I Need a New Battery

I need a new battery for my 2003 ST1300A.
I bought the ST1300 in December 2016 and it had a yellow MotoBatt MBTX9U in it that was installed new in December 2015.
The MotoBatt is no good, won't hold a charge and I do not recommend it.

I would like to know what batteries do you guys recommend that I can go buy off of the shelf? I don't have time to order one....

I've had great results with the Motobatt batteries in my current 3 bikes, but like any manufactured product there's bound to be a few that don't perform up to expectations.

Are you confident that the charging system is in good health on the bike? Things like loose/dirty battery connections can make good batteries look bad, and failures of rectifier/regulators are not uncommon across a lot of Hondas. Have you checked the charging voltage across the battery posts with a multimeter when the engine is running? Should be 13.5-14.5 volts in most cases.

Yes. Tested battery today at 12.71 Volts. With engine on 14.42 Volts.
It died completely last month. Added some distilled water and charged it completely.
Today it died again....

I see the Yausa YTZ14S is about $215. And some of the Lithium batteries at Cycle Gear are the same...
The MotoBatt is $80.... Since I bought the ST used, I don't have a receipt for the MotoBatt. It is supposed to have a 2 year warranty. I wonder if they would honor it without the receipt.

Despite bad experiences from some folks on here, I have had extraordinary luck with the Scorpion batteries. My present one was bought in April of 2011, and still ( knock wood) is doing well. They come from Battery Stuff.

I got mine from NAPA in 2013. It was a gel battery and is doing well. Cost was only $54.95. Can't remember warranty details or part # but they could look it up. I could check my bike if interested.

Another Happy Motobatt customer - 3 batteries in 3 ST1100s all over 4 years and still cranking. I'd call Motobatt and see if they will honor the warranty.

The OEM battery lasted over ten years in my ST11 and seven years in my ST13. Never saw a charger but I rode year round.

I would pay whatever price to get one of those.

Well...within reason.

Trump said:

The OEM battery lasted over ten years in my ST11 and seven years in my ST13. Never saw a charger but I rode year round.

I would pay whatever price to get one of those.

Well...within reason.

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This was my experience with the OEM battery, with same caveat I rode year round.

My experience with the 'replacement' Yuasa was about 1-2 years - died with no warning. I ride year round and it sudden failures in all cases. I put one of my ST1100s up on the centerstand and the Yuasa battery crapped out.

I brought the MotoBatt Yellow MBTX9U in for testing today and sure enough it was bad. It was only 1 year and 4 months old. The battery technician assured me that they are junk batteries. I ended up installing a Motorcross TYZ14S made by Yuasa in Japan. The ST1300 cranked instantaneously. A new 220 CC vs. a 160 CC sure makes a big difference. Paid $120 at Powertron Batteries in Santa Ana, CA for you local guys....

A word of caution about Motobatt Battery Warranties. I called Mottbat in Florida and they told me that they themselves do not warranty any batteries that dealers sell. They will only warranty what they sell directly to customers online. They also told me that each dealer has their own policy on whether they will warranty or not. And how many months etc... Not good as far as I'm concerned.

SHORAI.

I also ride year round but replace my OEM batteries every 5 years. They might go longer, butI am happy with that amount of battery life. Mine are on battery tender jrs whenever I am not riding. I pull in, dismount and plug in before I even take my helmet off.

Bought a chrome pro YTX14-bs battery from Chrome batt. its a gel batt. no acid to leak out. only had it for a few months. comes with a digital read out display of charge indication. not that it matters with the display, its just part of it. 200ca. $38 free shipping. had great reviews.

JaBall said:

its a gel batt. no acid to leak out.

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Just FYI:
All of them use acid, or an alkaline, but for bikes, acid. It's what makes a battery work.

It's an AGM (Absorbed glass matt) you have. Fiberglass mats are stuffed between the lead plates that soak up the acid, keeps it from sloshing around and lowers potential leaking out. To help accommodate for this they use valves that let hydrogen out if the pressure rises during charging. Hopefully it only builds at a pace it can be re-absorbed. Gel batteries are different in their voltage and use. They do not make good motorcycle batteries.

If it's working, cool! I like the price point. Let us know if it keeps working as time goes by.

JaBall said:

its a gel batt. no acid to leak out. .

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I guess its a good thing, no leaking. But IM 60 and never had one leak. I guess it could in an accident.

I just purchased a "Motocross" battery also and it looks identical to the "Yuasa" I was replacing. The Motocross was a lot less money than Yuasa, but it's the same battery.

T_C said:

Just FYI:
All of them use acid, or an alkaline, but for bikes, acid. It's what makes a battery work.

It's an AGM (Absorbed glass matt) you have. Fiberglass mats are stuffed between the lead plates that soak up the acid, keeps it from sloshing around and lowers potential leaking out. To help accommodate for this they use valves that let hydrogen out if the pressure rises during charging. Hopefully it only builds at a pace it can be re-absorbed. Gel batteries are different in their voltage and use. They do not make good motorcycle batteries.

If it's working, cool! I like the price point. Let us know if it keeps working as time goes by.

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Thanks for that info. This particular batt. has a new I-GEL technology. I thought I would try it. Heres the description off the site.
iGel Batteries - Injected with Gel electrolyte, this new iGel battery is of superior performance. This new iGel battery is controlled by the built-in intelligent chip. Normally, manual intervention is not required. The function of the battery alarm, mode switch, inspection starting and working date recorded will now be achieved based on the status of the new iGel battery. Press the button to activate the resting chip due to the low volt or capacity. Press the button again to check the volt and the record of working date of your Chrome Pro iGel battery.

I use Odyssey batteries in my BMW and I love them. Great Batteries. I always carry a spare just in case one of my friends has a problem.

JaBall said:

Thanks for that info. This particular batt. has a new I-GEL technology. I thought I would try it. Heres the description off the site.
iGel Batteries - Injected with Gel electrolyte, this new iGel battery is of superior performance. This new iGel battery is controlled by the built-in intelligent chip. Normally, manual intervention is not required. The function of the battery alarm, mode switch, inspection starting and working date recorded will now be achieved based on the status of the new iGel battery. Press the button to activate the resting chip due to the low volt or capacity. Press the button again to check the volt and the record of working date of your Chrome Pro iGel battery.

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Interesting.. wonder who is talking the BS. The engineer that worte the original or the advertising folks that put up the copy.

Gel cells are great for long slow discharge, think storage batteries in an emergency exit light, not high amperage starting engines. They cost more and the are excellent at going to deep discharge in their cycles. Also the charge/re-charge profile is very different. If you hook up a standard alternator to a gel-cell it will be an early death.

Not sure what they are selling... only way is to do some slicing and dicing.

Or you could try one of these. I've got one in my ST and another in my 1125R. I keep them plugged in when not being ridden so no problems so far.