Be careful re this battery

[MikeP996]

I bought this battery (link below) a couple or months ago for my v7 850.  Last week it would not start the bike and I discovered it had an internal short.  I had purchased it to replace the Motobatt that was in the bike when I bought it a year ago and figured it was a good idea to replace the MotoB since I had no idea how old it was.

Luckily, I had kept it and when the "new" battery wouldn't start the bike I removed the new one  and reinstalled the old Motobatt which started the bike immediately.  The "new" batt is now a paperweight.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09BZT7BP1?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_2

[guzzisteve]

When you order a batt to be delivered you have no idea who dropped it or tossed it onto a dock. I go to a store for batteries.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

When you order a batt to be delivered you have no idea who dropped it or tossed it onto a dock. I go to a store for batteries.

If it's packaged properly, no damage will result. I buy almost all of my batteries (probably close to 100 over the past 20 years) from Battery Mart in Winchester, VA and they ship via FedEx. Even though our FedEx drivers seem to be the most inept delivery persons, I've never received a damaged one. Battery Mart packs them very well with thick layers of impact absorbing material.

Of the nearly a dozen "Chrome" batteries I've bought on Amazon, only one had an internal fault. Replaced by the Chrome company, no questions asked.

[Perazzimx14]

When you order a batt to be delivered you have no idea who dropped it or tossed it onto a dock. I go to a store for batteries.

And you still do not know who dropped or tossed it onto the dock!

[DoubleGuzzi]

That was a good price for that battery, even with the fairly modest Cold Cranking Amps. Claim a return/refund? For a Motobatt replacement, consider an Exide and try to get a high specced CCA, whatever you end up with.

[MikeP996]

I suspect I "got what I paid for" a battery for about 1/3 the price (and quality) of a new MotoBatt or other equivalent battery.  ;)

[Perazzimx14]

I suspect I "got what I paid for" a battery for about 1/3 the price (and quality) of a new MotoBatt or other equivalent battery.  ;)

I bought a GS from a guy in NY. When I got there the battery was dead but he said he ordered me a new one and it would arrive at the house in a few days. Since this was a flipper and I had dealt with the seller before I was all good with it. Battery showed up from Amazon and I looked it up and it cost around $25 for a XTY-14 BS SLA battery with higher than factory CCA + had a 3 year warranty. Put it in the bike and it worked and is probably still working today.

[Dr. Enzo Toma]

I had my truck in for repair earlier this year and in their courtesy inspection of various points of the vehicle they identified the battery was at a reduced capacity. The battery being just out of warranty, I wanted to get ahead of that before cold starting this winter, and picked up a new Interstate battery from a local brick-and-mortar. That battery went 3 days and then internally shorted. I returned it as defective, replaced it with a NAPA battery because a replacement Interstate battery of that group size wasn't in stock and would have needed to be ordered. I wanted to make sure it wasn't an alternator of voltage regulator issue, but the charging system on the truck tested fine. In going through all that everyone from friends to the folks at the store shared their experiences and the summary was that AGM batteries these days are hit or miss for both autos and motorcycles, and you may be better off replacing upon failure rather than doing a preventative replacement.

[Utrider]

This is a VERY sensitive subject for me.  I have 9 motorcycles and 4 cars.  It's a NEVER ending thing with batteries!!!  I have tenders and rotate between rigs on a regular basis, but I am replacing at least 2 per year and it doesn't seem to matter how much I spend or what the name on the label is.  I remember the days when a DieHard would last 5+yrs and not lose any voltage.  I understand these new vehicles have all of these nannies and do-good things on them, but really?  Battery technology has to have made strides since then.  I get it, they make more money if they get us to replace these damn things every 2 years or so, but it seems like one of these "genius" MBA's that run one of these companies would figure out that if you get a reputation for building a better battery we will beat a path to your door.  Most of the battery companies (by my understanding) have been gobbled up by a couple of conglomerates and even though they are marketed under "known" names, they are in fact much more similar to each other than they used to be.  End of rant...

On a "what the hell was I thinking" note...I recently purchased a Lucid EV....Love the car, but really!?!?!?

[Kev m]

And you still do not know who dropped or tossed it onto the dock!

And this literally remains true no matter from whom you've purchased it.

[michaell32]

This is a VERY sensitive subject for me.  I have 9 motorcycles and 4 cars.  It's a NEVER ending thing with batteries!!!  I have tenders and rotate between rigs on a regular basis, but I am replacing at least 2 per year and it doesn't seem to matter how much I spend or what the name on the label is.  I remember the days when a DieHard would last 5+yrs and not lose any voltage.  I understand these new vehicles have all of these nannies and do-good things on them, but really?  Battery technology has to have made strides since then.  I get it, they make more money if they get us to replace these damn things every 2 years or so, but it seems like one of these "genius" MBA's that run one of these companies would figure out that if you get a reputation for building a better battery we will beat a path to your door.  Most of the battery companies (by my understanding) have been gobbled up by a couple of conglomerates and even though they are marketed under "known" names, they are in fact much more similar to each other than they used to be.  End of rant...

On a "what the hell was I thinking" note...I recently purchased a Lucid EV....Love the car, but really!?!?!?

My rule is if it's going to sit for more than a month I disconnect the battery. My thought is none of the batteries in stores are ever connected to a tender and they sit there for a year sometimes. Battery tenders sound good in theory but I trust a full disconnect more.  YMMV.

[Dr. Enzo Toma]

My rule is if it's going to sit for more than a month I disconnect the battery. My thought is none of the batteries in stores are ever connected to a tender and they sit there for a year sometimes. Battery tenders sound good in theory but I trust a full disconnect more.  YMMV.

Many manufacturers recommend exactly that for seasonal storage, disconnecting the battery to eliminate parasitic draw. Then there is just the self discharge rate to worry about. Some even go so far as to recommend removing the battery and storing it climate controlled.

[SIR REAL ED]

Bizarrely enough, I remember 50-60 years ago, that many batteries in farm tractors and heavy construction equipment lasted 15-20 years or longer.  Even if they were installed in equipment that often was not started for 6-10 weeks at a time.

Check the water level every 6 months or so and you were good to go!

I suspect a lot of that longevity was due to the battery having 4 or 5 times the required amperage needed to start the engine.  Nobody worries about saving weight in tractors, bulldozers, loaders, excavators, etc.

[John A]

If it's packaged properly, no damage will result. I buy almost all of my batteries (probably close to 100 over the past 20 years) from Battery Mart in Winchester, VA and they ship via FedEx. Even though our FedEx drivers seem to be the most inept delivery persons, I've never received a damaged one. Battery Mart packs them very well with thick layers of impact absorbing material.

Of the nearly a dozen "Chrome" batteries I've bought on Amazon, only one had an internal fault. Replaced by the Chrome company, no questions asked.

I’ve been using Battery Mart as well for a few years with good results https://www.batterymart.com/

[MikeP996]

Motorcycle batts like the one I posted about originally, are inexpensive and come with the acid packaged separately that you add.  I have used several of that type and none of them have lasted very long though this one is the first that failed so quickly.   Also, although the same size externally, the MotoBatt is much heavier than the replacement batt which also indicates considerably more lead and, therefore, greater capacity and lifespan.  It is also sealed from the factory.  But I figured that the replacement would last at least a couple of years. ;)  I decided that I'll replace the motobatt when it actually fails, not as a "preventive measure"...which failed!

[turboguzzi]

When you order a batt to be delivered you have no idea who dropped it or tossed it onto a dock. I go to a store for batteries.

sounds good in theory, but in practice, do you think an installed battery has an easier time when bike is constantly ridden over speedbumps, whasboards and potholed roads?

in my corner of the world, batteries have a 1 yr warranty....online or retail

Being an el cheapo myself, my SP1000 is now 4 years on a cheap lawn mower battery, only thing i did to extend its life is adding a battery isolator switch terminal , seems to help as i ride it only so often due to too many other bikes in the herd

[ebeeby]

Well, Chinesium, so....