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Maintenance-free?

Rob S.

Rob S.

Forum Guru
Past Site Supporter
So these "sealed" batteries, are they truly maintenance free? Install it, then nothing more to do ever, other than check that terminals are clean?

I'm getting sick of this shyte. It costs me a side cover every time I want to check electrolyte levels. :mad: Besides having to unbolt the gas tank and remove a frame cross member.

Would a lithium ion battery be even more maintenance free?
 
Yes, a Lithium Ion battery is even more maintenance free and will set you back about 3 times the retail price of a lead acid battery, and you no longer will be worried about electrolyte levels. Gel Cells would be a less costly alternative.
 
Lithium batteries have an important downside worth mentioning.
If you discharge them too much they can not be recharged.


A member of another forum was doing a cafe build & inadvertent left the key on.
It ruined his brand new lithium battery.


The sweet spot for cost vs. return on maintenance free batteries now looks to be AGM batteries.
They are reasonably priced & can be shipped ready-to-go via the USPS.
 
Are the rubber bushings that hold the cover on old and rock hard? If so consider replacing them, plus add a dab of grease on the cover tabs on install.
 
That particular model of GS1100E has a grave issue with the sidecovers. I removed mine as little as possible. And getting to the battery requires a significant amount of work once the sidecovers are removed.
For a bike that is ridden a lot, I would avoid lithium batteries like the plague. Not only are they massively expensive, there are ways to break them, as dorkburger mentioned.

Rob S., what you want is a quality AGM battery. They are fully sealed, never need tending, and last a very long time. I like MotoBatt, but there other quality units out there, such as Yuasa. Avoid the bargain AGMs. I have a friend who purchased one, it was delivered bad. He contacted the company and they sent him another one, it arrived bad as well.
 
Batteries PLUS carries AGM bike batteries. They have the Duracell name on them though are made buy YUASA. I gave a $100 for mine and got the 2 year full replacement warranty. Might look into this, my side covers have a weak spot around the bottom tad. What I did was reinforced that area with a layer of fiberglass, it is stronger now and no where near the bending when I pull it off. Sounds like you need to replace the rubber hold downs as well.
 
Lithium batteries require a different set of charging parameters, so I don't think that I would recommend them for vehicle use.

Yeah, many have used them, and likely gotten away with them, but that does not mean that they are the proper tool for the job.

Before you consider dropping a BUNCH of money on a Lithium battery, read THIS from "Battery University".
The few minutes it takes to read could possibly save you a bunch of headache and aggravation, not to mention a battery.

You will see and hear many different recommendations inviting you to "buy this one, it's a LOT better", but remember, ... most of the time, a battery is purchased only because the previous one failed. OF COURSE it's going to turn the engine faster, last longer, and all those other things, but you are simply comparing a new battery to a junk one, not accurately comparing one type to another.

For the record, all my bikes have AGM batteries, most of them from Batteries Plus.

.
 
Suzi has all new rubber grommets for all side cover tab holes, plus extras. A dab of petroleum jelly on the tabs sounds good, though.
 
Rob, take a die grinder to the metal tabs on the frame so that the rubber grommets have more give and can drop down a little bit and those tabs will not break off on those covers.
It was a design error and when you sit on the seat it pushes down on those points of impact. I use synthetic grease, white grease or protectant on the rubber grommets and remove some of the flashing from the casting on those tabs as well.
 
GSX1000E said:
Rob, take a die grinder to the metal tabs on the frame so that the rubber grommets have more give and can drop down a little bit and those tabs will not break off on those covers.
It was a design error and when you sit on the seat it pushes down on those points of impact...remove some of the flashing from the casting on those tabs as well.
Click to expand...

There we have, at long last, the answer.

I don't recall ever having to remove (open) the seat on my Z1 to remove the side covers, but I do on my Suzi.

Thanks, GSX.
 
I have all new grommets for my side covers, but also have a broken tab on each cover. Thankfully, they are still a valid part number and you can buy them new (for less than what you'd find them used, in my experience). Maybe folks didn't know you could still get them??

http://www.mrcycles.com/oemparts/a/suz/50d403e5f8700230d8b4ebd7/frame-cover-model-z

Thankfully, all I have to do is remove the seat on my EZ to get to the battery, since I am running pods and the God forsaken airbox is out of the way.
 
Cassius086 said:
I have all new grommets for my side covers, but also have a broken tab on each cover. Thankfully, they are still a valid part number and you can buy them new (for less than what you'd find them used, in my experience). Maybe folks didn't know you could still get them??

http://www.mrcycles.com/oemparts/a/suz/50d403e5f8700230d8b4ebd7/frame-cover-model-z

Thankfully, all I have to do is remove the seat on my EZ to get to the battery, since I am running pods and the God forsaken airbox is out of the way.
Click to expand...

Is it an 1100 EZ? Because after I remove my seat (sometimes a three-handed affair itself), I still have to unbolt and raise the rear of the gas tank, then remove a frame crossmember to be able to remove my battery.

Of course, all I have to do to see the top of my battery is remove the seat, but that doesn't enable me to check electrolyte levels.
 
Yes sir, it is.

I don't have the tank or the rear tank mount on the bike at the moment, but you're right. It would need to be removed to install a battery, unless you go with one of the LiFe batteries, like Shorai.

To hook up a charger/battery tender, however, all I have to do is remove the seat.
 
Last edited:
Cassius086 said:
Yes sir, it is.

I don't have the tank or the rear tank mount on the bike at the moment, but you're right. It would need to be removed to install a battery, unless you go with one of the LiFe batteries, like Shorai.

To hook up a charger/battery tender, however, all I have to do is remove the seat.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I have cable with a plug for my battery charger installed on my battery.

Maybe I'm spoiled from my Z1, but I like to be able to easily remove the battery and rinse it down in the slop sink.
 
Lithiums aren't as forgiving when it comes to charging system problems...they can easily become ruined. Also, Lithiums require a specific Battery Charger, Not a normal battery tender or you will destroy it. Seems like the V-Twin crowd loves them more, I guess because of their ability to crank those engines faster.
 
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