Battery question?

[adidasguy]

Wally is probably there because so many people want to get by on the cheap - with little care about reliability of the effort involved.

I'm not the most experienced person here. From what experience I do have and the hoard of parts I've bought, tried, sold or given away, I come to prefer to spend a little more money for a better product and not have to worry about it.

If you can go lead/acid for $40 and have to check acid levels, worry about acid drips and rely on a battery tender..... wouldn't it make more sense to spend an extra $20 for a sealed gel battery?

You can get a Shorai comparable to the OEM in power for $99 (I think Shorai is better than Ballistic brand) and top of the line is the 14a Shorai for $150.

batterystuff.com is just one place for batteries. There is no mystery of what battery to get. Look it up. Google it. Your owner's manual and any GS500 manual (Clymer, Haynes, Suzuki) say what battery to get. Take the number off of your present battery if it is the correct one.

The only time there is a mystery of what battery to get is when you are wanting to get the wrong one - for whatever reason.

I spend a little extra for piece of mind. Well, sometimes I do spend less when I know there is a better item (or a used one) of equal or better quality for less money.

[dropitlow88]

I had a wally battery in my old scooter. No battery tender, distilled water to top off once a month (takes 5 minutes) lasted two years then i sold it. Two years on a $30 battery isn't a bad investment. Who knows how long it worked after I got rid of it. I'm a budget minded person (i have kids) so $30 for a walmart battery and $100 for a gel cell is a significant difference. I can buy alot of diapers for $60 (from walmart lol) 

[knowles]

I will buy a good one as soon as my New Wal-mart battery goes, i kept the receipt so if it does shaZam! the bed i can get a different one. i was more asking about the difference in what was shown as the "correct" battery for a 89 GS 500. When i went to Napa, O'reilys, and Auto value in there book which i looked at with the person so i know that it was the right bike (89 gs 500) said that the battery is a 10L B2 type battery, not the 10L A1 that is says replaces it on some of the online stores. In the book at the stores it said that the 10L A1 battery is for a gs 400 not the gs 500. i just went with the 10L A1 battery because it was less then a 1/3 of the price of the 10L B2 battery that is a acid one not the gel or lith-ion battery and would have to be special ordered. it had a 10L A1 in it when i bought it and used it last year, it was 5 years old and still turned it over fine, but now won't hold a charge so i got a new one. i have more important things to buy for the bike this year then a $150 battery, but when i does go i will spend the extra $$ and buy a good one for piece of mind.

[papiocho]

39.99 cyclegear

filled, Sealed, you charge or they charge.

Sent from my super-duper wack tmobile device using tapatalk.

[adidasguy]

hate to revive an old thread but it seemed the best way rather than start a new thread.

GOTTA LOVE THOSE SHORAI BATTERIES!

I'm building Phenix. So not much to power up yet and I do have the headlight disconnected so I don't waste power testing the electricals.

Well, last night I connected a modified indicator harness (2 diodes and LEDs) I was doing for a member. I forhgot to turn off Phenix. Only think powered was an LED and the side stand relay.

Jumping ahead.. I decided I should charge up the battery since I was going to put the motor in very soon. I wanted full power for the charging. So I swapped batteries with Suzi. Suzi's Shorai was obviously fully charged.

Nada. Nuttin. Zilch. WTF? Not even an indicator LED went on. 1.7 volts? Then I realized I left Phenix on for 24 hours and the battery drained with thge current for an LED and the side stand relay. Crap!

Put Suzi's battery back in her. Full power (that rules out me blowing Suzi's fuse. When in doubt: start from square 1).
Got 2 small clip leads and connected the dead battery to Suzi while she was running. Miniscule spark. That's OK. Clip leads not even getting warm. Let Suzi run for less than 5 minutes. Stopped her.

Voltage on Phenix's battery now reads 13.7 volts. HUH? Impossible. You can't recharge a battery in under 5 minutes - can't go from 1.7 volts to 13.7. Swapped them again so the once dead battery is now in Suzi.

ZING! Started right up. Ran for 1 minute and turned off. Turn on a started right up again!

I can not believe that Shorai recharged in 5 minutes. Maybe part of it is the amazing recovery these batteries have.

Whatever - it came back to life and started Suzi after being recharged for 5 minutes.

And that's another reason I like Shorai batteries.

[knowles]

Nice, I know you buy the best of most things, and i usually try to in things that i want to keep around for more than one use, but i went with the wal-mart battery for now, once i get everything sorted out on the bike, i will wait for mine to go and then i will buy a good one.

[adidasguy]

That's a smart way to be: do the best you can now knowing that later you will get a better one.

The annoying thing is people that buy wallymart believing it is the best, not understanding that it is not the best battery and not realizing that there are better batteries out there.

Yes - I try to buy the best. I'm single and available - gotta spend the money somewhere. No need to buy cat toys - they catch their own and bring them in the house.

[knowles]

LOL, Ya I'm married, have a kid, one on the way, and going to school, so my money goes to them and i take the little bit extra and put into the bike because it makes going to work fun. if i didn't have a little bit of fun, me time. i would be

[Erika]

I seriously considered the Shorai battery, but I really am pinching pennies.. as in I want to eat lunch this week and want a new battery at the same time, but had to decide which I wanted. So I went with the Scorpion AGM battery, only to learn that it will be on back order for the next 3 weeks. So I went with a Bike Master battery. I'll let you know what I think, but I'm going to a flat track racing class this weekend and won't be using it. (Reason why I'm pinching pennies... ha). But I still want to ride next weekend and don't want the cheapest thing, so I got an AGM. I'll get a Shorai when I decide I want to keep this bike for several year, which I have a feeling I will. Here's what I got, and it arrived in the mail 3 days later:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005G553MY/ref=oh_o00_s00_i00_details

[average]

Im in the market for a battery also and what better way to put my 20% discount at the Zone to good use than by purchasing an AGM Battery. None are listed(AGM batteries) for the GS but i figured the ETX9 or ETX12 models would probably be a good fit for the GS. I think ill go with the 9...

Pat, pm a price on that harness...sounds interesting...

[jestercinti]

That's a smart way to be: do the best you can now knowing that later you will get a better one.

The annoying thing is people that buy wallymart believing it is the best, not understanding that it is not the best battery and not realizing that there are better batteries out there.

Yes - I try to buy the best. I'm single and available - gotta spend the money somewhere. No need to buy cat toys - they catch their own and bring them in the house.

I have to agree with Adidas here.  Like my dad used to say "use the right tool for the job."  Going cheap may get you down the road, but sooner or later you will get what you pay for.  I have had several bikes, and I will tell you that the Napa/Autozone/Pep Boys Chemistry set lead-acid batteries are fine for 1 or 2 seasons then die unexpectedly.  Not to say that a Yuasa won't die unexpectedly, but you get what you pay for.  I have been stranded several times, had to ask many good Samaritans to help me push start the bike, etc. than I want to.  Get a good battery.

Even in my wife's Nissan Xterra, we buy Interstate batteries.  I have a 3 1/2 year old, and don't want them to be stranded cause I saved $20.  Especially in winter.

I'll get off my soapbox now.