I need to replace the battery on my Yam Ten. Is Lead/Acid still the way to go or has the tech on Lithium/Ion (Iron?) improved enough to make them essential? Brands?
Ta.

This ought to be an interesting thread!

Good question - there are pluses and minuses to either. Lithium-Ion's are getting much better fast.
FWIW - I recently bought a new battery for my R1200GSA - sealed lead acid = AGM or gel. Wet cells? WHY on earth would you do that?

Will this be the discussion that makes a third item in the Which Oil / Which Tire endless debate?
Let the Which Battery war begin!

__________________
Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
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Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

I have used Odyssey batteries in my BMWs for years and would not go back to lead acid, they maintain their charge for months even when left outside through the winter, have far more power for their size and last a lot longer.

AGM batteries if you ever plan to crash your bike--or drop it hard--and/or aren't very good at watching water levels in multiple cells while trickle-charging all winter. I'm never going back to wet cell batteries, and haven't seen any reason to try gel batteries.

About brands, I haven't a clue.

Edit to add: Forgot about the Li-ion issue. I haven't yet been convinced of the need to spend extra money on a battery which I can so easily destroy (by running it down) and which forces me to buy yet another battery charger as well. But that's just me, and I need the extra calorie burn from hauling a heavy battery around with me.

Using gel, very satisfied compared to wet lead - acid.

Looking at Li - ion for next change. saving in weight / power, I hope!

We have a winter lay-up, the salt on our roads eats bikes, esp. electrics.

Peter, in Oslo

Just like an oil thread: depends on use.

If you use a charger check it's compatible with your choice of battery.
Look at what deals are on offer.
No point buying something fancy if you'll sell the bike next year.

I ride the CB500 all year (only charges off the engine, never topped up, just key and go) and can't see how saving a few pounds in weight will change very much. Lead acid is cheap and cheerful as far as I'm concerned. The battery on the CL is just a buffer between the alternator and electrics!

Off road I might be tempted by AGM for less worry when dropped.

Andy

Another vote for Odyssey. I've had one for about six or seven years and never had an issue with it. Keeps its charge when forgotten about over the winter, cranks the engine over faster than regular lead-acid and doesn't need any special chargers or warm up or anything. Ok, it's a bit more pricey than most of the rest - and on that basis alone I took some convincing to buy it - but it's been worth it.

Downside is they're only available in a number of physical sizes and on two of my bikes there isn't one that'll fit the battery box, but for the others it's the way to go.

I don't think that the advantages offered by Lithium-Ion outweigh the disadvantages (high cost, not always a straight swap for the OEM installation, difficult and expensive to keep them trickle-charged in the off season, etc.)

I've got two motorcycles to take care of - a Honda ST 1100 that I keep in Europe and use only occasionally, and a ST 1300 home in Canada that is used in the summer months.

I buy plain old-fashioned OEM-spec Yuasa lead-acid batteries for both of them. Yuasa is the high-end brand of lead-acid, they are reliable and last about 4 to 5 years. All good quality lead-acid batteries nowadays are "sealed units", meaning, the acid is already inside them when they ship from the factory, it stays there for the life of the battery and there is no provision (or need) to ever add water to them.

AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) batteries are just a variation on the lead-acid theme. Same with gel. If you buy a high quality wet-cell battery, it won't spill or leak if you drop the bike (unless the battery is physically damaged, which is a whole different issue altogether... physically damage a lithium-ion and you get a fire).

Lithium-Ion batteries offer greater capacity in a smaller package, which translates to less weight, but honest to goodness, I don't think that saving a few pounds of battery weight is worth the significant price difference and the additional cost of buying specialized trickle-charging equipment.

I had to specify a battery to be fitted as standard equipment in a 19 passenger aircraft that went into production 10 years ago. I spent a lot of time evaluating lead-acid vs. nickle-cadmium vs. lithium-ion, and consulted with many aircraft operators about their preferences. Overwhelmingly, everyone wanted lead-acid for reasons of cost and reliability, even though lithium-ion would have given a significant weight saving, which is far more important in an aircraft application than on a motorcycle.

Why gild the lily? Just buy another (high-quality) sealed lead acid battery. What is most important is that you stay away from el-cheapo, off-brand lead acid batteries. They fail quickly, not because of the technology, but because of poor manufacturing practices and poor quality components inside.

Michael