Battery issues?

[wolfe 21]

Okay, now that I've finally gotten my bike running right I'm thinking my battery is DOA from sitting so long.......
So, how do you test to make sure the battery is dead and needs to be replaced???
Also, what's the best replacement option for these batteries..... Still using the acid type battery or one of the sealed gel style batteries. It's got a yuasa in it now, I'm thinking its the stocker from '04 since I haven't changed it and I've owned it since '07.

James.

[CJM]

You need a battery tester to really do a proper test. Harbor freight has them.

Honestly Id forgo the test and just replace. Id also spend the few extra bucks and buy a suzuki hayabusa battery. If you do a search on here you can find the size. I have one, alot more cranking amps and same price.

[wolfe 21]

Cool, good to know. I'll look around for the Suzi battery.

[wolfe 21]

can anyone recommend a good place to buy a battery online. I'm seeing prices from $45 to $80 for the YTX-9BS stock replacement battery and I'm not sure where to go. Rocky is $75, or I'd buy it there.

James.

[rooster300ex]

ebay has em for 30 bucks

[Stickman400]

http://www.batterymart.com/ Seems to be pretty cheap, that's where I bought my Hayabusa battery for $60.

[wolfe 21]

How do these yuasa type batteries work. Are they sealed from the factory or do they ship with a separate acid container that I have to add before using it like the El cheapo batteries@ Walmart. Just curious, as I have a bad habit of getting upside down on occasion. Also, are the 05 & up battery boxes sealed or do they just look that way in pics?

[CJM]

It depends on the brand. The yuasa I got came ready to go, the walmart batteries are cheap crap.

I use a battery from a hayabusa, same size and 50 more cca if I recall. Not sure what part number it is anymore tho, you search you might be able to find it.

[Stickman400]

Here's a pic of the battery box I got from them. It's the same one that CJM is talking about. It is a gel type battery so it came sealed and ready to go. All I had to do was hook it up to my battery tender to make sure it was fully charged and throw it in. Fits perfect and has more power. Can't go wrong.
http://i683.photobucket.com/albums/vv192/Stickman400/Quad%20Pics/IMAG0272.jpg

[duneslider]

So, why are the Walmart batts junk? They are agm batteries and have plenty of cca's to start it. Price isn't bad either. I am not seeing how they are junk. I only picked one up cause I was in a pinch and needed one.

[CJM]

Originally posted by duneslider
So, why are the Walmart batts junk? They are agm batteries and have plenty of cca's to start it. Price isn't bad either. I am not seeing how they are junk. I only picked one up cause I was in a pinch and needed one.

Lemme put it into perspective for you:

Im a mechanic, currently I work on the road for an AAA contractor company that sells the AAA batteries off the service trucks to people. Walmart/everstart brand batteries (rebadged exides) are absolute garbage as are all exide batteries. I replace more of them suckers than you would believe. Im not sure what it is other than poor manufacturing and or quality control. Also in my time in the shop they wont use exide batteries either for the same reasons. They just dont last.

Not all batteries are created equal, you wouldnt buy offbrand AA's and expect them to last as long as duracell or energizer would you? So why expect a walmart battery to outlast the same exact brand honda uses themselves?

On a related note, when I bought my 400 I always had starting issues. The battery was brand new (he handed me the box and receipt when I bought the quad). I left the key on one time overnight and recharged the battery-it never held a charge again. Done that 2x with the yuasa battery-wouldnt you know its still going strong?

In the end its kinda like buying store brand jeans. Sure they are good, but the real ones are just that much better.

[2001400exrida]

You're comparing 2 completely different batteries. It's not that walmart batteries are bad. It's that your yuasa busa battery is a sealed no maintenance gel battery, by design it is more reliable and twice the price.

I replaced the battery in my 400ex with a walmart battery and it has never given me any trouble. Some machines such as the yfz450's do actually need a stronger battery but these 400ex's can use the stock replacement battery from parts unlimited or walmart and they will work just fine.

The sportbike batteries (not just the busa but several sport bikes) will give more CCA's and are a better battery but it is by no means necessary, it's just a little more insurance if you're looking for something better. A parts unlimited or a walmart battery will work just fine if you don't let the thing go dead every winter.

[witech]

Ive been dealing with ATV and motorcycle batteries for 25 years. Back in the old days the statements about buying higher priced batteries verses Walmart was very true. But somewhere around mid 2000's even the great yuasa's started to become hit or miss. My new policy is to have the new battery regardless of brand tested right in the store BEFORE I buy it. Its shocking how many dont pass a load test right off the shelf. By far more than half of the walmart ones failed a capacity test before even installing them.
And a little info for the "higher " capacity ones. They get the capacity by adding more lead plates but also making the plates thinner. They will be more prone to vibration damage and if discharged like leaving the key on overnight they are more likely not to recover from sulfation.

For me I wil be switching over to the lightwieght lifepo4 battery and do away with all the problems of the lead acid dinosaurs.

[duneslider]

Now we are getting some where. Its amazing the gospel that is sometimes taught on forums. Plain and simple, lead acid batteries are old technology. EVERY lead acid battery can be destroyed by complete discharge, even your very expensive ones.

The reason you replace more exides than others is probably because more exides are sold and in use than any other. I have a crappy everstart in my truck, it is going on 60 months without so much as a hiccup. The last red top optima in my jeep only lasted 37 months.

There is much better technology out there for batteries. Lots of neat options, they too have negatives but some not as many. Discharging all batteries is generally a bad thing, most types won't recover from over-discharge. Extreme heat, cold, and vibration are bad for lead acid batteries. I keep my batteries warm in the winter, charged, and try to keep them from too much heat in the summer (pretty easy to do on an atv) and I tend to get excellent life out of my batteries. Not a lot you can do about vibration on an atv that gets ridden, just have to cross your fingers.

Sure, there are better lead acid batteries but I am willing to bet I can make two walmart batteries last way longer than most people get out of their expensive gel cells and I probably still have a few extra bucks for gas money.

For just a little more than a good gel cell you can get a nice lithium battery that weighs way less, has way more cca's, is smaller, and will last longer. Too bad they don't sell them at walmart at 11:30 at night cause that is usually when I end up needing a battery. :D