what battery....?

[BrianGriffin]

Has anyone tried a Numax battery?

The battery on my bike has just died, caused by the recent bout of sub zero temps I guess, even though its been connected to a Optimate charger. The bike will be three years old tomorrow, so I'm a little surprised that the original battery has only survived this long.
I know that everyone says how good Odyssey batteries are, but I just cannot justify spending over £100.00 on one, when I can buy three Numax batteries, each with a two year warranty and still be saving money...!
The other option is to stick with a well known make, such as Yuasa, Varta, WestCo, etc., any of which can be bought for less than £50.00.

Then again, I will probably have changed the bike before the next battery expires?
Anyone shed any light or experience on the Numax?

 

[Bobbyspit]

What voltage you getting from your current battery? Have you checked your charging system?

Will your battery charger recover your present battery?

I had a CBR1000RR prior to the GS, went through 4 Honda batteries in 3 years, the charging system on Hondas are crap. I always managed to recover the battery a few times with an Optimax charger.

I have a 1200gs and the battery is the original (08) and its going great, I took the bike out over the last few weeks in cold -11 conditions with no problem starting..

On the battery question, if it has a 2 year guarantee and is cheap give it a go, especially if you are not keeping the bike for years,, If keeping the bike? buy a decent one.

 

[peter-k]

snip
... such as Yuasa, Varta, WestCo, etc., any of which can be bought for less than £50.00.

Then again, I will probably have changed the bike before the next battery expires?
Anyone shed any light or experience on the Numax?

I'd stick with Yuasa, Varta or Westco. I do not know about Numax. But I know many cheaper batteries are produced in China on older equipment bought from the established companies. They can not make real AGM batteries in this plants, and that is why these production lines are being sold.

 

[(RIP) Miff]

Have you checked the fluid levels???

Even if it's supposedly sealed for life, you can still prise the tops off and check the levels. If they're low, then it will seem like the battery is knackered.

Top it up with distilled water

 

[wessie]

As the battery is only 3 years old I'd try to borrow someone else's charger to verify the battery is duff, or is it the Optimate. If you have an Exide AGM battery that has gone completely flat then unless your Optimate is a mk4 like this one

then it won't be able to kickstart the AGM battery into life.

As far as Numax is concerned, it will be a decent brand as Tayna stock them
http://www.tayna.co.uk/YTX14-BS-Westco-Motorcycle-Battery-P3384.html - click the "other makes" tab to see the alternatives, inc Numax. Personally, I'd spend the extra £15 on the Westco.

 

[forest biker]

forest biker

As the battery is only 3 years old I'd try to borrow someone else's charger to verify the battery is duff, or is it the Optimate. If you have an Exide AGM battery that has gone completely flat then unless your Optimate is a mk4 like this one

then it won't be able to kickstart the AGM battery into life.

As far as Numax is concerned, it will be a decent brand as Tayna stock them
http://www.tayna.co.uk/YTX14-BS-Westco-Motorcycle-Battery-P3384.html - click the "other makes" tab to see the alternatives, inc Numax. Personally, I'd spend the extra £15 on the Westco.

+ 1 for westco put one on mine couple of months ago, cranks my gsa over no probs even in -6 temps when its been stood for 2/3 weeks

 

[BrianGriffin]

Thanks for the help guys. After checking out the Tanya site, I think I'll go down the WestCo route, if necessary. But not until after I've ripped the top off my old battery and checked the fluid levels, that sounds like a good bit of advice. As for the charger, I've got three altogether, two optimates and one big pro jobbie, so I'll stick on that one whilst it's off the bike.
I'll let you know if I manage to revive the old fella.
Thanks again

 

[Beemerman59]

Thanks for the help guys. After checking out the Tanya site, I think I'll go down the WestCo route, if necessary. But not until after I've ripped the top off my old battery and checked the fluid levels, that sounds like a good bit of advice. As for the charger, I've got three altogether, two optimates and one big pro jobbie, so I'll stick on that one whilst it's off the bike.
I'll let you know if I manage to revive the old fella.
Thanks again

Which Westco will you go for? The Tanya site doesn't show one for the 1200GSA but I have a Westco on my K11 and it hasn't missed a beat in 6 years so would gladly have another.

 

[wessie]

Which Westco will you go for? The Tanya site doesn't show one for the 1200GSA but I have a Westco on my K11 and it hasn't missed a beat in 6 years so would gladly have another.

see my link above - the R1200GS isn't listed on the fitment guide but it comes up if you do a search: click on the reviews tab for testimonials

 

[Sgt Bilco]

I think 3 years is pretty good for an OEM battery There doesn't seem any rhyme or reason for GS batteries to go but they just seem to drop off the cliff when you least expect it. I wouldn't bother trying to revive the OEM battery as it will let you down again.

Mine went about 18 months ago and I have a £40 varta powering the old girl and it hasn't let me down in 2 winters. My bike lives outside and it's never had an optimate. I went for a ride the other day and despite sitting in minus temps and deep snow for a month, she started first time with seemingly full power from the battery

My advice is not to worry with optimates etc as regular riding will charge the battery and keep it good for longer

 

[forest biker]

forest biker

Which Westco will you go for? The Tanya site doesn't show one for the 1200GSA but I have a Westco on my K11 and it hasn't missed a beat in 6 years so would gladly have another.

I put the westco ytx14-bs on mine, it fits nice without cutting the battery/bike about or altering brackets and has got good cranking amps hope this helps

 

[Beemerman59]

I put the westco ytx14-bs on mine, it fits nice without cutting the battery/bike about or altering brackets and has got good cranking amps hope this helps

That's great - thanks.

 

[ebbo]

I put the westco ytx14-bs on mine, - has got good cranking amps

200 cca (cold cranking amps), a good replacement by the looks of things as the standard Exide ETX14-BS is around the same cca. I’d be wary of buying a battery with unstated or lower cca, I did once and was stuck for a few years with a battery that always struggled to turn the engine over…

 

[BrianGriffin]

I put the westco ytx14-bs on mine, it fits nice without cutting the battery/bike about or altering brackets and has got good cranking amps hope this helps

Have tried the reboot option, it's dead.! So I'm heading down the Westco route. Didn't notice that they don't actually list a battery for the 1200GS, until I just tried finding one.
This YTX14-BS, what year and model bike do you have it fitted to..?

 

[forest biker]

forest biker

Have tried the reboot option, it's dead.! So I'm heading down the Westco route. Didn't notice that they don't actually list a battery for the 1200GS, until I just tried finding one.
This YTX14-BS, what year and model bike do you have it fitted to..?

hi brain it went onto an 06 gsa

 

[Koops]

Odyssey Gel Battery Excellent

I bought my late 2005 1200GS last year and found that if I did not run the bike for a couple of weeks the battery (standard sealed type) did not have enough charge to start the bike.
I replaced the battery with an Odyssey gel battery from Motorworks who included a replacement strap.
Bike has been outside for the past 3 months without being run or on a charger. Despite our bad winter the bike started first time today, like it was last run yesterday. Brilliant battery, highly recommended.

 

[peter-k]

I bought my late 2005 1200GS last year and found that if I did not run the bike for a couple of weeks the battery (standard sealed type) did not have enough charge to start the bike.
I replaced the battery with an Odyssey gel battery from Motorworks who included a replacement strap.
Bike has been outside for the past 3 months without being run or on a charger. Despite our bad winter the bike started first time today, like it was last run yesterday. Brilliant battery, highly recommended.

The GS incl. the 2005 never had a standard batterie, except someone mounted it. The first ones where delivered with AGM batteries from Yuasa, then unfortunately BMW changed to Exide.

Gel batteries should not be fitted to motorcycles which come with AGM batteries originally. But the Odyssey should be an AGM. Usually it would be the PC535.

A new Westco, Varta, Yuasa etc. will last as well 3 month without recharging. They go down once they get older. If it is good for a battery - any battery - keeping it 3 months without riding / charging yet is another question.

 

[Ralphieb]

What battery indeed?

The battery on my 06 GS died about 15months ago (2nd battery since new) so I bought an AGM (unknown brand) from my local bike shop - $A120.
Went well for 10months then the bike was slow to start if it sat for a week or two. Finally let me down completely so I bought our local Aussie equivalent of an Optimate called a Projecta (great little unit but won't work if battery is below about 9v). When I have the "projecta" connected all is good, but without it the battery is dead in less than a week. Of course the battery is out of its 12month warranty period now.
Is this typical of AGM batteries or GS1200s? My old R100 has a lead acid battery and it sits for weeks with no dramas, admittedly no alarm system, canbus or computers??? I am feeling this is a "sign of the times".
By the way I live in Queensland, Australia and we are having the most horrific weather. It's rained since early December with floods that would cover the size of Germany. Some people have left their homes 3 or 4 times and still can't clean up with more to come. Needless to say not much riding happening (plenty of flat batteries..lol).

 

[peter-k]

Was your motorcycle unused several times for longer period of times?

The old 'liquid' batteries were more insensitive to deep discharge conditions, but they can not offer the cranking amps modern motorcycles require. Note the compression ratio our GS engine has.

AGM batteries are best kept fully charged all the time, as they are very sensitive to deep discharge conditions. For example a short time idle voltage below 11 V on a 2 year old AGM can mean it's dead. Even if it still can be recharged, the next frosty night kills it finally. Another point is AGMs are sensitive against an even low current discharge that last long time, such as when the motorcycle is not used for weeks and the battery not disconnected and not being charged. A disconnected AGM battery stays fit for several months without recharging.

A good AGM battery will usually give at least 3 years of service, if the motorcycle is ridden regularly, or the battery is kept charged, and the idle voltage not allowed dropping below 12.6 V.

I think I mentioned before already, there are batteries in the market which are called AGM, but they are actually not. These batteries are build with standard battery technology but with vlies mats and higher concentrated acid added. These items are produced in China on the old equipment of renowned brands. This equipment can not be used for making real AGM batteries and that is why the plants were sold off. Fake AGM batteries will be gassing and therefore usually die relatively soon (probably unless someone rips the upper strip open, I have not tried that).

 

[ianp5uk]

Lithium Ion seems to be coming on a lot and should eventually be much better than AGM. Very expensive at the moment though and I believe they need special chargers to carefully control charging. But as they are much smaller than current technology you could make a Li-ion with an inbuilt charger as a direct lead acid replacement. I believe they can provide massive CCA.

Jsut found this:
https://www.harris-performance.com/...Lightweight_Lithium_Motorcycle_Batteries.html
If you scroll down to the selector there's even one for the GS. Not cheap but if they did the job and lasted well ....