A text from a friend reminded me of something I've been meaning to do
Here is a re-post of a topic I raised last year
This is the time of year when we are much more likely to hear the dreaded "groan" from the starter or hollow "click" at the solenoid
(unless you are lucky enough to have a kickstart )
The following product I CAN personally recommend to releive those symptoms
I have used one now for two winters and where I live we get several degrees of frost regularly, even in summer months
These batteries,even when poorly attended to, will crank even the most reluctant engine into life, if there any suggestion of life in it
They recover from deep discharge much faster too
GEL type batteries are not only an investment towards peace of mind, they can also be installed in a variety of positions without fear of acid spillage and are maintenance free
Treat your bike to a Christmas present she/he will thank you for, for years to come
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150948985312?ssPageName=STRK:...3019wt_721
This is just a link to an example of the type
You may find one cheaper elsewhere
I'm not promoting this particular supplier, just the type of battery
Oh, and they are "Quadflex" which means they can be fitted either way round
And they usually come with a selection of re-sizing extensions to suit "most" battery compartments
But the majority are an exact OEM replacement size
Here's a link to the original topic
http://www.bikermatch.co.uk/sites/bm/forum/posts.asp?to...c_id=11213
my battery just (3rd Nov, £44) been replaced after a little over 3 years service which is about all we can expect from a lead acid liquid one, though many do last longer.
wish I had spotted this earlier......good call Emzed
I'm thinking back to how it was given me....(Halfrauds) and my new battery has no breather and took 20 minutes to fill from the acid bottles so maybe I have got one of those glass mat thingys.
I am sure its not possible/permitted to send a charged battery through the post as the ebay one would be.
It sounds to me like what you have is a "sealed lead acid" type, Android
Most new batteries are what is known as "dry charged", because they do generate a residual charge, just from the electrolytic action of adding the electrolyte
But it is almost always recommended to give them a full 24 hrs trickle charge before use
My batteries were delivered by courier
I have had traditional lead acid batteries arrive by "post" but they came with the electrolyte in a separate bottle
They needed a full charge too, although when filled they did have enough charge to to blow the horn & turn the engine over
battery playing up on Honda optimate 4 says its ok AA say itys knackered have ordered motobatt gel battery bike ok to start at moment but still iffytook your advice EMZ and now waiting for new one
I have just bought a Odyssey battery for my 2007 BMW RT1200 having had a Exide wet acid battery that the bike came with. The new Odyssey battery turns the old twin over far quicker than the wet acid types around. I used to get 9-10 years out of a proper German Varta 30Ah wet battery charging it up once a fortnight with a lab power supply. Then ended up with a Made in China battery from Motobins in Spalding for my old K100RS. Next day the battery was dead and checked the specific gravity of all 6 cells. One cell was completely dead. Went back and exchanged the damaged Exide battery for another so called Exide battery and within three years that had another cell failing. The quality of the plates produced in China is nothing like the German Varta ones that BMW used to put in their bikes years ago. But this USA produced dry battery is great having put it through some tests in my workshop. Will in future pay more for a better made battery. By the way got hold of the Odyssey battery on eBay from a Peterborough company that was cheaper than others on the internet.