Decided to get a new battery

[SVonhof]

Over a year ago I had a battery issue. I posted here and got a Battery Tender and brought the stock '09 battery back to life.
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=12789.0

I am going on a 5 day, 1900+ mile ride (leaving Wednesday) and decided that I would rather replace the battery earlier than it maybe needed to be replaced. that way I could have the security of a new battery instead of dealing with it if it did fail on the trip (high temps are very possible).

I searched around and found somebody recommending this place: http://www.batterymart.com/p-ytx14-bs-agm-maintenance-free-battery.html

For $50 shipped (I was fine with getting it a week later since it was going cross country), it's hard to beat the peace of mind that will bring to me. Got it today and it is installed and ready to go.

[JS_racer]

damn 09 replaced early than it should ?? 
mine lasted 1.5 years before it crapped out, one hard start was enough for me to pitch it.

on a tender when needed, plus and jr

[AlbertaDoug]

http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98137&highlight=Replaced+battery
Little read from another site.

[Walker18]

http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98137&highlight=Replaced+battery
Little read from another site.

Good info on filling the AGM batteries..

[martin_14]

60 000 miles on my OEM battery in my '08 bike. Still goes. I don't know what I'm doing right, but I'll keep on doing it 

[VirginiaJim]

 

[amphibsailor]

Mine crapped out on me about an hour into a 4 hour trip.  A tow truck brought us home.  I ordered a Battery Tender BTL14A240C Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery on the way home.  I hopped in my car and continued my trip.  By the time I returned home.  The new battery was waiting for me. 

Initially, I though the box was empty but it was due to the battery weighing less than 2 lbs.  Its working great so far (about 3 weeks of use).

 

[Daytona_Mike]

Good info on filling the AGM batteries..

AGM batteries are sealed. You cannot add or install or fill  acid into an AGM.

[2talltim]

60 000 miles on my OEM battery in my '08 bike. Still goes. I don't know what I'm doing right, but I'll keep on doing it 

As far as I know my 08 has the original too, i only plug it in during the winter months.

[martin_14]

As far as I know my 08 has the original too, i only plug it in during the winter months.

yeap, that's my "method" too. I park the bike for good at the end of November, and a few days later I fly home for several weeks, so when I land in Germany in the middle of January I take the battery out of the bike and plug it for a day or two on the tender. Then I unplug it and leave it somewhere (vented) in my apartment. At the end of February I plug it again on the tender for a couple of days, and for the 1st of March, when the season starts, I'm good to go. I never had to press the start button more than half a second.
But I have to admit that it's getting more and more tempting to order a new one every time I'm about to go on a tour 

[Walker18]

AGM batteries are sealed. You cannot add or install or fill  acid into an AGM.

Chalk this up as lessons learned, I did..

Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM)

Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) Technology is an advanced battery design that eliminates water loss. Once it's filled with acid, you'll never need to fill it with water or check the acid level.

Long Life
Because of its lead calcium design, the AGM battery will hold its specific gravity more than three times longer than conventional lead antimony types. This means much longer periods between charges when the battery is used in a standby mode, like winter storage.

And to remain factory-fresh the AGM battery is shipped dry along with its own pack of high-gravity acid that's added at the time of installation.

Non-spillable
Once filled with acid from its special packs, the AGM battery is virtually maintenance free. All of the acid is absorbed in the special plates and separators, so there is no need to worry about acid leaks on the valuable vehicle parts and accessories.

[rocknrod]

200 CCA  - http://www.batterymart.com/p-ytx14-bs-agm-maintenance-free-battery.html
220 CCA  - http://www.batterymart.com/p-Big-Crank-ETX14-Battery.html?Category_Code=kawasaki-zg1400-concours-battery
260 CCA  - http://www.batterystuff.com/powersports-batteries/YTX14H-BS.html
All AGM

[B.D.F.]

This is not a 'real' AGM battery. That is an improved wet (or flooded) cell battery that happens to have glass mats between the plates.

The key thing about AGM batteries is that they have <almost> no liquid electrolyte inside them. This is because the mats are soaked with acid but then squeezed <nearly> dry before the battery is assembled. This low electrolyte prevents spillage even if the battery case is broken open because the mat cannot give up any fluid. In fact, there are many advantages: an AGM battery is almost impossible to overcharge or charge too quickly. They cannot expand from freezing, again because there is just not enough liquid in the battery to cause any appreciable expansion. They will not out- gas because they will not overcharge or charge too quickly.

The 'pretend' AGM batteries have all the faults / flaws inherent to regular flooded cell batteries and can and will vent if broken, overcharged or charged too rapidly. They are not really sealed, they merely have internal (Easy Boys!) chambers to absorb and condense the acid vapor.

Remember, even though both the box it came in and the salesman said it was a "real woman", the fact that you have to blow it up shows this to be false. Real women come already blown up and don't even have a valve. (yeah, MANY jokes in there but I am taking the high road on this one). Real AGM technology batteries don't come with a bottle of acid and cannot be assembled by the buyer.

Brian

Chalk this up as lessons learned, I did..

Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM)

Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) Technology is an advanced battery design that eliminates water loss. Once it's filled with acid, you'll never need to fill it with water or check the acid level.

Long Life
Because of its lead calcium design, the AGM battery will hold its specific gravity more than three times longer than conventional lead antimony types. This means much longer periods between charges when the battery is used in a standby mode, like winter storage.

And to remain factory-fresh the AGM battery is shipped dry along with its own pack of high-gravity acid that's added at the time of installation.

Non-spillable
Once filled with acid from its special packs, the AGM battery is virtually maintenance free. All of the acid is absorbed in the special plates and separators, so there is no need to worry about acid leaks on the valuable vehicle parts and accessories.

[Walker18]

This is not a 'real' AGM battery. That is an improved wet (or flooded) cell battery that happens to have glass mats between the plates.

So you're saying that wet, gel, and AGM are not all versions of a lead acid battery? Or that different manufacturers
are using the term AGM differently? From what I know, a battery can either be factory-filled, or BS
(Bottle Supplied), but BOTH are considered maintenance-free once the acid is installed.
The given reason for the bottle supplied units is for indefinite storage of the new, unused (air tight sealed cell) batteries,
whereas the factory filled batteries will lose their charge while warehoused for a duration.

[B.D.F.]

No, that is not what I said. And it is not correct- flooded cell, gel cell, AGM and 'fakey' AGM batteries all use the same chemistry, lead- acid.

What I said was that any "AGM" battery that comes with separate acid that the user installs is not the same technology as a true AGM battery. It is nothing but a flooded cell battery with glass mat between the plates. AGM batteries behave the way they do not because of the mat, but because the mat allows the use of so little acid.

By the way, one of the big benifits to AGM batteries is that they do not self- discharge nearly as fast as flooded cell batteries and have extremely long shelf- lives. And again, because of the construction mechanism, not the chemistry type.

Again, I am merely pointing out the difference so that anyone can see what is going on here. By all means, purchase and use whichever one(s) you want. My only goal was to shine a little illumination onto what the differences in the battery types (again, not the chemistry but rather the construction and resulting behavior).

Brian

So you're saying that wet, gel, and AGM are not all versions of a lead acid battery? Or that different manufacturers
are using the term AGM differently? From what I know, a battery can either be factory-filled, or BS
(Bottle Supplied), but BOTH are considered maintenance-free once the acid is installed.
The given reason for the bottle supplied units is for indefinite storage of the new, unused (air tight sealed cell) batteries,
whereas the factory filled batteries will lose their charge while warehoused for a duration.

[Walker18]

What I know is from reading what was offered by a few different sites, mainly manufacturers or major suppliers.
Which is why I questioned your response, but I don't know the detailed manufacturing or material differences
used in the process. I'm still getting schooled in the battery dept. As I had thought AGM were all factory sealed, until
I read the Yuasa Battery sites info on the subject.
http://www.yuasabatteries.com/batteries.php#anchormf
Not finding in descriptions if AGM is a bath or cell builds, checked some, NOT all manufacturers!
As for me, my research of batteries concluded last month with a purchase of a Big Crank, AGM, maintenance-free.

[BruceR]

So, I replaced the battery on my '08 a few weeks ago.  I'd neglected it, then had an opportunity to go on a ride.  It wouldn't crank, so I tried to hook the car charger to it (big mistake).  Wouldn't charge up, so I cancelled my ride and decided to let it sit overnight on the tender.  Next morning- still showing 10.2 volts.  Crap.  Bought a new battery at the local dealer, installed and she cranks up strong.  Next weekend went for a ride and noticed my heated jacket wasn't heating.  Crap again.  Got home, tested voltage at the tender leads- 0V.  Hmm.....there's a fuse there, 7.5   Dig around the workbench, find a fuse, voila!  14.1 volts now, liner starts to heat.  So, most likely my old battery would have been fine if I'd thought to check that little fuse.  Oh well, with weather getting chilly here it's a good reminder for me to not get lazy and to keep the tender hooked up.  That was the original battery, which normally was on a tender religiously.  New one will likewise be taken better care of.  If you don't let them drain waay down they last quite a while.

[rcannon409]

My Shorai was installed in my 2012 Ninja 1000 right when I bought the bike due to a "gift certificate issue" at At Rocky Mountain ATV.

Its been awesome, and continues to be so. I wont buy another "Normal" battery if I can help it.

[Dan Forker]

When the time comes to replace the battery on my 2012, I thought I would go to a Shorai simply because I have used them before with excellent results in other bikes but now I see that Battery Tender also sells a lithium iron battery(similiar technology to the Shorai and it weighs about 1/2 the weight of the Shorai. Has anyone else tried the Shorai and has anyone tried the battery tender battery. Curious minds want to know.

Fork

[Stephen.G.Fiddes]

Theres more than just size and weight to batteries tho... Whats the amp rating?  I know most of us have a lot of extra stuff hooked up, and especially heated gear, and lights can draw a bit. I understand most of this is powered by the alternater, but the battery is just as important.