Have you replaced your battery?

[gmike_imp]

[/quote]

The OEM Yuasa I bought was precharged by the manufacturer. My dealer checked it with a digital battery tester to ensure it was good before selling it to me. I took it home and put it on a 2 amp Battery Tender charger and installed it in the bike the next day.

Our battery is not a flooded cell like in your video (unless you installed one), but is an AGM battery. Still, never hurts to make sure it is fully charged before the first use and is good practice.
[/quote]

I am confused, the start of the video shows instructions for a lead acid/ AGM battery. I remember the old lead/acid and adding water yearly or so, and I know (think) the AGM are maintenance free as far as adding water. The last 2 batteries I got on line had the separate acid container.

Oh, I am afraid I am exposing my ignorance of the newer batteries.

[Lord Popgun]

Well I'm not an EXPERT on batteries, but I have stayed in a Holiday Inn Express!

Every AGM battery I've ever seen is sealed. There is no way to add water or acid. The nice thing is they work in any orientation with no leakage. Since they aren't venting all the time from caps like you saw in the video, there is pretty much no corrosion either. A very nice benefit. Keeps the terminals and battery tray, etc. nice. I'll never have a flooded cell in my bikes or cars anymore.

Here is a Wiki on them: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VRLA_battery

[olekzap_imp]

Testing the battery with a standard voltmeter as a pre-ride check is something I wouldn't do on a regular basis since it's a pain to remove the seat and expose the battery. Popgun put me on to an [url=https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender-081-0157-Disconnect-Voltage/dp/B00DJ5KE9A]nifty little digital voltmeter that plugs into a battery tender lead. Since it's much more convenient, I'm going to do a pre-ride check based on [url=http://www.yuasabatteries.com/faqs.php?action=1&id=30]recommendations from yuasa

Plug in the voltmeter and it should read 12.6-12.8 volts for a fully charged battery.

Turn on the ignition and press the starter. While the engine is cranking, the voltage should not drop below 9.5 volts. If it does, replace the battery.

While the engine is running, the voltage should be in the range of 13.8-14.5 volts to properly charge an AGM battery. This is a bit fuzzy to me since I would expect the voltage to be rpm dependent.

Thanks for that link, probably going to pick up that tester and a harness soon. Seems like a cheap way for peace of mind.

...I would expect the voltage to be rpm dependent.

Thats why they invented voltage regulators

The regulator will try to keep the voltage as close to optimal as possible. The one fitted to the the CB1100 is quite good at this. I've measured mine with a voltmeter and it doesn't vary beyond 14.1 at idle to 14.3 at 5K rpm. That's way better than the regulator on my old CB750. It varies from 13.5 at idle to 14.7 at 5K rpm. The rate at 5K rpm is actually too high and it tends to boil the battery dry over the course of 6 months or so. I have to remember to refill the battery with distilled water every few months.

I'm coming up on about 2.5 years on my battery and this thread is making me wonder if it's going to die soon. For what it's worth I never planned to, but my CB ended up sitting from November until yesterday outside under a cover without being ridden once and without any treatment for the fuel. Yesterday I got it out and it started instantly twice as if it had been ridden yesterday. This makes me think the battery is still fine? Those of you who had to replace yours, how much warning did you have? I have AAA but not looking to get stranded anywhere but also don't want to spend the money replacing it if it's not really needed.

Mine died without warning, which appears to be typical for AGM type batteries. It started perfectly one day. I rode 5 miles, stopped for 5 min. and it was dead when I tried to restart. All of my previous flooded cell batteries died more slowly with plenty of warning.

The bright side is that although the battery won't crank the engine, it'll have plenty to run the ignition, lights and computer for a bump start. That's how I made it home.

Mine died without warning, which appears to be typical for AGM type batteries. It started perfectly one day. I rode 5 miles, stopped for 5 min. and it was dead when I tried to restart. All of my previous flooded cell batteries died more slowly with plenty of warning.

The bright side is that although the battery won't crank the engine, it'll have plenty to run the ignition, lights and computer for a bump start. That's how I made it home.
Good info, thanks. I will probably plan to replace soon just to be safe based on other's battery life in this thread.

[Cormanus]

Why worry too much about it dying? Unless you have absolutely no way to bump start the bike, you should be able to get it going for long enough either to get home or to a battery shop.

[Desert viper_imp]

I'm coming up on about 2.5 years on my battery and this thread is making me wonder if it's going to die soon. For what it's worth I never planned to, but my CB ended up sitting from November until yesterday outside under a cover without being ridden once and without any treatment for the fuel. Yesterday I got it out and it started instantly twice as if it had been ridden yesterday. This makes me think the battery is still fine? Those of you who had to replace yours, how much warning did you have? I have AAA but not looking to get stranded anywhere but also don't want to spend the money replacing it if it's not really needed.

Well I had no warning whatsoever.....fired instantly like usual, rode 25 miles to a BMW dealer, came out an hour later and it barely cranked. Bump started it and rode it straight home...

[dave]

My battery gave me no advanced warning - it just died. I was able to bump-start the bike and ride it hoe.

[The A-man]

Mine just died. No warning. Approx 2.5 years old Yuasa. I decided tie try a Lithium battery. Expensive at $149, but great warranty and very lightweight. Advanced Auto Parts. More CCA than OEM.

[Nortoon_imp]

I'm coming up on about 2.5 years on my battery and this thread is making me wonder if it's going to die soon. For what it's worth I never planned to, but my CB ended up sitting from November until yesterday outside under a cover without being ridden once and without any treatment for the fuel. Yesterday I got it out and it started instantly twice as if it had been ridden yesterday. This makes me think the battery is still fine? Those of you who had to replace yours, how much warning did you have? I have AAA but not looking to get stranded anywhere but also don't want to spend the money replacing it if it's not really needed.

Well I had no warning whatsoever.....fired instantly like usual, rode 25 miles to a BMW dealer, came out an hour later and it barely cranked. Bump started it and rode it straight home...

She probably though you were going to trade her in on a BMW.

[rboe]

Mine gave me some warning, enough so that I switched to the Griso as I could not quite trust it to get me home. I was going to hold off and get a new battery next month and I had pretty much decided on an AMG. For $99 + tax it would have been a very good battery.

But.

A buddy posted on Facebook that Shorai was having a 15% off sale, free shipping which worked out to just under $170.00 so I pulled the trigger. Ordered on Wednesday, arrived on Friday (just a bit ago). I had just finished putting a woodworking project in clamps when FedEX showed up. I quickly charged the battery, dotted the eyes on the woodworking by which time the battery was all charged up (used a standard battery charger - don't have the dedicated one yet) and I tossed it in the bike.

285CCA! Stock is only 230CCA.

She turns over with vigor! Now the long haul starts, we'll see how long this one lasts in Phoenix. I got three good years out of the stock AGM battery so I expect 5 to break even. I don't need the weigh savings, just the heat resistance they are supposed to offer.

[Elipten_imp]

Which model of Shorai?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk