Best Sealed Battery?

[Bert Patterson]

I'm sick of having to go through the BS of reattaching my little vent tube only to lose it again. I'm sick of acid eating my bike.

'82 GS1100E - who can give me opinions on the best sealed battery and whether or not there are any downsides?

Thanks for your overindulgence.

Bert

 

[emjay]

I have the Yuasa AGM battery in both my bikes. They are great.

 

[Guest]

Have the sealed Westco battery in both my bikes. No complaints.

 

[DanTheMan]

I have an AGM battery in my bike, bought from Fleet Farm here in MN with their sticker on it, don't know who makes it, but it works fine. I'll take an AGM over lead-acid batteries any day.

 

[Jethro]

Almost all AGM batteries are made by Yuasa. Do you have a BatteriesPlus in the area? They sell the Yuasa and the off brand made by Yuasa AGM battery for like $39.
http://www.batteriesplus.com/

 

[Bert Patterson]

Very cool. I thought 1) I'd have to pay $100, and 2) there would be huge differences between them.

We've got a Farm&Fleet - I usually buy all my batteries there - but I never checked for an AGM.

 

[Red Rocket GS1100]

Now there is a posting I needed

Now there is a posting I needed

I was wondering about just that very thing. I am replacing my battery next spring. I didn't see any point in getting a battery just prior to winter.
I do have a trickle charger but I just assumed start with a fresh battery next season. Just my stupid thinking I'm sure...but I was still wondering who you guys recommended.
I like Yuasa and don't mind paying a little more. Anybody know what a typical battery life is for a Yuasa?

 

[earlfor]

I have been buying all my batteries online from
http://westcobattery.com/battery_page.php?bid=14&vid=-1
They are sealed gel-mat batteries. No vent to worry with and no maintenance. Its been about 4 years since I started putting them in any bike I acquired. I have not had to replace one yet and the 3 1/2 year old one in my 1150 when I sold it was still holding nearly 13 volts.

Earl

I'm sick of having to go through the BS of reattaching my little vent tube only to lose it again. I'm sick of acid eating my bike.

'82 GS1100E - who can give me opinions on the best sealed battery and whether or not there are any downsides?

Thanks for your overindulgence.

Bert

 

[focus frenzy]

walmart has AGM batteries!!! thats what I have in my E, so far so good.

 

[Guest]

Very cool. I thought 1) I'd have to pay $100, and 2) there would be huge differences between them.

We've got a Farm&Fleet - I usually buy all my batteries there - but I never checked for an AGM.

When I was in the market for one (begining of this season) I compared a few AGM's, and at the time the Yuasa boasted the most CCA (cold cranking amps) of the bunch, and the price was'nt too bad either (you can prolly beat that price by shopping at the place Jethro suggested) . In any case, you will be pretty happy with the AGM....its almost freaky how it remains charged... even after a couple weeks of non-use, the bike fires up instantly . I have hooked up the pigtail for a battery tender, but have'nt really used it much. I am wondering if the battery can be left in the bike over the winter, with the tender hooked up, in a semi-heated garage....any input, folks?


Tony.

 

[Planecrazy]

Bert,

I am also an AGM convert. Bought mine (The Big Crank - 200CCA ) at Batterymart.com
( http://www.batterymart.com/p-Big-Crank-ETX14-Battery.html ) for under $60. I had some trouble with it initially, but the guys there were very helpful and fast with turnaround when I needed assistance. I recommend them!

Regards,

 

[marz]

best battery

best battery

goto say that the interstate is awsome.sealed easy to fill you have to do it youre self.its been grt so far even when i forgot to put the neg grd. to the engine it worked.when i was starting it to check what was wrong it was supurbe..

plus i got it for free..but id buy one..just charge it right the first time ..as with any battery..

 

[Steve]

I do have a trickle charger but I just assumed start with a fresh battery next season.

Hopefully, what you have is more than just a trickly charger. The best thing you can do for your battery is to get an automatic battery charger/maintainer. The one shown in the link is available at Wal-Mart for about $20, a similar one at Sears goes for $30.

What makes the charger/maintainer so good is that, once it reaches a full charge, it goes into a 'float mode' and monitors the battery. If the battery happens to go down a bit over time (winter storage), it kicks the charger back in to keep it fully-charged. Even an automatic charger does not do this. It merely reduces the charge rate, but keeps pumping the electrons all the time, which will eventually destroy the battery.

These chargers come with a set of leads that you can attach to your battery and leave behind a side cover, so the worst you will have to to is to remove a side cover or just fish the connector out of its hiding place and plug it in.

.

 

[bwringer]

http://tiresunlimited.com/yuasa_batteries.htm

Shipping for mine was about $12.

 

[tomcat24551]

Some AGM batteries for GS850s come in a 12 Amp Hour version and some come in a 14 Amp Hour version. The 12 AH batteries usually have about 10 more Cold Cranking amps than the 14 AH versions (typically 200 CCA vs 190CCA).

If you've got a '79 or an 80 GS850 or 1000G, you probably ought to buy the 14 AH battery. In my opinion, the charging system is a little weak on the older GS bikes and the 14 AH battery has a little more reserve for the long ride or the guy who always forgets to put it on charge after the ride.

Just my opinion, but backed up with a few years of personal observation--and research done in purchasing my last battery, an AGM at Advance Auto.

Tomcat

 

[bimmerboy750]

I also have a Walmart AGM battery. I paid about $42 with my core return. My 550 takes the rare 10L-A2 size battery, but I went with the widely available 12 size. It's about 3/4 of an inch wider, but being an AGM it fits fine laid in sideways.

Rick
81 GS550T