Battery choice

Hey all, well it seems my current battery is getting weak on my '04 1300. Tough time starting this weekend. This will be my 3rd battery since purchasing used in '09. First replacement lasted about 2-1/2 yrs and about 16k miles. Second one has been about 2-1/4 yrs and 18k miles. I've been using the Scorpion YTZ14S and have been happy with them at about $75. My question is: In laymen terminolgy, what's the difference (besides twice the cost) between my original Scorpion and this Shorai and this Scorpion.
Now I do know that CCA is cold cranking amps but that's about the extent of it other than sizing. While my beautiful '04 is not being ridden, it stays in my enclosed garage on a standard Battery Tender junior all the time. Does the length of time seem correct under those conditions? I'm not balking at the $75 every 2-1/2 yrs but just trying to see if there is something better out there.

Skip

I put a YTX20H in my ST alittle over 12000KM/90days ago and its still going great. I have not owned an ST long enough to know if 2.5 years is good or bad but compared to my other bikes or recent bikes it seems abit low. That being said $75 over 2.5 years is cheap as long as it never leaves you stranded LOL

I purchased my wing almost 4 years ago and noticed it had an "Ever Start" battery in it. Been waiting for it to give me some signs of failing, but it's still ticking along... no problems yet. I think everyone knows "Ever Start" is the Walmart brand...
This is not an endorsement for that battery, but I do believe that keeping one on a maintenance charging system all the time shortens the life. Batteries like people need some exercise. I usually hook my battery tender up during the winter for maybe a week at a time when I know it's not going to be ridden for a while.

vinny said:

but I do believe that keeping one on a maintenance charging system all the time shortens the life. Batteries like people need some exercise. I usually hook my battery tender up during the winter for maybe a week at a time when I know it's not going to be ridden for a while

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Another idea which has worked well for me: Put the Battery Tender on a timer, and charge it for an hour once or twice a day. My Scorpion is over 4 years old, and still going...(knock wood)

I'm coming up on 3 years on the MotoBatts (AGM) batteries in my ST1100s. So far, no problems at all with them. But I do ride pretty much year round and seldom do any of the bikes sit for over 5 days at a stretch. As Vinny said, regular riding is the best thing for batteries as I never use any sort of 'battery tender'. I swapped to the MotoBatts after annual unpredictable failures of the Yuasas. A nice thing about the ST1100 Motobatts is you have an 'extra' set of terminals for hooking up other stuff and the cranking amps are more than the Yuasa. I'm not sure if that is the case with the ST1300 version.

Opposite end of the spectrum here, as battery tender juniors are on all my bikes whenever they are not being ridden 24/7 and I generally get from 5 to 7 years out of my batteries. I replaced the oem batt on my 06 in 2011. It's replacement has been in there for 4 years now. I also only use Yuasa oem batteries. My bikes DO get ridden though..241 days last year for example and I live in Ohio. But today I will go out and unplug my bike from the battery tender, ride 5 hours and when I get home from riding, before I even take my helmet off my bike will be plugged back into the battery tender. Works for me.

I have had a Shorai in my 03 for over 3 years now and it is still going strong I do plug it in to the Shorai charger when not in use but you can use any charger as long as it doesn't have a desulphation cycle

Recently had to replace '03 ST13 battery(not the original) which lasted ~5 years... held charge but immediately died upon hitting the start button... quick grind to a click... after some reviewing Threads here...(Thank You "Uncle Phil"!)...I went with the company: Impact... ordered on a Friday afternoon... was on my porch on Monday!!... Although the battery comes "charged" as an AGM...I put it on a "smart" charger overnight to bring it to full charge... went into the '03 battery box just like the original... good fit... and has had very good "starting sounds" on cranking up the bike... here is link:... price was right too!... no shipping charge!:
http://www.impactbattery.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=ytz14/12s&x=0&y=0

So can anyone tell me why one battery is $78, one is $171 and the other $147? What the heck is the difference other than the CCA? Will the two higher priced ones last twice as long? I'm beginning to think just get the $78 battery again and forget about it for two years.

Skip

Thanks for the info

When I sold my ST, it had a Shorai in it for over three years--with absolutely no problems.

The best part (I had four bikes at the time), was no more Battery Tender wires/extension cords laying around the garage.

On my 2008 ST, the OEM battery lasted 4 years. The Yuasa replacement has lasted 3 years and 2 months so far and spins the motor like a champ. Neither had/has ever seen a battery tender. YMMV since in NC, we can ride year round.

skipcurt said:

So can anyone tell me why one battery is $78, one is $171 and the other $147? What the heck is the difference other than the CCA? Will the two higher priced ones last twice as long? I'm beginning to think just get the $78 battery again and forget about it for two years.

Skip

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I'm guessing here. The difference has to be a combination of construction, warrany, different company's costs (overhead) which include... shipping, greed, distribution, salary to management, greed, manufacturing costs, labor costs, their tax structure, gov't oversight or lack thereof, greed, etc.

Seriously, given that company's raising the price of a drug (pill cost 13.50 before they bought the company that made the drug - afterward they charged $750/pill - and are going to lower the price because of the uproar), VW's shenanigans, bank's selling high risk mortgage loans as 'structured securities' and the like - I'm becoming rather cynical in my old age. Apple's iphones have the highest profit margin in the world because they have created an imagined need for this item that is based on belief and 'i want one'. Are they worth it? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Is one of these batteries worth double the price? I am not expert enough to tell, but surely someone on this site has way more info than I do.

We have Budget Batteries out here in WA and according to the guy that I have spoken with there all batteries in this country come from only a couple different factories. Just branded different. Don't know if it's true or not. I bought my '10 last year in October. Not sure if I have the original battery or not. I ride 5 days a week and have not had any issues yet. I do not use a battery tender.

Skip - I'd do what you said - go with the cheaper one, put the 'saved money' in gas, and go ride. It's a bit like motel rooms - often the price has nothing to do with the quality.

Uncle Phil said:

often the price has nothing to do with the quality.

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And sometimes it deffinately does!

In looking for a new battery for my scooter ( '94 Honda Helix) , what I ran across was the fact that even though the battery pictured in some sites was EXACTLY the same, the prices varied widely. I am not a huge believer in warranties, sometimes it is cheaper to just buy a new one than jump through the hoops to get warranty service-even if you buy locally. If I have to spend 2 or 3 hours on getting and RMS, shipping out a battery, and waiting for the new one to arrive ( ASSUMING the company stands behind it) I'm further ahead just ordering a new one. I have had very good luck with the Chinese AGM batteries, but I ride a lot, and keep them on timed smart trickle chargers. I use a Battery Minder, and it has worked great for over 10 years. I think it's a crap shoot no matter which way you go. I gave up on Yuasa's years ago...they generally failed at about the 3 year mark. I did have great luck with Odyssey AGM batteries, and am considering modifying my ST1300 to accommodate a PC545 unit. My brother has had one in a BMW R100RS for 9 ( yes, NINE) years now. My own PC680 Odyssey in a '78 R100S was 5 years old when I sold it, and still cranking well. YMMV.

Here is a great deal on a Motobatt battery, I had one in my wife's ST that worked great and I have one in my Suzuki DR650 that is over six years old and almost never gets plugged into the battery tender. I think for the money you can't go wrong with this one. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Motobatt-Battery-For-Honda-ST1300-A-P-1300cc-03-13-/171926006575?hash=item280796ab2f&vxp=mtr

ST1100 question relative to battery failure. What is the 'usual' battery failure indication? Does the starter drag for a few starts...giving you some warning? Or is it a complete surprise....like most modern era cars?

Oldbikefixr said:

ST1100 question relative to battery failure. What is the 'usual' battery failure indication? Does the starter drag for a few starts...giving you some warning? Or is it a complete surprise....like most modern era cars?

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I've had them died 'slowly' then I've put one of my ST1100s up on the center stand and the action dead shorted the battery plates. ;-)