Whats best battery for A4 04 st1300?

[Stevea4117]

Hi guys,
Can anyone advise please, looking to replace battery on my st1300 A4 2004. Have searched online and literally 100s of options come up. Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[SMSW]

There is no such thing as the best battery - any more than there is a best brand of tires or oil or gasoline. You have the recommended battery size/designation. From there you can choose a flooded lead acid, an AGM lead acid, or a Lithium (Iron Phosphate). There are pros and cons to each. I'd point you toward Practical Sailor Magazine online and search for batteries - they have done a great job of demystifying batteries. The website batteryuniversity.com also has great information - though it's a bit harder to find what you want amid all of the theory.

Whichever you choose, do not assume that the battery was fully charged, even if it says fully charged. For the longest life and capacity, it should be charged slowly overnight (battery tender or accumate or other smart charger) and then put into your bike. If the salesman tells you it was charged, ask for how long and what equipment he used.

You cannot go wrong with Yuasa, though it will probably be more expensive than off brands and some folks have said recent examples are not as good as older ones. Some guys here swear by the cheap offerings on Amazon or other online stores. You need to define the parameters of your search, make some decisions and choose a battery.

Flooded are cheaper, need to be vented, are better suited for high current flow for short periods of time
AGM are sealed and can be installed in any position, more durable than flooded, less prone to shedding material from the plates and shorting out, an excellent choice but more expensive than flooded.
Lithium are light, allow you to pick up the bike after a drop more easily, allow faster acceleration (due to light weight), hold a charge longer without loss than lead acid, may last longer than lead, tend to be expensive, may require a special charger (Shorai sells one for their batteries), may require some finessing when starting in very cold weather.

Other guys will chime in.

Btw, if you do a search (blue band atop this page, right end) for 'battery' you will find about 10 pages of threads discussing batteries. The information on this website is amazing.

 

[Stevea4117]

There is no such thing as the best battery - any more than there is a best brand of tires or oil or gasoline. You have the recommended battery size/designation. From there you can choose a flooded lead acid, an AGM lead acid, or a Lithium (Iron Phosphate). There are pros and cons to each. I'd point you toward Practical Sailor Magazine online and search for batteries - they have done a great job of demystifying batteries. The website batteryuniversity.com also has great information - though it's a bit harder to find what you want amid all of the theory.

Whichever you choose, do not assume that the battery was fully charged, even if it says fully charged. For the longest life and capacity, it should be charged slowly overnight (battery tender or accumate or other smart charger) and then put into your bike. If the salesman tells you it was charged, ask for how long and what equipment he used.

You cannot go wrong with Yuasa, though it will probably be more expensive than off brands and some folks have said recent examples are not as good as older ones. Some guys here swear by the cheap offerings on Amazon or other online stores. You need to define the parameters of your search, make some decisions and choose a battery.

Flooded are cheaper, need to be vented, are better suited for high current flow for short periods of time
AGM are sealed and can be installed in any position, more durable than flooded, less prone to shedding material from the plates and shorting out, an excellent choice but more expensive than flooded.
Lithium are light, allow you to pick up the bike after a drop more easily, allow faster acceleration (due to light weight), hold a charge longer without loss than lead acid, may last longer than lead, tend to be expensive, may require a special charger (Shorai sells one for their batteries), may require some finessing when starting in very cold weather.

Other guys will chime in.

Btw, if you do a search (blue band atop this page, right end) for 'battery' you will find about 10 pages of threads discussing batteries. The information on this website is amazing.

Thanks very much

 

[NobodySpecial]

I'd guess @Uncle Phil would agree, but I like motobatt. I have (one) AGM battery in my ST1100 and (one) "Hybrid" battery in my ST1300. The Hybrid seems pretty great so far, but it doesn't have the "deep" capacity of a regular AGM. Only time will tell how long they last, but I've had mixed luck with Yuasa. I've had amazing luck with the "old" Duracell batteries and Odyssey, but the battery I got from a parts retailer lasted less than a year. :-(

If you're replacing every 2-3 years, it doesn't matter.
My average motorcycle battery life - other than a single, awful example - is 6 years, with a single outlier at 12 years.

 

[DavidR8]

I would not spend my money on a lithium battery. The few pounds saved over a flooded or AGM isn't going to be noticed on a 730 lb motorcycle. Factor in the fussy charging requirements and they are a hard pass for me.

 

[Roger]

I've had very good service from a Bosch branded battery in my 1100.... Here's a link for your bike... https://www.tayna.co.uk/motorcycle-batteries/f/honda/st1300/

 

[Larry Fine]

I got my 1100 in August of '18 and put in an $88 AGM from Walmart. Every winter, no battery tender or fuel treatment, just under a Dowco cover outdoors. The past four springs, and every other time, it has started almost as if it had been ridden the day before.

 

[SMSW]

The few pounds saved over a flooded or AGM isn't going to be noticed on a 730 lb motorcycle.

Every pound counts when you are picking your bike up after a drop. (My comment in post #2 about weight was in jest).

 

[SupraSabre]

Over the 398,000 miles I have on ST1300s, I have had a couple of Lithium batteries, but I find if you don't ride much (I used to ride on my 125 miles daily commute), they are a PIA to maintain. It could be just me, but I won't buy anymore of them.

I've had a couple of Yuasa, but I won't buy them either, due to cost.

So I just go to ebay and find a low cost AGM battery. I've had okay luck with them, as long as I keep them on a battery tender.

 

[MaxPete]

Hi Steve:
When I had my 2007 ST1300, I used a simple old-fashioned lead-acid (L-A) wet-cell battery. I know that weight is a concern (I am an automotive engineer...) but, IMO, the difference between a "regular" L-A battery and a super-duper high-tech LiPo or even an AGM battery is hardly worth worrying about in a bike as big and heavy as an ST (I mean - what is 3-5 lbs on a 700+ lb motorcycle that carries about 60 lbs of fuel and has a 200+ lb rider on-board plus a bunch of luggage?). You are likely talking less than 1% of total weight and more probably, less than 0.5%.

If you are really that concerned about weight, clean all the crap out of your panniers and top-box and you'd likely be ahead, and if that still isn't enough, skip lunch a couple of days before the trip...and you'll be there.

The other thing about the various types of batteries are their specific characteristics - some of which are not great on a bike that is as hard on batteries as the ST1300. The problem with the ST is that the battery box is pretty small and the bike demands a fair bit of cranking power for that high-compression 1270 cc engine with all those camshafts, balance shafts and teeny-tiny little valves whirling around and going up-and-down. The biggest battery you can put in the stock ST1300 battery box is, IMO, not really big enough for the bike.

Anyhow, based on my 42 years of experience as an engineer and an RC model airplane flyer, here are my takes on the various battery types:

1. Lead-Acid - aka L-A: these are the standard traditional wet-cell "car" type battery. Modern "sealed" examples do not need to have their electrolyte replenished because modern charging systems don't tend to over-charge and cause the water to "boil-off". They are a tad heavier than the other battery types but they are cheaper and when they start to die, they usually give plenty of warning that "the end is near" - so you can prepare for the trip to the store to get a new one. I use a battery maintainer regularly on mine and I usually get 4-6 years out of my L-A batteries.
2. LiPo - aka lithium polymer: these are the lightest most expensive batteries that are generally available and they are great in weight-critical applications like aircraft etc. and for use in electric vehicles where weight and energy capacity truly is crucial and the charging systems are designed for their 3.7v basic cell voltage (an L-A battery is about 2-2.1 volts / cell) - they are not suitable for every vehicle and especially not for older vehicles that are designed for other bettery types. The key point is that LiPo batteries require careful handling and charging system operation and if there ever is a fire - your bike WILL be gone.
3. AGM - Absorbed Glass Mat: this refers to the type of construction used inside the battery. These are somewhat lighter than L-A batteries and they are also more expensive - but still cheaper than LiPos. AGMs can give good service - BUT - when they die, it is usually without any warning at all and they die suddenly and very, very, very, dead. I have had two recent experiences with AGM batteries, which were eerily similar - and have warned me off them for my bikes:

- my wife's 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe had traveled at least 700 km (about 400 miles) all over Ontario one nice warm day last summer without any indication of a problem - but the very next morning after she got home - the stock original battery (then only about 25 months old) was so dead that the power door locks would not actuate. The battery would take a charge and then die again within about 20 minutes.
- last Fall a bunch of us were on a bike trip and had ridden about 5-600 km (300-360 miles) one day and the next morning, one of my riding buddies on a 2021 Honda Gold Wing found that his bike wouldn't start - and again, the voltage was so low that electric locks on the panniers etc. would not actuate. The bike was put on a flatbed and taken to a dealer and they had some secret way of getting into it. They found that the stock AGM battery (also just a tad over two years old) was utterly and totally crapped out dead. Again, a long trip the day before and then utterly dead - no warning, no deterioration - absolutely zippola by way of a warning that the battery was shot.

In both cases, the batteries should have been fully charged by the lengthy drive the way before - and yet after a full day of running without any difficulty at all, they were utterly dead.

So, for my money, I will simply keep using lead-acid batteries because I value the warning they give of impending death - and I will compensate for the small increase in weight by skipping lunch the odd time.

Pete

 

[970mike]

I have almost 10 years on this battery, https://www.st-owners.com/forums/threads/antigravity-batteries.134214/

Money well spent in my eyes as this is the only battery replacement for this bike in 277,000 miles and still going strong.

 

[Stevea4117]

Hi Steve:
When I had my 2007 ST1300, I used a simple old-fashioned lead-acid (L-A) wet-cell battery. I know that weight is a concern (I am an automotive engineer...) but, IMO, the difference between a "regular" L-A battery and a super-duper high-tech LiPo or even an AGM battery is hardly worth worrying about in a bike as big and heavy as an ST (I mean - what is 3-5 lbs on a 700+ lb motorcycle that carries about 60 lbs of fuel and has a 200+ lb rider on-board plus a bunch of luggage?). You are likely talking less than 1% of total weight and more probably, less than 0.5%.

If you are really that concerned about weight, clean all the crap out of your panniers and top-box and you'd likely be ahead, and if that still isn't enough, skip lunch a couple of days before the trip...and you'll be there.

The other thing about the various types of batteries are their specific characteristics - some of which are not great on a bike that is as hard on batteries as the ST1300. The problem with the ST is that the battery box is pretty small and the bike demands a fair bit of cranking power for that high-compression 1270 cc engine with all those camshafts, balance shafts and teeny-tiny little valves whirling around and going up-and-down. The biggest battery you can put in the stock ST1300 battery box is, IMO, not really big enough for the bike.

Anyhow, based on my 42 years of experience as an engineer and an RC model airplane flyer, here are my takes on the various battery types:

1. Lead-Acid - aka L-A: these are the standard traditional wet-cell "car" type battery. Modern "sealed" examples do not need to have their electrolyte replenished because modern charging systems don't tend to over-charge and cause the water to "boil-off". They are a tad heavier than the other battery types but they are cheaper and when they start to die, they usually give plenty of warning that "the end is near" - so you can prepare for the trip to the store to get a new one. I use a battery maintainer regularly on mine and I usually get 4-6 years out of my L-A batteries.
2. LiPo - aka lithium polymer: these are the lightest most expensive batteries that are generally available and while they are great in weight-critical applications like aircraft etc. and for use in electric vehicles where weight and energy capacity truly is crucial and the charging systems are designed for their 3.7v basic cell voltage (an L-A battery is about 2-2.1 volts / cell). Thus, LiPo batteries require careful handling and charging system operation and if there ever is a fire - your bike WILL be gone.
3. AGM - Absorbed Glass Mat: this refers to the type of construction used inside the battery. These are somewhat lighter than L-A batteries and they are also more expensive - but still cheaper than LiPos. AGMs can give good service - BUT - when they die, it is usually without any warning at all and they die suddenly and very, very, very, dead. I have had two recent experiences with AGM batteries which were eerily similar - and have warned me off them for my bikes:

- my wife's 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe had traveled at least 700 km (about 400 miles) all over Ontario one nice warm day last summer without any indication of a problem and the very next morning, the stock original battery (then about 25 months old) was so dead that the power door locks would not actuate. It would take a charge and then die again within about 20 minutes.
- last Fall a bunch of us were on a bike trip and had ridden about 5-600 km (300-360 miles) one day and the next morning, one of my riding buddies on a 2021 Honda Gold Wing found that his bike wouldn't start - and again, the electric locks on the panniers etc. would not actuate. The bike was towed on a flatbed to a dealer and they had some secret way of getting into it and found that the stock AGM battery (also just a tad over two years old) was utterly crapped out.

In both cases, the batteries should have been fully charged - and yet after a full day of running without any difficulty at all, they were utterly dead. So, for my money, I will simply keep using lead-acid batteries because I value the warning they give of impending death - and I will compensate for the small increase in weight by skipping lunch the odd time.

Pete

Pete, thanks so much for taking the time to explain the pros and cons of each battery type. Very useful, think I will stick with acid. Mine gave up in France after 1600 mile tour in 4 days just cut out on motorway 98 mile short of Calais

 

[Willsmotorcycle]

France after 1600 mile tour

Any pictures? I run an Antigravity in my ST, a Lead in my GS and Rebel, just picked up an AGM for the Vespa. They all seem to work well (AGM TBD).

 

[Sadlsor]

Money well spent in my eyes as this is the only battery replacement for this bike in 277,000 miles and still going strong.

Yes, but you're just weird anyway.
You probably put a car tire on your motorcycle, too.

 

[ASPC]

I think I like this.

“RE-START TECHNOLOGY: The RE-START Battery intelligently monitor its status; if it senses over-discharge it will put itself into a sleep mode, yet saves enough energy to allow you to RE-START your vehicle.”

ATZ10-RS Lithium Motorsports Battery

Hi-Power lightweight ATZ10 lithium motorcycle/powersports battery with RE-START Technology (built-in jump-starting). Replace YTZ10S, YTX9, more. 360 CA

antigravitybatteries.com

 

[ASPC]

This is nice. Also available for lithium batteries.

Lead/Acid Battery Tracker

The Antigravity Battery Tracker is a Bluetooth Monitoring system for your Lead/Acid Battery’s health. Track its voltage, starting performance and charging.

antigravitybatteries.com

 

[Al st1100]

I think I like this.

“RE-START TECHNOLOGY: The RE-START Battery intelligently monitor its status; if it senses over-discharge it will put itself into a sleep mode, yet saves enough energy to allow you to RE-START your vehicle.”

ATZ10-RS Lithium Motorsports Battery

Hi-Power lightweight ATZ10 lithium motorcycle/powersports battery with RE-START Technology (built-in jump-starting). Replace YTZ10S, YTX9, more. 360 CA

antigravitybatteries.com

sounds good til I read the warranty

 

[Al st1100]

Hi Steve:
When I had my 2007 ST1300, I used a simple old-fashioned lead-acid (L-A) wet-cell battery. I know that weight is a concern (I am an automotive engineer...) but, IMO, the difference between a "regular" L-A battery and a super-duper high-tech LiPo or even an AGM battery is hardly worth worrying about in a bike as big and heavy as an ST (I mean - what is 3-5 lbs on a 700+ lb motorcycle that carries about 60 lbs of fuel and has a 200+ lb rider on-board plus a bunch of luggage?). You are likely talking less than 1% of total weight and more probably, less than 0.5%.

If you are really that concerned about weight, clean all the crap out of your panniers and top-box and you'd likely be ahead, and if that still isn't enough, skip lunch a couple of days before the trip...and you'll be there.

The other thing about the various types of batteries are their specific characteristics - some of which are not great on a bike that is as hard on batteries as the ST1300. The problem with the ST is that the battery box is pretty small and the bike demands a fair bit of cranking power for that high-compression 1270 cc engine with all those camshafts, balance shafts and teeny-tiny little valves whirling around and going up-and-down. The biggest battery you can put in the stock ST1300 battery box is, IMO, not really big enough for the bike.

Anyhow, based on my 42 years of experience as an engineer and an RC model airplane flyer, here are my takes on the various battery types:

1. Lead-Acid - aka L-A: these are the standard traditional wet-cell "car" type battery. Modern "sealed" examples do not need to have their electrolyte replenished because modern charging systems don't tend to over-charge and cause the water to "boil-off". They are a tad heavier than the other battery types but they are cheaper and when they start to die, they usually give plenty of warning that "the end is near" - so you can prepare for the trip to the store to get a new one. I use a battery maintainer regularly on mine and I usually get 4-6 years out of my L-A batteries.

Pete

These are filled with a gel type acid, can't add water
A gel cell battery is a battery that uses a sulfuric acid that has been mixed with fumed silica to create a gel-like substance that is immobile.

 

[MaxPete]

sounds good til I read the warranty

ahhhh....there's always the fine print....

 

[MaxPete]

This is nice. Also available for lithium batteries.

Lead/Acid Battery Tracker

The Antigravity Battery Tracker is a Bluetooth Monitoring system for your Lead/Acid Battery’s health. Track its voltage, starting performance and charging.

antigravitybatteries.com

Yes, this is potentially useful but in my experience, lead-acid batteries always give you a clear warning that they are getting tired (slow cranking etc.) and on a demanding bike like the ST1300, it pays to watch for, and react to, those warnings promptly.