit so solar charger sounds like a good solution for winterization but never seen any motorcycle guys talking about them.
Do you live somewhere with sunny winters? I don't. Winters are mostly grey and cloudy here, and daylight hours are so short during the winter time, that even on the odd sunny day you get each week, there still isn't enough sunshine to charge your battery up. Best just to take the battery out and bring it home with you and keep it on a charger at home.
@@YouMotorcycle yeap, almost half of the days are sunny. I ride in winters too. But last year i had a very unlucky streak for almost 2 months all weekends were rainy and all week days were sunny. Anyways thanks for the reply man, cheers.
If you're getting enough sun you should be good! Hopefully lol. It would never work in most of Canada.
Good info!
Thanks very much!
Good considerations. I learned a few things
Happy to help and thanks for your feedback! Here's the link to the video about how to properly set up a new battery: czcams.com/video/BlmgvbUcusA/video.html
Hmm my 2005 Suzuki at 69,000 I believe just put in my 3rd one. The problem in Minnesota is the non ride 6 months a year, my buddy takes his out of the bike and puts his in the basement. I leave mine in the bike (in a shed) float charger on. My batteries last the same if not longer than his. But to each his own your info is solid , I should have watched it earlier as just set up a new battery!
Thanks! Four batteries over still isn't that bad!
Thank you my good sir was stranded in Vegas the other dead even when bump starting it my bike wasn’t staying on but starts up for about 5 seconds then dies put a battery jumper to it and it turns on but once I disconnect it it turns off did my multimeter test and was reading at 10.9 now I’m charging it but going to check my other components rn after I watch your other vids thanks my g
Battery isn’t even a year old :( got it from o Riley’s but I’m liking this yusa talk and I’m looking for a trickle system now for it I never knew all this so thank you for being informative with it all
Happy to help. Definitely check out the video on how to setup your new battery properly to maximize it's life. These batteries are tiny compared to car batteries so a little routine TLC goes a long way with them, they don't do well with neglect or abuse. Thanks for stopping by and leaving kind words :)
If u ain't using your bike disconnect the battery. Top it up with distilled water for lead batteries. Charge it every few months over winter period when not riding. It will stay good and last. Note u can use acid tablets they do work.
Just want to add.. For those of us in Canada, it's a good idea to keep it on charger all winter long if your garage isn't heated
1:41 Not gonna lie, that is one of the best looking motorcycles Kawasaki produced in the last decade or so.
Thanks very much! It's been in all of my last six videos :)
I had one that was 11 years old… the shop couldn’t believe the date on the battery.
That's amazing. Did you keep it on a battery tender when not in use?
I have had excellent luck with EarthX and AntiGravity lithium batteries. Had one that finally gave up after 10 years with no trickle charging.
Same. I was very impressed with the resilience of an Antigravity battery. It came back from A LOT of abuse. I'm still testing out my Earth-X battery, review coming over the winter (after I put a full year on it :)
Battery died on my 2008 Suzuki DR650.
2.3V which tells you that it's done, and it was 8 years old lol.
Went to get an OEM Yuasa, they wanted $200.
Bought a $30 Mighty Max Battery, because I liked the cartoon, and I'm not rich.
230CCA vs 135CCA
11.2Ah vs 8Ah
AGM - AGM
If it sucks I'll let you guys know.
🙏🏻
I had a lawn tractor battery last a little over 5 years. Every fall I would take it inside. Check the water level and put it on a float charger until spring. I also have my generator battery on a float charger.
Nice. That's the way to do it
When I got my Vmax it was 6 years old and the Yuasa battery would die if I didn't ride or charge it weekly. I bought an Odyssey AGM battery in 2013 and even over the 6 months of not riding over winter that you get in Canada I've never needed to put it on a charger. Yes I probably should after a decade but it's still fine
Glad it's working so well for you, but dang, that's a lot of neglect lol
Just as a little information tip, a lot motorcycles and cars have "Alternative" battery configurations. For both the battery and the charge system. So for example, I fall under the "not typical use" pattern seen fir ky Ford Exploer. Killed 5 batteries in in 2 years. I got tired if it and started doing tons of research. I deoend heavily on ky cars electrical system. Ended up replacing my cars default battery with a slightly larger AGM. Still had the same issue if voltage slowly creeoing down over time. I turned my attention to the charge system and how it functions. Well I learned I could reconfigure it to keep the float state at a higher level and I could also increase the point of 100% charge state up to the actual bagteries saturation state. A lot of vehicles are now coming with smart charge systems that measure how much was taken out, it tries to immediately put that back and then go to a float state. All these things were reprogramable. I leanrned a lot of other things too, but thats getting too far ibto the weeds for this topic.
Now im working on imolementing something similar but dedicated in my motorcycle. One of the interesting bits along the way that was key to gelping with issues was a large banknof caps right across the terminals the initial brunt of starting is taken by the caps, insteam of the battery. Lots of cool stuff out there.
Neat. I've never heard of this stuff before. Thanks for sharing
I loved your video! Do you have a store? Where is located? I’m having troubles with my scooter!
No store. I'm located in Toronto Canada.
Yuasa makes a good battery, but Odyssey is better. My PC680 (sealed at the factory) was air-shipped to me. Eight _years_ later, I drove my bike to storage. After sitting in cold storage for 6 months, it cranked and started my notoriously-hard-to-crank BMW 1100. Just Keep it on a battery tender and then find something else to worry about for ten years.
Good to know
i have some lead acid batteries that are over 50 years old and are a damn sight better than they were twenty years ago when i dragged them back from the auto electricians.
certain things to keep in mind.
a battery is an electroplating cell.
electroplating requires a certain voltage and current to produce a good metal.
then... every time a battery starts to discharge, then is recharged... it produces a "layer"...
you have to undo this onion skin and restore the plates to being good, solid metal. not a fuzzy, laminated series of "skins".
this requires systematic cycles of discharging completely, and charging completely.
never attempt to replace the electrolyte. it changes the balance in the cell.
only top them up with distilled water, but that being said?
you can get this battery, it appears dead. the cells appear to be low on fluid... throw a meter on it. no output, and a near open circuit resistance (1M or higher!). if it reads a few ohms or less... its junk. dont bother. the plates are damaged beyond repair and shorted out.
yet, when you charge it correctly... the electrolyte seems to replenish.... its getting held in the plates as hydrides and sulfates... you have to release it, get the battery fully charged again, before topping up the fluid.
when charged with too much current, more than the electroplating process requires? they become an electrolysis cell, and the water is leaving as oxygen and hydrogen gas.
they get hot as you are driving current through the electrolyte, breaking down water, rather than performing the desired electroplating.
my "secret" is an induction coil trembler buzzer thing. im feeding them spikes of several hundred volts at extremely low currents. they are fully charged when they actually read more like 16.2V, not the 14.4-8 that we are told. fed with a source like this, the battery and its internal resistance self regulates... you cant really say what voltage or current is getting shoved into them, its more of a "joules" thing.
but if you try to drive them from a constant current source that will deliver that 16.2V, they become an electrolysis cell... you have to do it "sneakily"...
its almost as if you pump some "charge" onto the plate, more like a capacitor, then let that charge slowly dissipate through the electrolyte, then repeat process...
and you dont rely on the charging system to do the job. its the constant stopping and starting and unregulated charge currents that produces the fuzzy onion skins. a steady discharge, followed by a steady (spiky!) charge, and they last virtually forever. they not only charge up, but they IMPROVE with time.
if they are short circuited due to plate degradation though? toss them! theyre stuffed!
everything i do is in complete contradiction to what the manufacturer tells you to do.
but it is exactly what my old 1930s book on "accumulators" tells me to do...
"accumulator" the original name for a lead acid battery.
none of this applies to SLA or AGM types. i have never been able to revive either type. just standard, wet acid cells.
How are the lithium batteries in the cold? Great vid. Liked and subbed.
For me, so far so good. I'm sure there's more science behind it, but I don't know that science well haha. All I can say is that I rode all winter on my Vespa with a lithium battery here in Toronto, Canada, and it didn't let me down. That's good enough for me :)
Hi, great video! What would be the suggested set up if I have 2 motorcycles and 1 collectors cars? I used them once every other week, and sometimes I don't use them at all for months, i,e. during winter.
Shall I get 3 devices, one for each vehicle?, or is there a one for all where I can connect them all to the same battery maintainer? And what would the top 3 devices that I should compare for buying?
Ideally, one device per battery, however, if you trust yourself enough to keep rotating them so every battery is on the charger at least every couple weeks, that would probably be okay too. Just remember that some car battery chargers are way too powerful for motorcycle batteries, so if you're going to be sharing one charger across both bikes and cars you should look for a charger with a button to control the power output so you can switch from motorcycle mode to car mode.
My yuasa battery in my 2016 Honda pcx 150 is still working like new after 8 years but I use a trickle charger when not riding often. It might quit tomorrow but it’s great right now.
Hey Paul, 8 years is great! About halfway through this video I show two ways to test a motorcycle battery. Like you, I also keep my batteries on trickle chargers when I'm not using them, but I also test them twice a year to make sure they are in good health when they start getting old. Might be time to think about testing yours just to make sure you're staying ahead of the curve and not at risk of being left stranded! czcams.com/video/UGOYFIvTh3g/video.html
Good stuff!
Thanks so much!
I just replaced the original battery on my Suzuki Bandit at 15 years old. Kept it on a trickle charger when parked.
Perfect 😃👌 it really does work. You got your money's worth.
15 years ago the claim in the title would not have been that hard to believe..(I still require proof of all CLAIMS though.)
But these days most things are designed to NOT LAST. It's all by design of course.
I think there's a lot of planned obsolescence, as well as engineered obsolescence (looking at you, apple iphones)... but I think as a people we need to collectively take a degree of responsibility too.
What's that saying? "Thirty years ago your owner's manual told you how to adjust valves, now it tells you not to drink the oil." or something like that? I think 40 years ago, working on the family vehicle, or your personal muscle car, was just part of life... I've been working in the motorcycle industry for over a decade now, the level of neglect I see is alarming. Things aren't built as well, you're right about that, but... a little care goes a long way, and that's a trend that (like quality) seems to be falling from popularity.
LiFePO4 batteries (also called LFP) can absorb a lot of amps so that might be why they don't put the charge limit on the label. And they don't catch fire. The main negative is that they get ruined by charging them when they're below freezing. That doesn't bother me because I live in the sunbelt and don't ride during cold snaps. My OEM Yuasa lasted 7 years and the LFP replacement was $70 cheaper than a Yuasa, a quarter of the weight, and I expect it to last even longer. Also great is that the low self-discharge means than I don't have any reason to bother with a charger. Coming home after my bike has been parked for 2 months it cranks robustly and fires up straight away.
I admire you guys in warmer climates! The low discharge rate is nice, but truthfully, I have a lithium-specific battery charger recommended by the manufacturer of one of my batteries, and I don't mind having the lithiums charging (I have two, I alternate the charger back and forth) every now and then.
The original on my 1200 bandit lasted over 20 years, only needed to charge it during the last few months (why it was replaced). Bike was kept garaged and ridden a couple times a week unless it was icy
That's phenomenal
I had an 04 bandit for about five years. It was my favourite until I got my 2012 Thunderbird. All I did to the Bandit was KN filter and Yoshi muffler. All I did to the TB was the filter! 0-60 i think they were pretty much on par which is more than enough. STAY UPRIGHT. 😇
Edit. The Bandit used to try to through the missus off the back. The Thunderbird has a high back pillion rest so she's kinda stuck there! 😂
Edit, Edit. Maybe I should remove the back rest. 👹
You got a great sense of humor bro. I was cracking up about your ex!!!
What’s the best way to communicate with you? Email ?
Idk but I do know I need your expertise. Thanks again, appreciate your time, feliz Navidad
Right here is good:)
The sealed lead acid battery on my wife's Cbf600 is the original one, 12 years old! I think the bike has no parasitic load, it barely needs to be charged over the winter
That's excellent. I'd keep it on charge anyway, especially if it's cold where you're storing it, but that's just me
I bought a lithium battery for my DRZ400. The lead acid battery weighed what felt like a 6 pack of beer, the lithium weighs what fells like 2 packs of cigarettes. That helps a lot when the battery is up high in the rear of the bike.
I would never put a lithium battery in my bikes, I've seen to many catch bikes on fire.
If you do, don't ever buy a cheap one, get the best one you can, for safety reasons.
@@wisecampmotorcycles8258 I hear ya. It's a risk for sure but I don't mind flying close to the sun! Plus I have insurance.
I had a lithium battery in my BMW GS because the battery is quite high up on that motorcycle. Unfortunately when I shipped by air to Italy to ride across the country this summer they wouldn't let me ship it with the lithium battery over fire concerns so I had to buy a lead acid for it to fly with :(
@@YouMotorcycle That sucks. Couldn't they let you take it out and use as carry on? Plenty of phones and tablets catch fire and 90% of passengers use them during the flight.
@@CRFLAus I dunno. Probably should have asked 😂 it's ok. No shortage of other bikes to put them in
Thanks for sharing a great video
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for the kind words!
Its a Yuasa - I just summarized the 9+ minute video. Thanks.
Geez man... You ignored 6 of the 7 reasons, and still got the most important one wrong 😂
The original Yuasa battery lasted 9 years, but the aftermarket Yuasa lasted just 3. So, I swapped to Li. The first Li battery is now 6 years old.
I've heard a few people mention that newer Yuasa batteries aren't lasting like they used to. Did you set yours up yourself when you got it, or did a shop put the acid in and seal it for you? I wonder how many of these issues are caused by shops that aren't doing the labor on the batteries right.
@@YouMotorcycle It was filled from the factory and actually came from a Honda dealer with a Honda part-number and a wing printed on it along with all the usual Yuasa markings. It may be that these batteries have sometimes been in stock for a fair old while. I can't figure out how to decipher the date of manufacture code.
Buying it as OEM spare part from the official motorcycle dealer is usually safe and should last just like your 1. Yuasa.
@@krollpeter KTM charge almost three times what one can buy the same Yuasa battery for elsewhere. If I was to buy from KTM I would only be provided with a two year warranty. I would be disappointed if the battery only lasted three years, and obviously it would be out of warranty. Also, there is practically zero chance of a claim being successful within two years, as it is too easy for the seller to blame the bike or improper use. The risk of buying a Yurasa (and other primary brands) is too high, so I'm sticking with lithium batteries. The more advanced LiFePO4 batteries appear to be safer, not that I've had a problem with the Li ion items that I have been using around seven years.
I have noticed that people who avoid highway speeds with their Kawasaki KLX300 have factory battery die within a short time. Mine has lasted a really long time but I’ve done highway speeds every time I ride and it is usually quite a few miles 10 or more. I never considered that it may be because my battery is getting a really good longer interval high rpm charge from the stator.
Could be. Batteries like when motors spin fast :) Merry Christmas!
6+ years with a $58 delivered Scorpion battery. My ancient Deltran Battery Tender developed a broken wire (fixed now) in the cable or it would have kept going.
Yuasa used to be a better battery when made in Reading PA, not anymore. Now all batteries are made in Vietnam, Thailand, etc. Largely the same quality if talking AGM type.
Keep it on a Tender JR. when not in use. Even during the summer I might ride tomorrow or 5 days from now. You never know. Keeps the battery always ready.
Great deal and yup you said it, always plugged in and ready 👌
I replaced my Scorpion at 8 years but will honestly say that 7 was its final best year. 8 started ok, but shortly after it was definitely dead.
I have a 2012(mfg’d in 11/2011) 1700cc air cooled v-twin that’s still got the original oem yuasa AGM battery that has yet to fail starting it.
I do not keep it on a maint charger 24/7 because AGM batteries aren’t flooded lead acid using a paste type electrolyte that’s a lot more sensitive yo drying out causing premature failure.
But what have done since the battery & bike was new is put a maint charger on it
1-1.5 days max if/when the bike sits with no use over 1-1.5wks to top it off without overdoing it.
That’s how & the now 12+ year old yuasa battery is still going strong.
I do the same thing with the AGM battery in my classic car that’s still going strong at 13yrs old starting a high compression big block Chevy motor np hot or cold.
But a lot of people don’t realize the majority of bikes sold in the past 10yrs or more have AGM batteries more sensitive to drying out when maint chargers in float /lower current float charge mode are still keeping the battery at 13.1 to 13.6volts on avg and sometimes kept at as high
13.-14v which on 24/7 can & will over time dry out non flooded newer Gen AGM bike batteries that use a paste type electrolyte that’s screened on the battery plates with little to no moisture/water in it like older gen lead acid fully flooded batteries use.
Many aftermarket rep bike batteries are also AGM lead acid tech too.
I got 11yrs out of the std old school flooded lead acid battery in my old car that sits s lot with non use at times hitting it with the charger every once in a while with little to no use.
The AGM napa battery in the (nice weather use only car)Miata I bought for my wife 7 yrs ago (with battery age unknown) is also still going strong hitting it with a charger every so often showing no sign of weakening any time soon.
Keep in mind todays car batteries last 3-4yrs max on avg & bike batteries are a bit less at 2-3yrs in avg when I consistently get 2x-3x more Srv’c life out of the batteries in my vehicles then the avg person does time after time the charge regime I use must be working to keep plate sulphation at a minimum extending battery life.
Happy motoring.
Very interesting. Next time I'm in the garage I am going to check on my batteries on the charger and see if they are sitting at 13.1 volts like you said or closer to 12.7. The last one I checked last week was 12.7 though I believe. It probably depends on the quality of charger being used.
With lithium ion batteries, you don't want to keep them fully charged. They have a storage voltage that you want to keep them at if they're not being used regularly.
I trust a quality lithium-specific battery charger to listen to the BMS and know what to do. I'm using Earth-X lithium battery and they have specific models of lithium chargers that they have used and recommend for use with their batteries, so I bought one of the ones they recommend.
I've gotten well over 8 years from My Everstart(Walmart) battery on my Bonneville by following basic battery maintenance similar to your regime. Lead acid batteries have the most basic of components. Very hard to screw them up.
Thanks!
Thank you!!
Great information
Thanks for the kind message!
Thank you.
Happy to try to help :)
The original battery on my bike lasted 5 years. It was a Yuasa made in Japan.
I purchased another Yuasa, it lasted less than one year. This was made in PA.
Then a second PA made Yuasa lasted about the same.
Finally I've tried my luck with a Chrome Battery for half the Yuasa price and 2+ years later ... 👍
The bike is not garage kept and not on trickle charger either, even in winter.
Now imagine how much more life you could get out of them with a little maintenance! ;)
That battery blew up while riding n caused all sorts of electrical damage. I'd trade it in for a different brand. Never in my life have I seen that.
Year five of the OEM BMW battery in my 2018 R1200RT. Always on a tender in the winter. Having said that, I may just replace it: don’t want to be stranded lol
Just use a battery load tester. It'll give you a picture of your battery's health. Then you'll know if you're being smart and proactive or worrying and spending for nothing :)