I don't ride as much as I should so my battery is an oft replaced part. Is there another brand that might hold up better than the Yuasa that anyone has come across? I would pay more if I can count on it lasting more than a season and I can count on it starting when I do get a chance to ride.
Any ideas?
As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists
Yuasa should be fine if you can get it on a Battery Tender or similar, otherwise check out Shorai batteries. I've had a good experience with them, and it's crazy how much lighter they are.
Slap a quality battery tender on it and you'll get a few years out of it. Don't waste all that money every year.
2008 Tuono, Ohlins rear, Akra Hex cans, Map 2, 15T, CRG Levers, Rhino Moto Sliders, Ermax Screen, OZ Wheels, Sargent Seat
A Battery Tender will definitely help, as others have suggested. But... I would suggest you look into Shorai batteries. Much, much lighter, and hold a charge much, much longer.
2009 Tuono 1000 R - "Silver Thunder"
2008 V-Strom 650 - "Road Warrior"
2009 WR250R - "Dirt Destroyer"
I agree that Shorai's are very cool batteries. I bought one for my last bike a year ago (FJR1300).
One big issue I had with that battery was that it was undersized (14 AMP), and that means not in the total charge it held, but the available cranking power when cold was not enough. Basically you had to warm the battery up by turning the ignition, and slow crank, wait, a little faster crank and so on. This spring the battery could not start the bike at all anymore. Shorai was very good though about warranty, and upgraded to an 18 AMP for free. The new bike owner has had zero issues in the cold, so it looks like it's fine now. Shorai also changed their website and they sell the 18 AMP battery now as standard for the FJR.
My point is to choose at least one size up if you go for the Shorai over a YUASA.
That said, these batteries are unreal when you take them out of the box. Feels like an empty plastic box they are so light. The 18 AMP was still only 2 lbs.
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Chris in Portland
2007 Tuono
Thanks for the input. Unfortunately I have had the bike for 4 years and only have just over 2,000 miles on it. I just don't ride it enough and I don't have a good method for getting a tender on it due to where it is located in the garage and the lack of available power in there. The Shorai might be the way to go.
As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists
extension cord.......
'00 VFR Sold
'08 'BUSA Sold
'10 T Factory
Note: Shorai is a LiFePO4 battery. These DO NOT do well if specifically left connected to a sitting bike for long periods unattended. Completely disconnected is a different story, they do better than lead-acid's. But since you are self-admittedly prone to not riding often and not inclined to use a tender - I'd suggest you definitely disconnect the battery terminals, especially if you do buy a LiFePO4 pack, because those parasitic drains ever so present on the bike (aka immobilizer, ecu) can/will eventually bring that pack down to damaging low-voltage states.Originally Posted by UnsavedOne
FWIW, lead-acids are much more tolerant to low-voltage states, and as worst-case simply fail to start your bike. In contrast, LiFePO4's are way less tolerant of these conditions as low-voltage states chemically and irreversibly damage the cells. Look for my "Primer" sticky on this very subject.
The absolute best advice is to have a smart battery "tender" (that's not the same as a trickle charger) on that bike 24/7 (or again pull your battery leads). I'd just get an extension cord installed, route it, bury it, hide it neatly, whatever, and simply get on with more important things. Nothing wrong with going with a Shorai, but you will still want a battery maintainer of sorts - it's just called a "balance charger" instead.
Good advice. I plug my trickle chargers into outlets on the garage ceiling near where I park my bikes. the charge cable hand down to each of my bikes like I'm dripping IVs into them.
This way, I don't have cable running on the garage floor to trip over.
Yes, there is no reason not to upsize the Shorai. Even the 18Ah unit is wayyy smaller and lighter than the stock Yuasa.
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