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Battery Recommendations

27K views 43 replies 21 participants last post by  Denn 
#1 ·
Hey Everyone -

My current OEM battery died and I've been lookin at all my options for replacement. I can't spring for Lithium battery at the moment and I rather not go old school Lead Acid, so I figured a AGM battery would be a great middle of the road option, that isn't too pricy.

Seems like there are many available options, so I wanted to check with you guys to see if there are any recommendations from TW owners before I buy one.

Thanks SO much for any info / insight

Regards, Todd
 
#2 · (Edited)
#12 ·
Raffles, Big Thank You! Incredibly helpful, I was wondering about the size differences, so awesome you posted these pics! I'm a "visual" guy by trade so seeing this is exactly what I needed!
;)(y), no problems! , we are all here to help members , that’s what makes it a good forum , sorry for repeating some of pics , I went for the yuasa Agm ,beacause out of all the batteries I have had in bikes over the years , this make has always served me the best , only downside is they generally are more expensive, but battery technology has got better over the years , so cheaper alternatives may just be as good or even better now , you will notice a difference, especially cranking speed is faster with this battery , as compared to stock , even before it started to show its age etc, I did not go for li ion as I have another bike with agm battery on and would need to purchase another battery charger for li ion
 
#4 ·
Shorai Lithium Ion or Deltran Litium Iron both as light as a ping pong ball and 1/3 the size of standard flooded I have Shorais dated 2011 and older that still work perfectly and I once had a Shorai that started my personal TW for 4 years through harsh Seattle winters the bike started every time and never was on a battery charger in the 4 years I owned it ! I kept that battery when I sold that TW and I use that Shorai as my shop test battery starting dozens of bikes every year even full size street bikes
 
#5 ·
Thanks Placer, I agree the Shorai seems like an amazing battery, just not in my "motorcycle budget" at the moment, so I'm looking for a AGM which seems like a good option at a 3rd of the price. Does anyone know if the YTZ7S mentioned above the best option? Seems like there are many AGM options when I was looking into it last night. I see the one available form Weize and also one available from Battery Mart. I read many if not all the battery threads here and still undecided on which one to get...
 
#6 ·
Hey Everyone -

My current OEM battery died and I've been lookin at all my options for replacement. I can't spring for Lithium battery at the moment and I rather not go old school Lead Acid, so I figured a AGM battery would be a great middle of the road option, that isn't too pricy.

Seems like there are many available options, so I wanted to check with you guys to see if there are any recommendations from TW owners before I buy one.

Thanks SO much for any info / insight

Regards, Todd
 

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#8 ·
The Shorai is the "X-chain" of batteries. I've had one for almost two years and have not had to maintain it in any way. I've even jump-started a few trucks with it to date. I would say that if you do not have a kick-starter installed on your TW, it would be a good idea to go with the Shorai.
 
#9 · (Edited)
I bought a Deltran AGM from Amazon and it has been a great cheap battery for me. Deltran makes the battery tender jr. which is the only battery maintainer that I'll use. I'd recommend both.

[Link deleted since it was the wrong one]

Sam

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk
 
#10 ·
Understand the extra initial cost of a LiPo4 battery like the Shorai ( or one of its more affordable lithium competitors) is hard to justify when on a budget. However the long term value is there depending on how you value reliability and convenience.
Anecdotal Observations:
1) Like you my OEM battery eventually failed. So I bought an AGM battery that quickly failed so there is that risk if taking the cheaper option like me. Since the money spent was wasted it made the needed replacement seem that much more expensive.

2) Now with a pair of LiPo4 batteries for both bikes I do not need to buy nor use a battery charger, lithiums hold a charge much longer untended...just riding the bike a few times a year is more than enough to maintain a charge.

3) Lithium batteries do not suffer the same voltage drops under load as conventional batteries so your starter motor spins faster and longer. This helps a poorly tuned bike start easier and delay need to do what really is necessary maintenance.

4) This ability to crank longer and harder can mean the difference between getting bike running again out in the bush or walking home.
 
#11 ·
I have a friend who worked for years for a company that installed off-grid scientific instruments and they swore by PowerSonic batteries since their batteries just had to work. Here's a picture of their lithium product for the TW. I've never seen anyone review them in this forum but someday when my budget allows I'm going to try this battery.

Sam



Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk
 
#14 ·
Thanks for all the info everyone. As far as I can tell is the stock Lead battery is 12V 8AH and 80CCA. After looking at all the options, I think I might try the Deltran AGM, It's a little less on the AH, 7 vs 8 and a lot higher on the CCA 120 vs 80. Any info both good or bad on these differences? I already have a Deltran charger so I should be good to go when I'm not riding as much. Glowspud, do you know if the battery you linked is the best option from Deltran? I looked at the Deltran website and they have SO many AGM batteries to choose form. Thanks again everyone for chiming in, Thumbs Up.
 
#15 ·
I originally searched for an AGM battery that was the same size as the stock lead acid battery but I couldn't find anything that was a match. An AGM that was as large as the stock one should have much better specs in every way and still be cheaper than a lithium one.

Your search might yield better results than mine but the Amazon link I provided was the closest match I could find.

Sam

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk
 
#17 ·
Finding a battery locally for these bikes is very unlikely. I found a Duracell pro AGM at autozone that fits. A little smaller but works. I ordered the Shoria Lithium last week. Should be here this weekend. I had a batteries plus lead acid for a couple days till it lost a cell and pissed acid all over the bike. Such junk anymore. And I’ve never had an issue with batteries plus batteries in 15 years.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#18 ·
Just took my OEM battery out and measured it:

Stock Battery Dimensions: 5 Inches Wide X 3 3/4 Inches Deep X 4 1/2 Inches Tall

Also, Spoke with someone at Deltran, they are going to get back to me with the best available option ( AGM Type ) for the TW. Looking forward to seeing what they come up with.
 
#19 ·
It’s battery time for me as well. In my efforts to learn from those who have traveled this road before, what is the model number of the best li-ion battery out there, and does someone have a link to the best place to order it?
I’m not concerned about the weight, just long term reliability and proper fit. Thanks
 
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#20 ·
Hey Glowspud, Does the BTX7A battery you linked fit in the TW ok? When looking up the dimensions it's listed as 5.9" Long which is a little bigger than what I measured on my bike, which is 5" Long. Just want to double check before I order. TY - Todd
 
#21 ·
Ok. This is really weird. The link I provided above to the Deltran AGM battery for my TW came right out of my Amazon purchase history but it is the WRONG battery. And since I have purchased only one of these batteries I couldn't have gotten confused about which model I bought. I suspect that Deltran's product page defaults to a generic listing instead of to the specific product I purchased.

In fact, I just pulled the battery from the bike and it is a BTZ7S-FA. This battery does fit albeit with spacers. Since I've only had it for 6 months and it's my first one of these your mileage may vary. But I've always liked my Deltran products and I've been using them for decades.

Amazon no longer lists this model on their door so you'll have to go elsewhere if you want it. Good luck!

Sam



Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk
 
#22 · (Edited)
In my efforts to find a replacement battery I’ve been looking at the BikeMaster Lithium Ion DLFP 7ZS. On Amazon they are mostly $103, but one place is selling them for $92.93 with free shipping.


Before I push the “buy” button, are their any warnings or “ ya shoulda gone with .... “ comments?
 
#23 ·
Hey Sam, Thanks for doing that, and good thing I checked before ordering! When I looked into this the BTZ7S-FA is the best fit out of all the AGM batteries Deltran offers. Unfortunately looks like that model is sold out everywhere. I really wanted to give this battery a try, seems like it's a VG good alternative to a more expensive Li battery. They have several other AGM's that would be perfect, power wise, but they are all a little bit too long to fit into the TW. The search continues!
 
#24 ·
Yeah, it's a real pain finding an AGM battery that fits the full dimensions of the stock lead acid.

If or when you find one be sure and post your discovery here. I think a lot of people are looking for one of those.

Sam

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk
 
#25 ·
Just couldn’t stand it. All this about Batteries. DONE with the Lead Acid so I called all over other than dealers and nothing for an AGM or Lithium. Just as I was going to give up and order online who came through? Cycle Gear, in stock And 10% off. Score on the Shorai LFX09L2-BS12. Hope it’s as badass as been talked about. So small and light made him open it to make sure it’s real. Clams that I could use the standard Battery Tender but have to do something so it doesn’t over charge. Ya I don’t think I’ll be trying that any time soon. They didn’t have any Lithium chargers in stock or would have grabbed it. Would like to just make sure it’s topped of before I hit it. Also saw something about turning it on and running lights to kind of Wake The Battery Up before you crank it will help as well. Not sure why I need a Lithium Charger like I would have used a Battery Tender on the bike being the bike should charge it as ridden but I always like the peace of mind topping off before riding off after sitting for a while. Now it’s time to GET OUT AND DO SOMETHING EVEN IF ITS WRONG.
 
#30 ·
:) Well ! , I have just fitted the yuasa battery as in your picture and yes it was not cheap , but it spins that motor over so quickly now it fires/ starts So quickly now compared to the old yuasa flooded battery , but reason for going for a trusted make of battery Used in motorcycles is that if I can get over 7+ years out of a flooded battery ( same make ) I’m hoping to get approx the same in agm or poss longer as long as I look after it and the charging system does not play up destroying it .
So in my opinion I would rather pay the extra for a quality product and replace once in time period than buy twice in same time period 😯 but that’s just my opinion , I’ve seen cheaper batteries fail before good quality batteries but “you pays your money and take your chances “ with cheaper
 
#27 ·
Hey Everyone, I have a battery update, for anyone interested in a AGM type battery, after some research here are the top contenders. Most are simply knock offs of the Yuasa YTZ7S, all with subtle variations, most notably the price, the knock offs are way cheaper. Also, size was an issue for fitment for all AGM batteries, some of the batteries that would be great power wise, where all a smidge too big. These here all fit and are within an acceptable power range. Prices all may vary too, listed here are the current prices as of 5/17/20. I wanted to give the Deltran BTZ7S-FA a try but it's sold out everywhere, and when I contacted them they were not able to provide a ETA on when it would be back in stock. I chose to go with the Zipp, mainly because there was a TW owner review on the listing, stating it was working great in his TW. Should arrive in a few days, I'm stoked!

First off the Yuasa, the most expensive:

Yuasa: YTZ7S
12V 6.3AH 130CCA
4 7/16L x 2 3/4W x 4 1/8T
$146.95

Yuasa YTZ7S by Todd Giordanella, on Flickr

Mighty Max: YTZ7S
12V 6AH 130CCA
4.50L x 2.81W x 4.21T
$34.99

Might Mac YTZ7S by Todd Giordanella, on Flickr

Battery Mart: YTZ7S
12V 6AH 90CCA
4.45L x 2.76W x 4.13T
$39.95

Battery Mart YTZ7S by Todd Giordanella, on Flickr

Zipp Battery: YTZ7S
12V 6AH 180CCA
4.45L x 2.76W x 4.13T
$32.90

Zipp Battery by Todd Giordanella, on Flickr

Weize: YTZ7S
12V 6AH 180CCA
4.45L x 2.72W x 4.17T
$ TBA

WEIZE YTZ7S by Todd Giordanella, on Flickr

Deltran – BTZ7S – FA
12V 6AH 150CCA
4.5L x 2.8W x 4.1T
$38.95

Deltran BTZ7S-FA by Todd Giordanella, on Flickr
 
#43 ·
Hey Everyone, I have a battery update, for anyone interested in a AGM type battery, after some research here are the top contenders. Most are simply knock offs of the Yuasa YTZ7S, all with subtle variations, most notably the price, the knock offs are way cheaper. Also, size was an issue for fitment for all AGM batteries, some of the batteries that would be great power wise, where all a smidge too big. These here all fit and are within an acceptable power range. Prices all may vary too, listed here are the current prices as of 5/17/20. I wanted to give the Deltran BTZ7S-FA a try but it's sold out everywhere, and when I contacted them they were not able to provide a ETA on when it would be back in stock. I chose to go with the Zipp, mainly because there was a TW owner review on the listing, stating it was working great in his TW. Should arrive in a few days, I'm stoked!

First off the Yuasa, the most expensive:

Yuasa: YTZ7S
12V 6.3AH 130CCA
4 7/16L x 2 3/4W x 4 1/8T
$146.95

Yuasa YTZ7S by Todd Giordanella, on Flickr

Mighty Max: YTZ7S
12V 6AH 130CCA
4.50L x 2.81W x 4.21T
$34.99

Might Mac YTZ7S by Todd Giordanella, on Flickr

Battery Mart: YTZ7S
12V 6AH 90CCA
4.45L x 2.76W x 4.13T
$39.95

Battery Mart YTZ7S by Todd Giordanella, on Flickr

Zipp Battery: YTZ7S
12V 6AH 180CCA
4.45L x 2.76W x 4.13T
$32.90

Zipp Battery by Todd Giordanella, on Flickr

Weize: YTZ7S
12V 6AH 180CCA
4.45L x 2.72W x 4.17T
$ TBA

WEIZE YTZ7S by Todd Giordanella, on Flickr

Deltran – BTZ7S – FA
12V 6AH 150CCA
4.5L x 2.8W x 4.1T
$38.95

Deltran BTZ7S-FA by Todd Giordanella, on Flickr
I know it's a zombie-thread-dredge, but i really appreciate this post! I got my 2004 home last night (38°overnight) & tried cranking it up this morning. I knew it'd been stood a while so I put some fresh gas in & checked the spark first.

The standard battery is pathetic! I don't know what the CCA rating is (3, maybe?) but it turns over sooo slow! The battery readings are all perfect, it just doesn't have nearly enough 'ooomph'

It did fire up, eventually & ran like a sewing machine. Took it for a quick spin around the farm roads & I'm already in love! 😃

I've got a Zipp YTZ7 on order right now.
 
#28 ·
Nice write up bro, very helpful!! (y) Love those 180 CCA ones.
 
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