AGM battery quality vs price

[LAB3]

I'm looking to replace my cheapo wet cell battery with an AGM and have found three choices in the 10l-a2 size format. Bike Master comes in at $47, Battery Mart at $56 and MotoBatt at $78. Can anyone chime in on the quality differences on these? Are they basically the same thing with a different name on them?

 

[TxGSrider]

I have had experience with the Motobatt and Bikemasters (none with Battery Mart). I have had great luck with the Motobatts on my Atvs where there is allot of vibration. I have had issues with the Bikemaster Platinum II batteries on my bikes and atvs. They developed cracks in the cases and wouldn't take a charge. Ive have 2 MightyMax batteries short out internally on my atvs (from vibration I assume), but I don't think id be afraid to use them on my bike as I'm not known for jumping my 600lb street bike 20+ feet....
Honestly Ive had good luck with Walmart (Everstart) and Yuasas too.

 

[LAB3]

Honestly Ive had good luck with Walmart (Everstart) and Yuasas too.

My Everstart went through hell this summer. It was boiled dry from my regulator going out and refilled with plain old water out of a jug and kept going. A couple weeks later I came back to the bike after backpacking several days and found it laying on it's side and again refilled it out of a jug. It finally crapped out a couple weeks ago and wouldn't take a charge after being well below freezing for several weeks here. Am in a position to put a better battery in this time which is why I'm asking, would have gone AGM last time but money was tighter.

 

[Rob S.]

Yeah, new battery is definitely for this spring (GS11e). I will probably leave the brand to my mechanic, but as far as type, it'll be AGM.

Have you ever tried to removed (or just check) the battery from an '82 1100EZ?

Whatever happened to the golden days of my early '70's Honda and Kawasaki? The seat was hinged, and even if locked you opened it with one hand. And there was the battery! No removing frame cross members, carburetors, etcetra.

 

[cowboyup3371]

You won't have many problems with Motobatt and even if you do I feel their customer service is outstanding

 

[Gorminrider]

Seeing as your charging system must be in pretty good nick to run that old battery back up at all, it wouldnt be a waste of $- you need an agm if you're going to bounce around like that! It's the real advantage of the agms not to be spilling and dripping all down the swingarm bearings and what all
I've got a Walmart agm(also "Everstart"?) and it works fine. Two years old now.
There's a lot of rebranding going on for sure. I think you can pretty much tell by the colours of the plastic and the country of origin. for instance, the Walmart ones are actually Yuasa made in Vietnam, I do believe...

 

[LAB3]

Seeing as your charging system must be in pretty good nick to run that old battery back up at all, it wouldnt be a waste of $- you need an agm if you're going to bounce around like that! It's the real advantage of the agms not to be spilling and dripping all down the swingarm bearings and what all
I've got a Walmart agm(also "Everstart"?) and it works fine. Two years old now.
There's a lot of rebranding going on for sure. I think you can pretty much tell by the colours of the plastic and the country of origin. for instance, the Walmart ones are actually Yuasa made in Vietnam, I do believe...

That's good to know! So far I've only come across the three I've mentioned in the 10l-a2 size and would grab an Exide or Yuasa in a heartbeat if they made an AGM.

 

[bwringer]

MotoBatt batteries are a definite cut above other AGMs, and well worth the added bit of cash. And the extra terminals are very handy.

The one in my KLR lasted through nearly six years of assorted brutality; it finally died when a wire from the R/R became disconnected and drained the battery. And to be honest, it actually charged up and I probably could have kept using it, but I replaced it out of an excess of prudence.


The other brand that's better than the generic Chinese AGMs is US-made and sold under many different brand names -- I believe it's made by Deka. This is the battery with the large solid lead terminals. I don't think it's available in 10L-A2, but it is available in a size compatible with the 14L-A2 used in most GS models.
https://www.batterymart.com/p-Big-Crank-ETX15L-Battery.html

These are also sometimes sold under various brand names at some auto parts stores. They switch suppliers at random, so they're not always available. But the large solid terminals and gray case are a distinctive giveaway, no matter what sticker is on the side.


I've used the Walmart Everstart AGMs a couple of times in a pinch in other bikes, and they're pretty great. They don't normally have GS sizes in AGM, though.

I refuse to install "wet" batteries unless I'm desperate (there was that one time on a Sunday in December in a small town Walmart in southern Indiana...). There's simply no excuse in the 21st century to use a battery that will unfailingly puke acid and die early.


Lots of Yuasa fans around, but I've had early failures with no cause in every last one I've installed. They're coasting on a brand name, I think. YMMV, of course; some people still swear by them. And I don't think anyone has had much luck with "BikeMaster" batteries.

 

[Gorminrider]

They don't normally have GS sizes in AGM, though

...yes, I do remember I measured the old one and found an agm one from the shelf that fits (very well1) because Walmart did not "list" one in their book for my gsx400 (or a gs450 which I'm really sure is the same size...)
Lab3, give me an hour or so and I'll get the Walmart battery numbers off it for you in case it's useful....miight help as a cross reference as well.

 

[Gorminrider]

Ok. a picture's worth a 1000 but a few more: this is the battery as it is: slid in from the left side under the sidecover and this is the NEGATIVE post. so, it's "wrong" in that the wet cell had the post on the fwd side. BUT it works. There's enough slack in the ground cable to reach ok.

 

[LAB3]

Thank you much! Have noticed a LOT more choices in the 12BS size and am considering modifying my battery tray if needed. The main issues on mine are height to clear the air box and length so it doesn't hit the frame. Thanks again for putting in the time for a picture.

 

[Gorminrider]

oh,yer welcome of course. I'm pretty sure this is ok for you too but take measurements with you and a little tape measure. After all you're a "collector' of antique motorcycles so finicky is fair. The Walmart ones actually have the measurements on the top of the box I think. Anyways, walmarts come dry here -you add liquid (yes, it's an agm) so if it doesn't exactly suit you sizewise you can take it back too.

Other battery sellers must get these in "dry" too so I'd prefer it, myself. It means nobody else has been forgetting about it in the back of the store and there's no forgetting that the battery that was returned to them is not one they should sell to you.

 

[LAB3]

Here's what I've figure out through reading specs and checking sizes. The 12BS is shorter in height but longer in length, nicking the frame at it's lower right corner. If I shim up the bottom of the tray with about 3/8 inch of foam, it raises it enough to safely clear the frame and I have that kind of room overhead. The 12BS also provides 12ah with higher CCA compared to the 10L-A2, my thinking is that it'll give it a bit more power when starting (not that I've really found that necessary) Our local Wallyworld does keep one in stock and online choices are much broader.

 

[Gorminrider]

my Walmart 12BS states 170 CCA, 10 Ahr capacity but no matter.

 

[bwringer]

Yeah, the 10L-A2 size makes things a pain.

Making longer battery cables is not too hard with the right crimpers and terminals, and if you visit any motorcycle boneyard (or maybe even your own parts pile), you can easily rummage around a bit and find longer cables if you need to switch the orientation to use a more popular battery size.

 

[LAB3]

Hmmm, not sure where I got the idea the 12BS was higher AH and CCA, I'll probably go with the MotoBatt 10L-A2.

 

[Grimly]

Another thumbs-up for Motobatt, here. Been using one for the past couple of years, after I was bit by the died-just-out-of-warranty cheapies.
On the other hand, my previous wet cell Yuasas lasted 5, 6, and 7 (or maybe it was 8) years respectively.

As an aside, I've been exploiting the no-spill characteristics of AGM batteries on the XS650, by making it kick-start only and fitting a Brand-X 12V 7Ah AGM alarm system battery end-on into the tray, ie, on its short end downmost, with plastic foam padding underneath and around it. It's been like that for two or more years and still working fine.

 

[salty_monk]

I've had good results with MotoBatt but they are sometimes hard to get hold of. Running Deka's at the moment (East Penn Manufacturing Batteries). Sometimes sold as Big Crank and other brands. Had 2 or 3 from this vendor - http://www.etx15l.com/

 

[salty_monk]

Have had some of the cheapo scorpions etc that Battery Mart sell. They last 2 years then quit or split sooner than that... false economy.

 

[Rob S.]

Big thumbs up for Motobatt. Five in various motorcycles. Oldest is 7 years. Newest 3 years. No issues.

i'm going to be buying a battery soon. Is Motobatt in the mid price range?