Whats best battery for A4 04 st1300?

ASPC said:
“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.”
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Re-Start technology? What a load of advertising mumbo jumbo. What is a restart compared to just starting your bike? Jump start technology? I'd avoid this because of the way they describe the battery.
 
MaxPete said:
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.
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Wouldn't a simple voltmeter tell you the same thing? I have one on my USB port on my bike and give it a quick glance when I start the bike in the morning.
 
SMSW said:
Wouldn't a simple voltmeter tell you the same thing? I have one on my USB port on my bike and give it a quick glance when I start the bike in the morning.
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Which USB voltmeter do you use?
I'm on my second one, that plugs into a Powerlet below the right glove box... they always seem to want to work loose, so I have to keep "reseating" it while riding. It's actually a distraction, because now I find I'm constantly glancing at the LEDs to make sure it's plugged in and charging my phone / Sena / spare battery pack / camera / whatever.
USB charging is extremely useful to me, ...when it is actually CHARGING!
Grrrr.
 
SMSW said:
Wouldn't a simple voltmeter tell you the same thing? I have one on my USB port on my bike and give it a quick glance when I start the bike in the morning.
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Yes, it could - but I don't want to add one more distraction to my bikes. Also, the AGM battery failures were NOT preceded by any dashboard warning lights or trouble on any gauges.

Basically, one day the battery worked perfectly and the next day it was utterly dead. Thus, a voltmeter would not have helped with any sort of warning at all - and that is why I don't like AGM batteries.

Pete
 
Sadlsor said:
Which USB voltmeter do you use?
I'm on my second one, that plugs into a Powerlet below the right glove box... they always seem to want to work loose, so I have to keep "reseating" it while riding. It's actually a distraction, because now I find I'm constantly glancing at the LEDs to make sure it's plugged in and charging my phone / Sena / spare battery pack / camera / whatever.
USB charging is extremely useful to me, ...when it is actually CHARGING!
Grrrr.
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Not sure. I found it on amazon. I'll look thru my receipts later and see if i still have it. Basically its one of those round USB dual outlets with a cover and an LED readout above the USB ports. It's somewhat hard to see in sunlight and I don't view it as a distraction because I rarely look at it while riding, only when I start the bike and sometimes when I turn on my heated gear.
 
SMSW said:
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),
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I’m one of the guys that had an expensive Yuasa fail after two years of regular use. Just put an Interstate AGM which was about half the price of the Yuasa in it, we’ll see how it goes. I have a Zero Gravity lithium in my other bike which has been super. As has been noted, on a bike as heavy as the ST is, plus it being mounted down low, negates a lot of the advantage of less weight and they definitely aren’t cheap.
 
I have a Yuasa AGM in my ST that's been in there for at least 8 years and maybe longer (it was on the bike when I got it). I only use a battery tender occasionally but don't let the bike sit for more than a month at a time.
 
ST Pili said:
I’m one of the guys that had an expensive Yuasa fail after two years of regular use. As has been noted, on a bike as heavy as the ST is, plus it being mounted down low, negates a lot of the advantage of less weight and they definitely aren’t cheap.
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RobbieAG said:
I have a Yuasa AGM in my ST that's been in there for at least 8 years and maybe longer (it was on the bike when I got it).
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In other battery posts I've said that nobody can predict how long a battery, light bulb, or hard drive will last. Their lives are averages of many samples (tho your hard drive has a spec called mean time between failures - mtbf). Some guys here have reported short lived Yuasas, though again, these are anecdotal and not statistically significant data points.

In fact, I've never seen an average life for batteries published by a battery mfr. This doesn't mean that some website doesn't have that info - only that I've not seen it. All the estimates are like mine - my lead acid automotive batteries have lasted from 3 to 6 years. Again, this is a statistically insignificant data point.

@ST Pili, the location of the saved weight does not affect the acceleration, only what you are picking up when you drop the bike. A lighter battery will enable your ST to accelerate faster than one with a lead acid battery. Now, to be fair, it might take $20,000 worth of timing gear to detect the small change, but it will be there. :rofl1: On my ST1300 the battery was under the seat, so I would guess its cog was about two feet off the ground. It would be easy to calculate the moment arm of say the 3 or 4 lbs saved over its height off the ground and how much easier it would be to pick up said ST from a drop.
 
Why don't we just lose 5 or 6 pounds ourselves (did you really need that second slice of cheesecake?), don't drop the bike again, buy a standard lead acid battery, then just call it even?
Let's get back to the best oil and the best tires now.
Things were so much simpler.
(Some of you will pick up on the satire without being reminded.)
 
I haven't used anything but lithium in any of my bikes in past 10-yrs. Main benefits are:

- no tenders needed for winter-storage. Same power I put in comes out in spring time. With multiple bikes, it's so much more convenient not having to drag chargers to them during winter-storage.

- BMS in lithium battery has saved me multiple batteries worth of replacement costs when I've made mistake of leaving headlights on. Or short develops causing parasitic drain when bike's off. BMS just disconnects battery from harness when battery's discharged to low state. This saves battery from complete drain and permanent damage, unlike lead-acid ones.

- current lithium batteries on market are significantly better than ones I started using 15-yrs ago without BMS and limited capacity. Shorai, Antigravity, Bosch and Battery Tender make excellent lithium batteries and generics are getting better every day.

Honda's been using lithium for OEM batteries for about 7-yrs now. They're made by Eliiy in Kawasaki (ironic). Top-notch, but pricey for features and performance. I think best-value is Noco lithiums for about u$d 75. Has 400cca or twice ST's OEM battery if that's worth anything. Starter only consumes about 100a in most instances. So much more convenient than dead-end tech.

https://www.motorcycle.com/products/lithium-motorcycle-batteries-myths-vs-realities

https://www.motorcycle.com/bikes/product/mo-tested-shorai-lfx-lithium-battery-review-44584036
 
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DannoXYZ said:
I haven't used anything but lithium in any of my bikes in past 10-yrs. Main benefits are:

- no tenders needed for winter-storage. Same power I put in comes out in spring time. With multiple bikes, it's so much more convenient not having to drag chargers to them during winter-storage.

- BMS in lithium battery has saved me multiple batteries worth of costs when I've made mistake of leaving headlights on. Or short develops causing parasitic drain when bike's off. BMS just disconnects battery from harness when battery's discharged to low state. This saves battery from complete drain and permanent damage, unlike lead-acid ones.

- current lithium batteries on market are significantly better than ones I started using 15-yrs ago without BMS and limited capacity. Shorai, Antigravity, Bosch and Battery Tender make excellent lithium batteries and generics are getting better every day.

Honda's been using lithium for OEM batteries for about 7-yrs now. They're made by Eliiy in Kawasaki (ironic). Top-notch, but pricey for features and performance. I think best-value is Noco lithiums for about u$d 75. Has 400cca or twice ST's OEM battery if that's worth anything. Starter only consumes about 100a in most instances. So much more convenient than dead-end tech.

https://www.motorcycle.com/products/lithium-motorcycle-batteries-myths-vs-realities

https://www.motorcycle.com/bikes/product/mo-tested-shorai-lfx-lithium-battery-review-44584036
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I like this. https://antigravitybatteries.com/products/starter-batteries/restart-oem/atz10-rs/
 
The bike came with an AGM and I've had no reason to consider another formulation. BUT– I am curious about the AntiGravity battery Mike has. Cold weather is more of a concern for me than the battery so Li doesn't give me any pause. That it can be shoehorned into the bike without much modification (as with the Huntington Beach Honda mod for bigger AGMs in the STP bikes) and give the 1300 comparable starting grunt to the 1100 strikes me as a plus.

A question @970mike – how long would your battery last with IGN On and engine Off - ballpark? I ask because the 1300 in that scenario is noted for draining a battery in ~10min depending on who you talk to. That's been my experience as well. Not that I make it a practice of doing so but I'm curious as to whether you notice a longer "idle" time. That being the time between IGN On and engine On. Again not that it is or would be a practice.

But were I stuck somewhere at night and felt the need to leave a light on till Tom Bodett showed up or a St. Bernard showed up I'd figure 10min max and count myself lucky for anything beyond that. I do have an LED bicycle safety light just for such a purpose so I know there are alternatives. Just wondering.
 
ST Gui said:
A question @970mike – how long would your battery last with IGN On and engine Off - ballpark? I ask because the 1300 in that scenario is noted for draining a battery in ~10min depending on who you talk to. That's been my experience as well. Not that I make it a practice of doing so but I'm curious as to whether you notice a longer "idle" time. That being the time between IGN On and engine On. Again not that it is or would be a practice.
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A relatively simple mod I did on my '96 NH750, and plan to do with both of my 1100s, is to rewire them so the headlight relays are fed from the ignition-kill switch. With the kill switch off, the marker, tail, and gauge lights would still be on.
 
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