New Battery Thread (oh no!)

[infoage1]

I installed a new battery last night. The mini Yuasa YTZ7-S.

It is the same battery that CycleCat requires for their slider kit installation on (some?) Superbikes. I know Alex uses and recommends this battery also.

Two benefits that I can tell. The first is obvious: the thing is small and lightweight at 4.6 lbs. vs. 7.6 lbs. for the recommended Yuasa YT12B-BS.

The second, and perhaps most important, the YTZ7-S battery is filled, sealed, and charged AT THE FACTORY. The YT12B-BS is none of these. With the YT12B-BS, all three are done by the dealer or end user, are VERY critical to be done correctly, and increase the potential for leakage if even one is not done properly.

While the overall capacity for the mini Yuasa is only 60% of its big brother, the CCA are roughly the same. I've only had a chance to try starting the bike a couple times, but the bike fired right up. The starter sounded the same, and didn't sound like it was laboring at all while cranking the engine. The installation was pretty straight forward, with the exception being that the ground cable needed to be lengthened about 5-6 inches.

Anyhow, thought I'd be the group Guina-Pig. I'll be riding all weekend, so will have a chance to better test it.

http://www.yuasabatteries.com/batter...=B175&vID=1701

Battery Family: YTZ Factory Activated, Maintenance Free

[MonsterHooligan]

i put the same battery in mine a couple weeks ago...same good experience.
(i didnt extend the ground cable, i just flipped the battery around the other way and criss-crossed the cables...that seemed to work ok.)

i took some pics, i'll try to post

[infoage1]

i put the same battery in mine a couple weeks ago...same good experience.
(i didnt extend the ground cable, i just flipped the battery around the other way and criss-crossed the cables...that seemed to work ok.)

i took some pics, i'll try to post

I didn't have enough slack in my cables to do that. I rotated the battery CC 90 degrees to meet the positive cable and lengthened the ground as needed (Not sure if this makes sense. It's because the battery terminals are reversed). One other thing, the battery terminals are a wee bit different, so I trimmed the terminal on the positive cable a little with tin-snips. Also, the front of the battery is the new home for my PCIII, not the top as before. Which I think looks cleaner.

Guess I should take pics too...

[infoage1]

Here's the final installation. So far, no problems at all. As you can see, I ended up velcroing the PCIII behind the battery. Also, I ended up replacing the ground cable in its entirety with some 6 gauge boat cable which I soldered and heat-shrunk at the terminals. Notice the battery acid damage from the OEM battery:

[MonstaS4]

I would be really interested to hear how these batteries perform in the long run. No negative thoughts, just a very interested S4 owner.

[ducseven]

Hello Tom,
Post the Info on where you purchased the battery also, I will probably replace mine with it.
Let me know how it works for you, I will be out riding this weekend also.
I haven't had a problem with my stock battery yet but I check it after every ride.
Thanks
Rob

[908SSP]

http://www.motorcyclebatteriesusa.co...ils.asp?id=109

These usually have them in stock prices are decent and the ship quickly.

[infoage1]

Hello Tom,
Post the Info on where you purchased the battery also, I will probably replace mine with it.
Let me know how it works for you, I will be out riding this weekend also.
I haven't had a problem with my stock battery yet but I check it after every ride.
Thanks
Rob

Hi Rob,

I bought the battery at the local H0nda dealer. They charged me $65.74 (+tax). With a printed list of $82.18, I think they gave me a pretty good deal.

If anyone is interested in the 3 month old Yuasa YT12B-BS I took out, IM me. $50 plus shipping. If you live near Newport Beach, that's $50 installed .

[ducseven]

Hey Tom,
I am not an electrical genius by far, so I had a question about the amps between the two.
The smaller one is .6 and the regular size is 1.0

Does this difference cause any question down the road?

Also I went to my local Honda dealer and they only carried Interstate batteries.

So I am going thru another company to get it.

How did it work for you?

Mine has started to leak finally, very minor but the tray is wet underneath.
Also had some funk with the key turned on and nothing happening at the starter button????

Thanks,
Rob

[infoage1]

Hey Tom,
I am not an electrical genius by far, so I had a question about the amps between the two.
The smaller one is .6 and the regular size is 1.0

Does this difference cause any question down the road?

Also I went to my local Honda dealer and they only carried Interstate batteries.

So I am going thru another company to get it.

How did it work for you?

Mine has started to leak finally, very minor but the tray is wet underneath.
Also had some funk with the key turned on and nothing happening at the starter button????

Thanks,
Rob

Honestly, I'm not sure what that spec refers to (maybe some value that has to do with shelf-life draw down?).

But, because it's such a low value, I didn't worry too much about it. I think what we need to worry about are adequate Cold Cranking Amps (CCA), and enough overall capacity to deliver those as long as needed to get the bike started. But I was wondering about that spec also, so I've got a call in to Yuasa to find out (1-866-431-4784).

I've had no problem with my small battery so far. But as the bike has been sitting for a full week with no attention, we'll see if it starts. I might have it back together by tomorrow.

I imagine if one were to only ride around town, with repeated startings, there could be a problem because of inadequate charging.

Good deal, you caught your leaker in time. You might post that on the "real" battery thread, as I know all of Ducati NA is following that one...

I have no clue what that starter issue is. I know mine sometimes continues to run as if the solenoid is stuck.