I fancied one of those beefy AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat) batteries. (not the same as gel battery - even better)

Only because the Odyssey AGM, comes in DELICIOUS tangerine orange, and I felt the 1VJ's under-seat area, needed a make-over.

Okay - also because:

a) AGM batteries last forever - or at least are warrantied for 3 years

b) My bike and I find ourselves horizontal a lot of the time - and jeans with battery acid holes are soooo eighties. (AGM's don't leak)

c) AGM's don't have to be mollycoddled, kept warm, filled up and all that tedious nonsence.

ALSO -- since I want to have my hair straighteners plugged in while I travel (so they're ready to use at my first stop) I figured that I should get a 14 Amps, rather than the prescribed 12 Amps for that extra bit of juice.


I was a little unprepared for the Odyssey's £80 price tag... so I decided on the spot, that TANGERINE ORANGE clashes a bit with Ténéré red, and the satin black of VARTA's AGM FUNSTART battery, would look JUST the business. (And at £40, leave me with some shopping money)

Can you IMAGINE my suprise and horror, when I found out, that in the whole of Her Majesty's Great Brittain, one could NOT find a gel / AGM battery that came in the shape of a YB12AL2 (which is what the 1VJ requires) !!!

I tried Odessey, Varta, Yuasa, Landport and even DURACELL and nope - no one made an AGM battery, to fit the 1VJ!!!


What to do!!??

Well, being a resourceful and brilliant XT Girl, I decided that I would have one after all - and simply INSTALL IT ON ITS SIDE - since you can do that with AGMs.

I carefully measured the space -- and then bought a VARTA Funstart AGM, which would fit on its side.

Ofcourse, when it arrived, the dimensions had somehow changed, because now it wouldn't fit on its side either... but luckily I had the services of a lovely gentleman with a bending machine -- and he just bent the battery bracket a smidgeon.. (5mm each side, to be precise) .and

EH PRESTO!!!




Behold the 1VJ with AGM Gel battery make-over - and it didn't even have to go in sideways!

...

__________________

I have an Odyssey battery in my 1983 Z1000 lawson Rep.

Its really good - holds charge (if kept in the cool) for 12 months easy. I got it from eBay (not used) for £60.

Anythings better than an old lead/acid type - leaking & drying out all over the place...

Good on yer XT Girl!

I have a Odyssey Pc625 (18Ah) in my XT600/43F after a modification, the battery is mounted behind the buddy between the frame tubes.
You need to do some mods at the rearside but you got real good battery power

My 43F is modified to a Tenere including the E-start