Battery Decisions

ST1100Y · Oct 16, 2014

st1300r said:
Power density and longevity.
http://www.pddnet.com/news/2014/10/ultra-fast-charging-batteries-last-20-years

Quick charge with many cycles is OK, especially for electric vehicles...

I'm more in search/interested in a starter battery with low/nil self-discharge while the rig is in the hangar... and doesn't short a cell like every year, forcing me to yet buy another (crappy) one...
I'll happily pay € 200,- or even 250,- for an YTX14-BS alike I know it'll last for the next +5 years... (just like the OEM Yuasa's did back in the 90ies...)

Carp · Oct 19, 2014

Uncle Phil said:
I've been running my Motobatts for 2 years so far and no problems - but then I'm using them in ST1100s and ride year round. If your battery went dead in 4 days, something is usually draining it - and it does not have to be much. I left my GPS on for a couple of days and drained one dry. I left a USB lighted adapter on for several days and that also drained one dry. Just like leaving a dome light on in a car - a few days and she won't start! ;-)

I was just looking at this thread as I was moaning about premature battery failure after setting a week. Then I remembered my usb lighted adapter. That was it. Thanks for the head slap. I needed it.

Uncle Phil · Oct 20, 2014

Carp said:
I was just looking at this thread as I was moaning about premature battery failure after setting a week. Then I remembered my usb lighted adapter. That was it. Thanks for the head slap. I needed it.

Glad I could help. It is amazing how something like a LED can drain a battery over time. But then enough water will eventually wear down a rock ... ;-)

T_C · Oct 20, 2014

Carp said:
I was just looking at this thread as I was moaning about premature battery failure after setting a week. Then I remembered my usb lighted adapter. That was it. Thanks for the head slap. I needed it.

A standard little LED, fairly bright, will pull 20 millamps. Over the course of a week, that will drain about 4 amps out of your battery. On a ST1300 that is about a 1/3rd of your battery.

You shouldn't really regularly take a lead-acid more then about a 1/4 of the way down, going a third down, definite nope. But this shouldn't totally kill a battery. If it did, you just got an early warning your battery was nearing the end of it's life.

Now if you have been leaving this led on for awhile and the battery has been putting up with it and going up and down... then you sir, have caused the pre-mature death of a battery. Shame on you!

It's the little things that matter. Live, learn, ride on!

st1300r · Oct 20, 2014

TMI
OEM st1300 battery factory fresh capacity Ah (amps x hours)
11.8 Ah at 0.6 amp load. (20 hour rate)
11.2 Ah 1.1 amp load (10 hour rate)
see (Peukert's law) :puk1:

for the 2 ratings

So...
Std bike off load .0025amps * 196hrs call it 6 months = total capacity (11.8 Ah)
If the USB charger doing nothing draws 20mA * 3 weeks = 11.8 Ah.
A no start would happen way before total drain on the battery.

Plus the battery self discharge not connected to anything.
AGM self discharge / month about 1% at 32,F 3% at room temp, 6% 90F, 20% at about 125F

ST1100Y · Oct 20, 2014

st1300r said:
TMI
OEM st1300 battery factory fresh capacity Ah (amps x hours)
11.8 Ah at 0.6 amp load. (20 hour rate)
11.2 Ah 1.1 amp load (10 hour rate)
see (Peukert's law) for the 2 ratings

Would Lithium Ion Polymer batteries be superior in this?

T_C · Oct 20, 2014

ST1100Y said:
Lithium Ion

If you are talking the standard ones being used by Shorai, EarthX, etc... no. No much increase in amperage capacity per volume, but the do cut the weight in half.
And to compound this... most of the batteries are nowhere near filling their possible box volume. Many of the LiFe batteires being sold by their Pb-Equivalent are nowhere near real capacity. Many are only 4 amp/hr packs.

They get away with this since LiFe will keep putting out high amperage all the way down to their last few percents and it won't really hurt them.

ST1100Y · Oct 20, 2014

I'm more worried on the progressive self discharge (and the then accelerated sulfation) on the conventional ones...
I would really like to have a battery again, that easily takes a grounding time of 2~3 months without running completely dead... (like Yuasa provided back in the 90ies...)

st1300r · Oct 20, 2014

ST1100Y said:
Would Lithium Ion Polymer batteries be superior in this?

Lithium Iron Phosphate are advertised as having a lower self discharge rate compared to AGM lead acid oem yuasa.
They don't sulphate like lead acid. They do grow dendrites like NiCad batteries, not sure if the iron phosphate ones do this like other types of lithium ion batteries do?
Tiny needle like crystals that grow between the "plates" and punch a hole thru the dielectric between them.

As mentioned by T_C they are rated as "equivalent" Ah of a lead acid battery.
This only applies in short duration high loads like starting the bike.
Their actual amps your can draw over time is a lot lower than the oem battery but that's not how you use it as a starting battery.

hoowasat · Dec 15, 2014

There is another battery option. I installed my first Odyssey PC545 battery in October '09 and got 41 months of service before replacing it with another PC545. 3-1/2 years doesn't sound like a whole lot, but I was pleased with it. I'm going to learn if this second Odyssey lasts as long ... or longer.
https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?74015-ST1300-Odyssey-PC545-installation

hoowasat · Dec 15, 2014

fnmag said:
I'm glad you're happy with your Odyssey, but to me, 3 1/2 years is what I can get out of a 'regular' battery for a lot less $.

Well, after having two Yuasa batteries last 18 months or less, I was determined to go a different route.

BamaRider · Dec 17, 2014

I recently put a YUASA battery in my RT. I forget the model number, but the unit had to be prepped, but once installed it is maintenance free. I paid about 90 dollars for it. At the time alot of guys were putting scorpions in, mostly because it was no prep and cost about 100 dollars. I advised I wasn't gonna put a Chinese battery in any bike I considered a first class sport tourer. Meaning I was subject to be anywhere at anytime of year on it. No problem last 2 years but I ride the bike at least once a week year round.

My brother also went this route and put one in is Kawasaki ZRX. No problems after 1 year.

Fast forward to last week. The Honda's #2 Yuasa gave up the ghost after 2 years. The battery grew weak last year when I went I didnt ride it as often as years past. I looked all over for the maintenance prep Yusasa to replace but no luck. Bikebandit was NIS for the ST 1300, so was Motorcycle superstore. I suspect talk on this forum since my post of a year ago for guys to try this battery the reason. If you do some simple prep work, you can get a good battery for about half of the full fledge maint. free battery.

I had to go with some kind of 2nd tier battery in the Honda. But I can assure ya it ain't a scorpion LOL. Picked it from bike bandit. It was 79 dollars with free shipping. I think its Power USA?? It was created in the USA but made in Vietnam. Go figure. I hope to get a year out of it, but I ain't optimistic. I just didn't have time to wait for the YUSA to get back in stock. Bike Bandit advised they had no idea when that might be.

larryg · Dec 17, 2014

T_C said:
Don't know about there, but here the OEM spec one is the premium priced battery. Well unless you got one of the great deals for $65.

You should PM this guy, and see if he has anymore NOS pull out Yausa (orig ST 1300) batteries. This deal may be gone, but it's certainly worth checking into.

https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?122852-YUASA-YTZ14S-battery-sale-(for-ST1300)

I bought one, earlier this year and am very satisfied. $65, quickly shipped, and date coded less than 1 yr old. Same battery is $180 at the local dealer.

Good luck

Battery Decisions

Guy