Battery recommendations please

[Andy from Sandy]

Reading around the internet it might be we are being lulled with the average life of a battery being 3 to 5 years. In your case you just got the lower limit of average so you might be quite happy but you have a reason. I would hope 5 years would be the average.

The battery in my old car getting a much easier time perhaps stuck in the boot outlasted my ownership of 10 years. I don't know how long that battery lasted for.

 

[kiwidave]

I only buy H-D branded batteries and I am the LAST person to source anything from a dealership first.

I'm well aware they are made in the USA by East Penn Manufacturing, aka DEKA.

The H-D branded batteries seem far longer-lasting than any other in my experience and as I have often stated on here, I *understand* (never seen proof) they have extra built-in protection against voltage spikes caused by regulator or stator failure - one of the most common causes of H-D breakdowns. I could very easily believe that H-D has them built to a certain specification in this regard.

I spent years trying out cheaper/smaller/brand X batteries on a kickstart-only 4spd Evo and eventually went back to H-D. I only use H-D on my Shovelhead and on my Road Glide, but yet to need one for the modern tourer yet after 31,000 miles.

Everybody is free to try to save sixty quid wherever they want. I choose not to on the most critical part of a very expensive motorcycle.

(PS: my local indy parts store, in business 38yrs, ONLY sells H-D branded batteries. The guy who runs the store, a Pan/Shovel man with decades of riding experience and parts-selling know-how, is firmly in agreement that they are the best)

 

[Rick]

I only buy H-D branded batteries and I am the LAST person to source anything from a dealership first.

I'm well aware they are made in the USA by East Penn Manufacturing, aka DEKA.

The H-D branded batteries seem far longer-lasting than any other in my experience and as I have often stated on here, I *understand* (never seen proof) they have extra built-in protection against voltage spikes caused by regulator or stator failure - one of the most common causes of H-D breakdowns. I could very easily believe that H-D has them built to a certain specification in this regard.

I spent years trying out cheaper/smaller/brand X batteries on a kickstart-only 4spd Evo and eventually went back to H-D. I only use H-D on my Shovelhead and on my Road Glide, but yet to need one for the modern tourer yet after 31,000 miles.

Everybody is free to try to save sixty quid wherever they want. I choose not to on the most critical part of a very expensive motorcycle.

(PS: my local indy parts store, in business 38yrs, ONLY sells H-D branded batteries. The guy who runs the store, a Pan/Shovel man with decades of riding experience and parts-selling know-how, is firmly in agreement that they are theD batteries are good and I can't argue that they do seem to last longer, but it you

It's a pitty DEKA don't manufacture and supply H-D with wheel bearings, cos from my experience and many others, the ones they fit have a shockingly low service life! The point I am trying to make (if not obvious) is I wish the MoCo would take as much care of choosing supplier of other key components as they do their batteries!

 

[Andy from Sandy]

I have ABS on my Sportster. The front wheel bearings went but when I removed them only the plain bearing needed replacing although I obviously changed them both at 20,000 miles.

My HD battery entering its 6th winter is also now showing its age with quite a low voltage during first crank when cold.

 

[Shaun F]

I got 9000 mls out of fear wheel bearing and 5 yrs out of original battery. On my old Honda I got 30000 mps out the bearings and 9 on average for my batteries

 

[Rick]

I got 9000 mls out of fear wheel bearing and 5 yrs out of original battery. On my old Honda I got 30000 mps out the bearings and 9 on average for my batteries

FEAR wheel is about right, we all ride with the fear that the standard bearings could collapse!

 

[Shaun F]

FEAR wheel is about right, we all ride with the fear that the standard bearings could collapse!

I had my Honda 21 yrs and did 187,000 (ish) mls. With regular servicing it never broke down, never failed an mot and had a lot of the original parts still on it. Bloody bulletproof bike

 

[Rick]

I had my Honda 21 yrs and did 187,000 (ish) mls. With regular servicing it never broke down, never failed an mot and had a lot of the original parts still on it. Bloody bulletproof bike

What model Honda Shaun out of interest?

 

[Shaun F]

What model Honda Shaun out of interest?

1995 NTV 650. Went all over the UK and Europe on it

 

[Rick]

1995 NTV 650. Went all over the UK and Europe on it

Brilliant and it just goes to show you don't need big bore motors to do serious miles! Now don't get me wrong, I love the big v twins, but this general obsession in the biking industry of massive engines is bollocks, especially in the adventure bike sector in my opinion, smaller and lighter is much more suited for real world motoring, especially if you actually ride off road!

 

[Andy from Sandy]

Power to weight ratio. My bike is around 0.26HP per Kg.

 

[Halal Tim]

Mines 3.14, or 0.6 if i sit on it.

 

[Rick]

Sticking with the theme of this thread, if you have a smaller capacity bike you don't need to buy an expensive heavy duty battery to turn the motor over, nice cheap little Yuasa will be all that's needed!

 

[Andy from Sandy]

Okay a Sportster needs apparently 200 CCA as that is what HD put in it. They now use the same battery in the higher compression ratio rev max engine.

A cheap little Yuasa battery is £85. That's what I bought the other day.

 

[SJC69]

Sticking with the theme of this thread, if you have a smaller capacity bike you don't need to buy an expensive heavy duty battery to turn the motor over, nice cheap little Yuasa will be all that's needed!

Not necessarily, newer bikes with fuel injection, headlights on, electronics and or higher compression need the voltage to be stable and not drop too far to get it to start, the bigger the capacity (CCA) the easier it will start or rather more likely it will start.
Also batteries work by chemical reaction and this slows down as the temperature drops so effectively dropping the performance and CCA the colder it gets, the less capacity you have, the harder it has to work!

So my advice is always fit he largest capacity battery, within cost especially if you use the bike in the winter and kept outside or cold, as it will work less hard and far more likely to start even as it starts to decline, often the difference in price is quite small for the higher capacity battery.

Eg Yuasa standard Softail Battery YTS20HL- BS 310 CCA, the same physical sized YTX20 L 270 CCA, they look the same but a big performance difference.... and the real irony both available at Halfords but the lower performance is more money!

 

[Shaun F]

Brilliant and it just goes to show you don't need big bore motors to do serious miles! Now don't get me wrong, I love the big v twins, but this general obsession in the biking industry of massive engines is bollocks, especially in the adventure bike sector in my opinion, smaller and lighter is much more suited for real world motoring, especially if you actually ride off road!

I agree. I had the big muscle bikes in the 90s but the most fun I've had had been the Honda and my Sporty

 

[Rick]

£107 for a heavy duty Yuasa battery is a bargain. A mate of mine was quoted nearly £400 to replace a defective battery on his Street Glide from his local H-D dealer, this included fitment and disposal of.his old battery - absolute rip off!

 

[SJC69]

£107 for a heavy duty Yuasa battery is a bargain. A mate of mine was quoted nearly £400 to replace a defective battery on his Street Glide from his local H-D dealer, this included fitment and disposal of.his old battery - absolute rip off!

The above at Halfords are not Touring batteries they are Softail ones, and the Heavy Duty one is the Cheaper one!
The Touring Yuasa at Halfords is double the price, but no where near £400!

 

[Halal Tim]

£107 for a heavy duty Yuasa battery is a bargain. A mate of mine was quoted nearly £400 to replace a defective battery on his Street Glide from his local H-D dealer, this included fitment and disposal of.his old battery - absolute rip off!

Dearler labour rate is a ton per hour. Plus vat. Add on the top dollar price for said battery, and thats about right.

 

[Andy from Sandy]

Also batteries work by chemical reaction and this slows down as the temperature drops so effectively dropping the performance and CCA the colder it gets, the less capacity you have, the harder it has to work!

In theory the CCA should be available down to 0°F or -18°C. The battery is supposed to be able to provide the CCA for 30 seconds according to the way a battery is tested.

Based on what happens with another battery chemistry in terms of what manufacturers claim I would say maybe take CCA with a pinch of salt and don't really expect it.