Cheap prices at Batterymart and Batterystuff. What do you think?

[KEITH KRAUSE]

I need a new battery for my '79 GS1000. The last battery I bought was a Yuasa YTX 14 AHL BS. It lasted almost 7 years so that's what I want as a replacement. Sealed/Maintenance free. The "H" means it has 210 CCA instead of the standard 190 CCA. "BS" means it comes with a bottled supply of acid. It cost $76 in 2010. Bikebandit doesn't sell it, only a 190 CCA Gel battery labeled "Bikemaster" that I don't want ($104). I went to Yuasa's website and they sell the YTX 14 AHL BS for $113.
I then stumbled upon 2 websites, batterystuff.com and batterymart.com that sell the YTX...for $44 and $45 respectively and free shipping. The batteries they sell are re-labeled, one is labeled "Scorpion" and I forgot the other. The detailed info they provide says the batteries are identical to my old battery in every way. Only difference is that the new battery will come pre-filled with acid, where as my old battery came with a bottle and I added it myself. The acid is very easy to install.
I like the idea of adding the acid myself because I'm thinking the battery will be as "fresh" as possible vs the batteries arriving with the acid installed at a who-knows-when-date. In either case, I would first fully charge the battery on my Battery Tender Plus slow charger before installing.
The reason for this thread is I'm skeptical of the very low prices. If the prices were only $20 or so cheaper than Yuasa's then I'd probably go with Yuasa just for peace of mind. But a difference of $68 plus shipping makes me want to take a chance. I'm thinking even if the pre-filled cheaper batteries have sat on a shelf "for awhile", they should still have a long enough service life and I'll get my moneys worth. Maybe I'm thinking too hard over this?
The sites appear respectable with "BBB" support, etc. They sell lots of other stuff too that seem like quality items.
What do you think?

[Alan Schlosser]

I think Yuasa sells the Scorpion as an off brand to keep the premium name on the main line of batteries. I've ordered several AGM batteries from batterystuff over the years. In fact I remember getting a Scorpion for the 1100. But the last 2 that I got from them for my Bandit died in a couple weeks. They sent a second one no charge. Started to think it was my charging system. Both of them had the same batch code on them. So, I went to impactbatteries and got a different brand. No issues since. The good thing about batterystuff, is I emailed them what happened, told them I went through their troubleshooting guide for warranty replacement, but was just skeptical of that lot of batteries. They sent me a check back for the cost of the original.

Linky for you: http://www.impactbattery.com/batteri...000-1978-1982/

[bwringer]

batterymart.com , batterystuff.com , and impactbattery.com are all well-known and reliable battery retailers.

I'm not sure where you'd get the idea that Scorpion batteries have anything to do with Yuasa (other than they use Yuasa's nomenclature, as do all powersports battery manufacturers). The actual Scorpion batteries seem to be a bit of a crapshoot -- some last for years, but I've heard of and experienced too many tales of Scorpion failures to be comfortable with them unless you just need something cheap to slap in a bike you're selling, or they're the only ones who make an AGM battery in the size you need.

"Motocross" batteries are made in the USA by Yuasa:

https://www.batterystuff.com/powersports-batteries/YTX14AHL-BS.html

The "Big Crank" (AKA "Extreme Magna Power") batteries are made in the USA by Deka, and they are VERY nice, very high quality batteries. A real bargain for the quality you get.

http://www.batterymart.com/SEARCH.html?q=33610-49220

http://www.impactbattery.com/etx15l.html

The MotoBatt is pretty darn nice as well -- I have two in my fleet:

http://www.batterymart.com/p-mbtx14au-motobatt-agm-battery.html

Doesn't appear to be US-made (so likely China), but significantly better AH capacity (16.5 vs. 14) and they've proven exceptionally reliable. The extra terminals are very handy as well. A bit expensive, though.


Overall, I'd likely go for one of the US-made batteries: Big Crank/Deka/Extreme Magna Power or the "Motocross" brand from Yuasa. The Deka-made batteries (note the distinctive light gray color and solid lead terminal blocks) are also available locally in most places, at Advance Auto, Pep Boys, and others.

The AGM batteries I've seen at Walmart are made by Exide and are good quality as well. However, they never seem to stock the 14L-A2 used in most GS models, at least not in an AGM.

Personally, I wish everyone would just stop selling the old-style "wet" batteries entirely -- there's simply no reason to accept the risks of acid damage from these leaky heaps of crap.

[Alan Schlosser]

Ah, I stand corrected. And I agree, the wet batteries are a thing of the past.

Believe it or not, Motocross is manufactured in the same factory, the same assembly process, at the same time as the Yuasa. The only difference is the label applied at the end of the manufacturing process. Motocross came about as a way for Yuasa to enter the ever growing aftermarket, without disrupting their already established brick and mortar new bike dealerships. This allows them access to a much broader market share, at a much more reasonable price point.

So, basically, when you buy a Motorcross replacement battery, you're really getting a Yuasa.
- See more at: https://www.batterystuff.com/blog/mo....5dn9VQOV.dpuf

[850 Combat]

The last battery I bought was an AGM from Auto Zone in Tillamook I priced one in Portland at Batteries + (which is a crapshoot in my experience), and they undercut that by 10 bucks. I had to wait until the next morning to pick it up.

[salty_monk]

I use Motobatt and Deka. I had a scorpion that was ok for a couple of years. My friend had one crack after 6months.

I even went AGM for the cage last time I bought a battery...

[KEITH KRAUSE]

I really appreciate the help! I probably would've tried the "Scorpion" brand and it appears that would've been a gamble. Thanks for the heads up.
I thought about buying the "Big Crank" brand with the extra 10 CCA, but the "Motocross" brand already has 20 more CCA than the OEM Yuasa so I'll go with that. Batterymart has it for $69.95 right now with free shipping. Batterystuff wants $82 with free shipping for the identical battery.
One other question: why do you think they opt to send the battery pre-filled instead of letting the customer add the acid? Seems to me the battery would be safer to ship without the acid in it. I also think most customers would rather do the initial activation themselves. It seems like it would be simpler for the manufacturer to let the customer do it. What do you think?

[GS1150Pilot]

I buy batteries for stuff at Batteries Plus. Never been disappointed. Just bought an AGM for the 1150 there.

[robertbarr]

At Batterymart -- Use promo code Welcome5 at checkout and they'll knock another 5% off the total. Enough to buy a small sandwich somewhere...

[850 Combat]

I dislike filling my own batteries. Waste, and spillage, abd surplus. The accurately measured ones with six measured bottles are not too bad, but I don't like the single bottle and little red hose.

That said, I have a brand nre 6 volt on the shelf for the XT250, and I'm glad that I haven't filled it, or I would already need another.

[KEITH KRAUSE]

So why do you think they send them pre-filled? Their websites explain it like they're doing you a favor. I'm a notoriously un-trusting SOB. When a price is cut so much, I always wonder if the merchandise is compromised in some way.

[KEITH KRAUSE]

At Batterymart -- Use promo code Welcome5 at checkout and they'll knock another 5% off the total. Enough to buy a small sandwich somewhere...

Or a few O-rings. Thanks, Robert. I appreciate it.

[bwringer]

So why do you think they send them pre-filled? Their websites explain it like they're doing you a favor. I'm a notoriously un-trusting SOB. When a price is cut so much, I always wonder if the merchandise is compromised in some way.

Eh, you can can relax. They're filled and completely sealed at the factory, not the retailer. When you're buying from a high-volume place like batterystuff or batterymart, it's fine. You'll be getting a battery that's not very old.

It's actually safer to ship a sealed AGM battery than a battery with a separate acid container. There's no liquid acid -- it's Absorbed into fiberGlass Mats inside an extremely tough, pressure-resistant plastic container. It'll show up via normal UPS or USPS.

If you're buying a battery that's been sitting in the back room of Fred's KawaZukaYa for six years, then your odds are probably better with the ones you fill yourself. Or you can trust Fred to do it for you.

No idea why the cost difference between retailers. 'Tis the season when people start to emerge from their burrows and drag their bikes out.

[KEITH KRAUSE]

Been awhile and the battery seems fine, though it has always taken a little longer to reach full charge than I think it should. I won't buy another battery that's pre-filled. Only bottle supplied for me from now on.
Two things I wanted to mention, Battery Mart customer service was very good. After I bought the battery and posted a 3 star review, they screened the review first and e-mailed me to ask some questions and they said they would exchange the battery if I wanted. I said I'd keep the battery since it had a 1 year warranty and see how it goes.
What I didn't like was that they don't just allow you to post a review. They screen it first and if it's not what they want other customers to read they won't post the review at all. My review was titled "You get what you pay for" and was rated 3 stars. I simply stated that the battery, based on all other Yuasa batteries I've owned, was slow to charge and already exhibited characteristics of a battery about 1 1/2 years old. They should post all reviews even if they're not great reviews.

[jabcb]

I’ve had reasonably good results with Scorpion batteries. TruGel batteries don’t seem to last very long. MotoBatt is probably the best of the various brands I bought in the last few years.


There still is a need for the old wet batteries that you add water to. A lot of older bikes that predate the GSs have rather poor voltage control. A lot of the old Suzuki two strokes don’t have a voltage regulator. 16V at high rpm is considered normal on some bikes.