Battery question. Or, is more always better?

[GeorgiaGuzzi]

The battery on my Quota looks quite new. It’s a AGM wal mart battery that after 36 hours on the battery tender is fully charged again. However, it’s kind of underwhelming spec wise. 180 cca, 10ah. I generally prefer to put in a few extra cca than factory and I’m also a fan of more amp hours than less.

My quandary is this. I’m not thrilled with the wal-mart battery, but it does it’s job and is newish. So should I just run it or get an upgraded AGM battery that has around 300cca and about 16 ah? Will the weaker battery bugger the electronics over time or will they be okay?

Thanks, Robert

[guzzisteve]

The system likes 20AH or more. My EV has a 34AH in it.

One wiring diagram says 13AH and another in book says 30AH

[Zoom Zoom]

More is better with batteries, except when weight is your top consideration. Then there's the money side of it...

ZZ

[Guzzistajohn]

Just ordered a new Odyssey for the old beater today $109.00 on Amazon. The old unit mysteriously came up with a dead cell 

 

[Bob Mehmen]

  I have been using odyssey PC545's in my Quota for the last 18 years. It only has 150cca and have never had a problem cranking. You might have a problem finding a bigger cca battery to fit in the battery box.

[SmithSwede]

You asked, so here is my opinion. 

Leave it alone.   You said it works.   So it works.  What else do you want?  Bragging rights at the next monthly meeting of Battery Geeks Anonymous?  Do you want to bring a flip chart with multiple colours?

If it were old, that would be a different deal.   If it were winter and you are riding every day despite the stupid cold weather, that would be different.   But casual use in the summer and you admit it works just fine?   Nah.  Worry about something else. 

What exactly is the kinematic viscosity of the grease in your steering stem bearings? 

 


 

[kingoffleece]

Most AGM batteries want to see a specific output from any "battery  tender" type unit.  Many made for lead-acid do not have that program.

[GeorgiaGuzzi]

Thanks for the food for thought. Much appreciated.

[GeorgiaGuzzi]

You asked, so here is my opinion. 

casual use in the summer and you admit it works just fine?   Nah.  Worry about something else.
 

Well, it does work just fine but it’s going to be daily ridden as a commuter bike and also as a tourer. I’m planning on taking it up to Atlantic City NJ in August. And I ride it at least one way in to work in the dark, when it gets cooler both ways will be in the dark. I ride 12 months of the year and want to add led driving lights. Just want to make sure I’m not adding future electrical gremlins. 😉

Thanks very much, Robert

[Mike Tashjian]

CCA is for starting and is much more important as temperatures dip.  Battery reserve minutes become important when your charging system fails.  Those minutes are your estimated time to complete darkness.  Your battery also cushions your charging system.  Many systems will not keep up at a stop and the battery will be used to keep things running smooth.  So in a nutshell, unless you have a need for extra power for cold weather, or expecting a system failure you should be good with the battery you have. 

[GeorgiaGuzzi]

CCA is for starting and is much more important as temperatures dip.  Battery reserve minutes become important when your charging system fails.  Those minutes are your estimated time to complete darkness.  Your battery also cushions your charging system.  Many systems will not keep up at a stop and the battery will be used to keep things running smooth.  So in a nutshell, unless you have a need for extra power for cold weather, or expecting a system failure you should be good with the battery you have.

Thanks Mike. That explains it nicely!

[Wayne Orwig]

That Quota should have the Valio starter. That is gear driven and does not need as many amps from the battery.
I have been using the Odyssey PC545 AGM batteries in my bikes for a long time. I think they are 18ah. Always had pretty good luck with them. My EV currently has a Yuasa AGM battery. When my 12 year old Odyssey died, I needed to have a battery that weekend and the Yuasa was all that I could get. It has been doing fine, but I had issues with Yuasa in the past.

[n3303j]

The bigger the better. Odyssey 925 in anything where it will fit. Often enough my bike is the lighting for setting up tents during late arrivals. I also have the 5 amp dual USB port wired directly to my battery so it is always on. My bike is the one my companions use to recharge their devices overnight including their charging bricks. 925 has never failed to perform all I asked of it and still light the fires in the AM.

[usedtobefast]

Have you checked out your electrical system? Just a simple volts at idle, volts at 3000 rpm type of check?  And a parasitic draw test? 

If all that is good, then a so-so battery should be fine. 

[Sasquatch Jim]

T'aint broke, don't fix it.

[bodine99]

ETX14L Starts a 1200cc HD-XL Check out Big Crank/Deka battery USA made. posts are solid with the case. Get an LED battery monitor to see your voltage when riding. Have some real batt-cables made. Also a battery tender/maintainer is not a charger. It can show a green light and the battery can be duff. Enjoy your trip

[GeorgiaGuzzi]

Have you checked out your electrical system? Just a simple volts at idle, volts at 3000 rpm type of check?  And a parasitic draw test? 

If all that is good, then a so-so battery should be fine.

No. Electrical stuff is my kryptonite. I view anything beyond making sure the terminals are clean right up there with calculus. Tbh I’d take the calculus over a multimeter.

I know, I know, I’ll send my man card in. 😂😂😂

[atavar]

My two cents is do NOT get a Lithium battery unless you live in Texas or Florida. Sure you can get triple or more the cca/ah in a lighter package the same size but if the temp ever drops below 45 it will fail to crank without multiple tries.
I got one for my Norge when the original crapped out in a small town on a trip because that was all the only parts store had that would physically fit.
It is amazing in the warm but sucks big donkey parts in the cold.

[usedtobefast]

No. Electrical stuff is my kryptonite. I view anything beyond making sure the terminals are clean right up there with calculus. Tbh I’d take the calculus over a multimeter.

I know, I know, I’ll send my man card in. 😂😂😂

The basic stuff is easy. 

Do you have a battery tender lead on it?  If so, you could get one of these:  https://www.batterytender.com/Battery-Tender-LCD-Voltage-Indicator_2

Plugs into the tender cable, you see the battery voltage.  Start bike up, see voltage.  Run rpms up to 3000 or so, see voltage. 

For the parasitic draw test, you need a meter for that one, and you gotta disconnect the battery.  But plenty of youtube videos on how to do it.

With these two tests done, then you know if your charging system is good (not going to over or under change the battery) and you know you don't have a battery drain (so something isn't going to kill your battery just sitting for a week or so). 


Oh, the other cool thing with that battery tender voltage meter ... say you are looking at a used bike ... seems most have a battery tender lead on them ... if the seller is ok with it, you plug your meter in, start the bike and instant quick check of the charging system!  Nice to know before making an offer on a used bike.

If you can pull the motor out and apart ... you can do this!