Bendy toy
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I was under the impression the OEM is a normal lead acid but with the bike's demands its reasonable they should fit AGM.
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I was under the impression the OEM is a normal lead acid but with the bike's demands its reasonable they should fit AGM.
My OEM battery was an Exide lead/acid which has lasted 7 1/2 years but was just starting to get tired, so I've replaced it with a Motobatt MBTX12U.
Deleted account 190920001
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Don't know about the early 1200's right enough but my 09 is AGM as stock.
Seems to be some confusion among some or maybe I am reading wrong but most car/bike batteries are lead acid.
In this group you get flooded lead acid, older style where you can usually see the acid slosh about. They usually have a small tube running from them as a vent.
AGM where the acid is trapped in a glass matt so nothing sloshes around. No vent tube on these but there are a couple of small holes in the top connected to internal pressure release valves.
There is also a rarer gell battery where the acid is a gell. Handy for mounting the battery in any orientation.
Next option would be the smaller and much lighter but cost a fortune lithium iron batteries. If saving weight is more important to you than money then look them up. Wouldn't recommend them though especially in the winter or if you do the round the world thing in the middle of no where. They don't like cold so need to be warmed up before they will start your engine.
The OE battery from my 2005 GS
And I replaced it with this one.
BMW wanted £119
The replacement was £26 trade IIRC
Both are maintenance free AGM.
And I replaced it with this one.
BMW wanted £119
The replacement was £26 trade IIRC
Both are maintenance free AGM.
Replaced the battery when I bought my GSA 12 4 years ago with a Yuasa....good price & good performance.
Also have a Yuasa on the KTM and same story...all good
Also have a Yuasa on the KTM and same story...all good
Bendy toy
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The lithium iron LiFePO4 (iron not ion) batteries such as Ballistic indeed don't work well when cold but unlike lead acid they can be deep discharged without damage.
So unless the bike has a super small battery two or three start attempts will warm the cells and then it will then spin the engine.
The Ballistic 12 cell cold cranking amps are much higher than the AGMs fitted to an R1200. They also self discharge at a very low rate & don't need a float charger.
The big issue is very high price and I already have an Optimate
Being small the Ballistic could fit elsewhere on the bike - dry cells can't spill.
I was close to buying a Ballistic 12 cell but came across nearly new Odyssey AGM for less than 1/2 the ballistic cost.
So unless the bike has a super small battery two or three start attempts will warm the cells and then it will then spin the engine.
The Ballistic 12 cell cold cranking amps are much higher than the AGMs fitted to an R1200. They also self discharge at a very low rate & don't need a float charger.
The big issue is very high price and I already have an Optimate
Being small the Ballistic could fit elsewhere on the bike - dry cells can't spill.
I was close to buying a Ballistic 12 cell but came across nearly new Odyssey AGM for less than 1/2 the ballistic cost.
tallchris99
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I have ordered a used gel battery from Motorworks for £20.
King Key
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Another thumbs up for Motobatt. Got one in the K1300s, spins over very well.
Odyssey on my '05 rt.
The oem exide that was on it when I bought had only been on 3 years, which presumably means the factory fitted one had only lasted 3 years also.
Odyssey very good even after 6 weeks stood in the winter without the optimate plugged in. Can't comment on the others as no experience of them.
The oem exide that was on it when I bought had only been on 3 years, which presumably means the factory fitted one had only lasted 3 years also.
Odyssey very good even after 6 weeks stood in the winter without the optimate plugged in. Can't comment on the others as no experience of them.
Deleted account 190920001
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Part of the problem with the lithium iron batteries is the manufacturers. They use a lead acid equivalent AH rating that isn't standard and isn't anywhere near a true AH rating. If you buy what you think is an equivalent rating of 14AH it turns out some of them are actually as low as 5 or 6AH. They will start your bike but there is no real reserve capacity there. Basically the proper lithium battery for a GS is 24 plus, some are even using something like an earth x 36.
There is a brilliant but massive thread about batteries on Adventure rider that explains it all.
There is a brilliant but massive thread about batteries on Adventure rider that explains it all.
trainman
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its interesting to note that Optimate offer a Lithium Ion charger now for about £100, whether ordinary intelligent chargers do any harm I don't know but it does suggest charging regimes are different and of course Optimate see a niche to make some cash
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Normal smart chargers can kill a lithium battery, not all but some plus a lithium at rest voltage is higher so a normal charger may never fully charge one. Some lithium batteries also need a cell balancing feature which normal chargers can't do.
ghiribizzo
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BMW charger works fine on an odyssey.
Bendy toy
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Odyssey is lead acid so any bike charger is acceptable. BMW, Optimate, Oxford etc are all fine.
Sent from my phone with mangled spelling
Sent from my phone with mangled spelling
Sam555
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Just fitted a Motobatt to my 08 GSA MBTX12U replaces BMW OEM Exide ETX14-BS and really pleased with it, exactly same size and 10 mins to fit. Purchased from Busters via eBay actually the eBay shop of M&P. I know this is a minor point but be aware that the Motobatt is bright yellow and easily visible but hey who cares, I rather like being different.
buncobooth
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Roymondo
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If there's one subject pretty much guaranteed to generate a lot of FUD (apart from oil and tyres) then it's batteries 
Glass Mat (AGM) batteries are not intrinsically any better (or worse) than good old slosh-around lead-acid at doing what batteries do (i.e. storing magic smoke and releasing it when needed to start the donk). The principal advantages of AGM are that they are maintenance free (sealed cells, so no electrolyte loss due to leakage, spillage or evaporation) and they can be mounted in pretty much any orientation you like (as indeed they are on some sports bikes - but not on the GS (until you land it upside down in a rut, that is)).
Battery manufacturers will often have "Budget" and "Premium" product ranges - you really need to look at the data sheet for the particular battery, rather than the marketing puff on the shiny labels in the shop.
The important bits to consider are Form Factor (i.e. will it physically fit), terminal type and placement and Cold Cranking Current rating (CCA). I think the OE batteries are rated at 200Amps, while some budget batteries are rated much lower - e.g. 100A. This could make a *big* difference when it comes to chugging a 1200cc twin into life on a frosty morning... The main reason for the difference is the relative surface area of the plates - bigger surface area = able to pass more current. The area is increased by making the plates with complex surfaces, putting more of it into contact with the acid.
Battery capacity (measured in Ampere-hours) is of lesser importance (within reason) unless you want to go powering stuff for lengthy periods while the engine is not running (e.g. parking lights). As a general rule-of-thumb, a larger capacity battery needs to contain more acid, and so will be correspondingly larger (see Form factor above...).
Glass Mat (AGM) batteries are not intrinsically any better (or worse) than good old slosh-around lead-acid at doing what batteries do (i.e. storing magic smoke and releasing it when needed to start the donk). The principal advantages of AGM are that they are maintenance free (sealed cells, so no electrolyte loss due to leakage, spillage or evaporation) and they can be mounted in pretty much any orientation you like (as indeed they are on some sports bikes - but not on the GS (until you land it upside down in a rut, that is)).
Battery manufacturers will often have "Budget" and "Premium" product ranges - you really need to look at the data sheet for the particular battery, rather than the marketing puff on the shiny labels in the shop.
The important bits to consider are Form Factor (i.e. will it physically fit), terminal type and placement and Cold Cranking Current rating (CCA). I think the OE batteries are rated at 200Amps, while some budget batteries are rated much lower - e.g. 100A. This could make a *big* difference when it comes to chugging a 1200cc twin into life on a frosty morning... The main reason for the difference is the relative surface area of the plates - bigger surface area = able to pass more current. The area is increased by making the plates with complex surfaces, putting more of it into contact with the acid.
Battery capacity (measured in Ampere-hours) is of lesser importance (within reason) unless you want to go powering stuff for lengthy periods while the engine is not running (e.g. parking lights). As a general rule-of-thumb, a larger capacity battery needs to contain more acid, and so will be correspondingly larger (see Form factor above...).
buncobooth
Registered user
Good point, another reason I went for the Motobatt as it scored better in all of these areas and was half the price of OEM, plus has 2 sets of terminals so you can have it either way around or use both sets if you need to:
Model Ah CCA L x W x H (mm)
MBTX12U 14 200 151 87 145
YTX14-BS 12 160 152 87 146
Model Ah CCA L x W x H (mm)
MBTX12U 14 200 151 87 145
YTX14-BS 12 160 152 87 146
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