Counterfeit Batteries... It's now an issue.

aniwack

aniwack

Joined
May 13, 2018
Messages
606
Location
Atlanta, GA
Bike
Odd Years
I've got two biked that have been towed in for repairs after North Georgia's first big cold wave of the season and I have made a [not] shocking discovery: The batteries that were purchased 'new' online were used duds. They are clearly Chinese knockoffs that are meant to be close but they are not OEM. I can see why riders are opting to go with the knockoffs with the YTZ14S unavailable at Avid and other dealers.

Whatever you do, don't use a fake from Amazon.
 

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Can you return them? Amazon has a good return policy, if you bought it from them and not one of their vendors. The return and shipping policies are shown in the options window (right side of Amazon's web page) if there are multiple vendors for the battery (item).
 
aniwack said:
They are clearly Chinese knockoffs that are meant to be close but they are not OEM.
Click to expand...
So, I'm not sure I understand what you're saying can you clarify.

Did you:

1. buy them knowing at the time that they were knockoffs, but bought them anyway because you couldn't get the real thing due to supply chain issues?
2. buy them thinking they were OEM, only to find out later they were counterfeit when they didn't hold a charge in cold weather?

I think the part I quoted suggests the answer is number 1. but the term 'counterfeit' implies number 2. Which is it?
 
There are 3 auto parts stores on the way to a "batteries are us" store. The first place that has one in stock get a sale. If none do, Wally World is another 15 minutes away. I have a spare core on hand and take it with me so I don't have to make a second trip. Never had a "new" battery fail. Any brand.

I don't think the prices are out of line. Cheap compared to a dealership battery.
 
dwalby said:
So, I'm not sure I understand what you're saying can you clarify.

Did you:

1. buy them knowing at the time that they were knockoffs, but bought them anyway because you couldn't get the real thing due to supply chain issues?
2. buy them thinking they were OEM, only to find out later they were counterfeit when they didn't hold a charge in cold weather?

I think the part I quoted suggests the answer is number 1. but the term 'counterfeit' implies number 2. Which is it?
Click to expand...
Yes, please clarify...no battery on Amazon should be considered OEM. But you do have to scrutinize what you buy, there must be 50 choices.
Also, how you do the first charge on the battery has an effect on how it will perform.
 
mello dude said:
Yes, please clarify...no battery on Amazon should be considered OEM. But you do have to scrutinize what you buy, there must be 50 choices.
Also, how you do the first charge on the battery has an effect on how it will perform.
Click to expand...
Mello, you half genius you.......how would you recommend doing the first charge.
I've only bought one in 8 years and I put that on the Optimate for a while until it all went green then fitted it. That battery is probably around three years old, maybe 4.
 
I've only bought a few things on line some through Amazon, mostly smaller stuff and half was junk, the worst was a millivolt / DCV signal generator that turned to smoke on the third go but the funniest was shock boots; I opted for the seeming factory color blue for an extra $50.00, when I got them they're this strange transparent dark purple, I mean not even closely resembling the pic. Amazon and their vendor both know I'm among the three or four in ten who just won't bother spending the money to ship it back, fight and argue, and of the other six, two will go half way, and two more will invest the time and perseverance to resolve the issue successfully. That's their business model, plain and simple.
 
Although I don't buy batteries on Amazon, ( copies or not), I do buy the El Cheapo batteries from Chromebattery.com, and Scorpion brand batteries. I get really good service from them- my ST battery is going on 5 years old, and still works well ( knock wood), and my scooter battery was 7 years old when I sold the bike. I do keep them on a desulphator/trickle charger when not in use.
The only time I bought a Yuasa in recent memory, it lasted about 3 years, and died. It cost roughly 3 times what the Chromebattery.com units do. No more OE for me.
 
Amazon may have had no knowledge of the cheaper product.
China is COMMUNIST and believe, among other things, that intellectual material is property of the collective, not the owner, inventor, whatever. Knockoff has been a tactic to increase market share forever. Noticed it first while in SE Asia, early 1970's. Watches, vinyl albums, and such were the bit suspect items. $9 Rolex? $0.50 Stones album? At first glance, they looked and felt legitimate.
Given the deluge of US/Euro products the greedy placed into China over the decades, small wonder. One company or another IS faking most everything, sometimes in the same factory that makes the legitimate brand name. Soooo.....knockoffs are a grand temptation for lyingcheatingstealers to buy from Chinese sources, complete with OEM looking marking, labels and packaging and sell for a grand profit to the unsuspecting western customer.
Chinese companies ARE capable of making world class goods. Their unscrupulous cousins are quite capable of faking an orgasm for you.
Just, 'Buyer, Be Ware'.
 
I don't always buy from Amazon, but when I do, it's for a specific item that I've been looking for. Just like if and when I buy off FleaBay... it must be the name brand/original manufacturer I'm looking for in the condition I want. I do not accept knockoffs, and if it is, it's either returned if accepted or I call my CC and have them handle it.

These days there are more sites that offer free 2 to 3 day shipping for items that cost less than what Amazon offers for the same products. I still have Prime for streaming movies and music.
 
Are we talking about Japanese, Korean, or Chinese products? This isn't even ancient history, it's only 10 years beyond the span of my life time.
 
It appears the upper battery is an Interstate brand (made in Japan, not China). At least it has the correct model number on it.
The battery on the bottom (unknown origin) does not even have the correct model number on it, and is clearly the wrong shape and size etc.
These may not be knock off batteries, just mistakes the owners made when purchasing cheaper batteries.
What do you mean AVID does not have them?
I've ordered and received three of them in the last month for folks?
Are you assuming they don't have them, because they are not shown on their site? Or are you contacting them and really trying to order one?
Just wondering...
 
I have never had any luck with a factory activated battery like these. The last one I got for my quad because that is all I could find at the time at Wal Mart. The reviews said people were only getting 2 years out of them. Yep, died in two years. I only get batteries that I put the acid in and activate them properly. I have always got at last 8 years out of those in all my bikes, quads, and snowmobiles. I keep my Gold Wing battery on a Battery Tender year-round when not riding because of a slow power drain that keeps the clock running. I am changing the original 10 year old battery this year with another Yuasa battery.
 
Upt' North said:
.......how would you recommend doing the first charge.
Click to expand...
The rule of thumb for a newly activated lead acid battery is to charge it at a rate equal to 1/10 of its rated capacity for five to ten hours. Once the battery has sat for a minimum of one hour after being removed from the charger, the battery voltage should be a minimum of 12.8 V. If it is less, the battery requires additional charging.

This is only a general rule. These criteria vary depending on the type and capacity of the battery.
What you did using an automatic charger is perfectly fine, and is an acceptable initial charging method according to YUASA.
 
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In my ST I got 9 years out of the OEM Yuasa, 8 years of of the Yuasa replacement and I had 2 - 3 years on the second Yuasa replacement when the bike was sold. Always used a tender and replaced both batteries as a PM item as I thought they were due, not because they had failed. Bought the replacement Yuasa's from an online bike shop in Montreal vs. Amazon.
 
snowmoer said:
The last one I got for my quad because that is all I could find at the time at Wal Mart. The reviews said people were only getting 2 years out of them. Yep, died in two years.
Click to expand...
When I got my ST1100, I bought an AGM from Walmart. I slow-charged it before installing it, and haven't charged it since, even over the winter. It lives on my front sidewalk under a Dowco cover all year.

This is the third winter, and it still starts every time like it had been ridden the day before.
 
So, has anyone ever come across what they thought was a fake Yuasa battery? I'd say if such animals exist, they are most likely sold on Amazon.
 
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