Suzuki V-Strom (VStrom) Owners Club DL250, DL650, DL1000 & DL1050
V-Strom specific discussion => V-Strom specific discussion => Topic started by: BluesBoy on August 17, 2013, 11:07:35
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Hi,
My original (2.5year old) Yuasa battery is not giving more than one start before it goes flat. It charges up to 12.5 Volts and holds that charge overnight out of the bike. I just don't trust it much longer and it let me down on Friday.
I really would like to get my hands on a new battery today before Monday morning.
Does anyone know of the SAITO make of self-sealed battery? It's available in a shop local to me:
http://www.getgeared.co.uk/SAITO_Self-Sealed_Maintenance_Free_Motorcycle_Battery_YTX12-BS_CTX12BS_12V_10AH
I would rather not spend good money on a load of crap.
Cheers,
Dan.
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Never heard of the brand but I can recommend this battery
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DL-650-L0-V-S ... 3cd18d56d4 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DL-650-L0-V-Strom-2010-High-Quality-Motobatt-Battery-/261213738708?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item3cd18d56d4)
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+1, can't go wrong with Motobatt. to be honest, Yuasa is a good brand of battery, but if you abuse it then it won't last either (leaving the bike outside uncovered in extreme hot/cold temps and not riding the bike enough so it can get properly charged.)
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It might be worth buying a battery charger/conditioner such as an Optimate or the like to use on your new battery. I haven't put a new battery on a bike in the last 15 years. The one on my Vee is now nearly 7 years old and is showing no signs of aging.
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I agree with the above - an optimate is a great investment - my 2003 ZX6R is still on it's original battery - its permanently connected to the charger when in the garage and its always ready to go!
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The bike is always covered or garaged when not in use. It gets ridden every week for 25 miles each way daily.
I use an Oxford Oximiser through the winter when the bike is garaged and less used. I was shocked to start getting battery problems after only having the bike for 2.5 years from new. Seems I have a bit of a lemon in the battery department.
I might hold out and risk it while I wait for a motobatt by post.
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And again .... original battery almost 9 years old now, but lives on an optimiser.
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It's funny how some bikes seem to eat batteries. My Tiger 955i needed a new one every 3 years or so, despite being cosseted with a Ctek charger / maintainer. It did have a datatool alarm fitted though....
The last one I fitted was a motobatt after reading some good reviews / test (eg here (http://www.boulevardowners.com/cafe/index.cfm?page=topic&topicID=157926)) but that was only a couple of months before I sold the bike. It did seem to whizz it over very briskly though.
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My Strom battery doesn't last well because I ride all weather and it was used to sitting outside in the Car park (under a roof) through all weathers. The latest one has lasted the best, it's more than a year and a half old now.
About 20% of lead acid batteries are duds in some way or another, but there is no way of telling before they are used a while. In UPS units it's common to see a battery starting to give problems after 2 years or lasting past 4 years. You know, from experience, that the one that only made 2 years was a dud (worked with UPS units for 6+ years.)
Lead acid batteries do not like low discharge currents, either pull some decent current or don't pull any. Some bike alarms trickle current off the battery and this can knacker it after a couple of years.
All that said, I'd only really worry if I fitted a new battery and it died in less than a year. I buy cheap batteries, but with the new job I should be able to afford something nice like a Motobatt/Yuasa. Stay away from Exide batteries, poorest quality batteries I've ever had to work with. Don't think about it too much, just replace it and you can forget about it for a while again.
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I've decided to take a punt and try the Saito from the local bike shop. I need the bike for Monday work and will take a chance. I'd love to get a Motobatt but it wouldn't be delivered until late in the week and I have to get to work.
Will let you know in 6 months/1 year/2years or longer as to how good or bad the Saito batteries are.
Thanks for your help,
Dan.
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Not wishing to open a can of worms, but there have been a number of reports of bad experiences with some of the Oximiser chargers. It maybe good to to try and get some reliable reviews and users feedback before buying as they're not cheap to buy, especially if they don't do the job properly.
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I have an Oximiser (Oxford branded), no trouble at all on any battery that I've used it on (if only I can remember to connect the damn thing :) ) I've heard dodgy tales about the Optimate (Accumen branded?) on several occasions though.
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I have an Oximiser (Oxford branded), no trouble at all on any battery that I've used it on
Oh, lucky I didn't set fire to it, stamp on it and piss on it (is it in that order?). If it's good enough for Juv it's good enough for me! :thumb: :)
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I think the problem with the Optimate is that it's too 'complicated' for the average person that wants to charge a battery. It has different settings and stuff and if you get it wrong you can mess up a battery fairly easily. The Oximiser is just a plain charger that charges with a lower current the higher the battery voltage gets until it is only maintaining. No fancy pulse charging and other settings that might cause problems if used incorrectly or with a battery that doesn't like it.
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It seems that battery chargers, like most things in life have become increasingly and unnecessarily over complicated. I've had my Optimate for 12+ years, used it on numerous, car, bike, lawnmower, burglar alarm etc. batteries with no problems. It has no controls at all. Connect the battery, plug it in and walk away. I rely on the "intelligence" (?) of the device to monitor the state of the battery and do what needs to be done, which it appears to do satisfactorily. It's plugged into the Vee battery all the time the bike is not being used. I'm very suspicious of claims made by charger makers that by some miracle they can resurrect batteries from the dead I.e. deeply discharged, seriously sulphated or just plain crap make batteries. The only problems have been with the Optimate is the quality of the plugs on the connecting flex that leave a lot to be desired and could well be better designed and made. There are a lot of so called "intelligent" chargers about and I'm sure some of them don't do batteries a lot of good. As an example I bought a Lidl charger which makes all these wonderful claims as it has a 6v facility for my old bikes, but I'm sure it over charges when the battery is at full charge and probably shortens the life of the batteries if left connected all the time, so I end up disconnecting it after a few hours which defeats the object of having it.
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I have 2 Optimates and the ones 10+ years old and its been faultless , likewise with the other that's about 4 years old . I've used them both on all sorts of batteries and always been OK ..
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same here - optimate - probably 11 yrs old - always attached to a bike - always been fantastic.
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I had an Oxford Oxymiser, it never worked - a total piece of crap. I cut the leads off and chucked it in the bin after the BMW kept getting a flat battery even when it was plugged into the Oxymiser.
I then bought an Accumate 7 years ago (its like an Optimate but will do bigger batteries) and its been perfect, just plug it in and ignore it. I use it in winter, but rarely over Summer as I ride the bike often enough to keep everything charged up. My 2007 Vee is still on the original battery - which went totally flat earlier this year after leaving it alone a bit too long, but the Accumate brought it back to life.
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Now I'm wondering if I got lucky with one of the few Optimisers that works. Or unlucky with the OEM battery that packed up too soon. Or doubly unlucky that the lucky Optimiser was an unlucky choice and screwed up my unlucky battery. :shock:
I have however learnt that a "self-sealed" battery means just that - you seal it yourself ....after sticking in 6 vials of battery acid. Doh! Doubt I'll be buying a Saito again, it was a real bugger to get all the dregs into the cells. It did get me to work this morning and back home this evening though. I wonder how long it'll last.....
The next one will be a Motobatt.
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Chances are much bigger that you had a bad battery rather than a bad charger.