Your battery opinions needed

[mlew]

I need to replace the battery in my 83 Venture . I see there are many choices for battery types, AGM, Dry cell, Lithium and traditional wet cell. I find so much information on them I can't put it all together. I really don't want another wet cell so I'm looking to go to something else. What are the advantages / disadvantages of each and what are your opinions for the best battery at the best price. I plan to keep the battery in the stock location and position.

[Yammer Dan]

AGM

 

Cured my slow starts and sits for weeks and cranks right up.

[mlew]

Thats what I was leaning to. What part # and who makes it?

[Yammer Dan]

Talk to SkyDoc. He is in the Members list or the classifieds.

[Snaggletooth]

I'm big on the DEKA AGM. 3rd season on mine and going strong. American made. 330 CCA I think it is. More than the Odessy AGM. The DEKA is the same size as the stock battery and has extra mounting studs for extra feeds. Tough case and built strong.

 

I've never used a tender on the DEKA. Never needed one. Always top of the charge. Discharge rate on an idle AGM is extremely low. Mine sat 3 months during winter storage a and never dropped lower than 12.6.

 

 

I'll buy another when this one dies out. Sometime. In the future. Someday.

 

Check out bohannonbattery.com for specs. Or skydoc_17. He sells them also.

[KarlS]

AGM. Went to AutoZone and bought one for $80.00. On it's second year. Forgot and left it in the bike over the winter, bike was covered and just under the awning all winter. This spring fired right up. I'm sold on AGM.

[Ndiaz]

I replaced my traditional wet cell 10 months ago with AGM battery by Interstate. Very happy with it, as it starts the bike right away, hot or cold. Mine is an '88 VR, which I bought 3 years ago.

 

Nick Diaz

Middletown, MD

[mlew]

Looks like the majority have gone to the AGM, so will I. Has anyone use a dry cell?

[BradT]

Hate to say it but buy a cheap one charge it properly at first and take care of it, by cheaping it charged.

 

These batteries should start any bike that is in decent running condition and should work well for three years. You can throw it away after two years and get another new one for about the same cost as the more expensive one.

 

Works for me and I am never worry about the battery going bad. I would not trust any bike battery in the 4th year.

 

Brad

[Sylvester]

I have the DEKA AGM and it works great. That being said I had six years on a Yuasa wet battery. I kept it on the shelf for a year and then put it into a trail mower. It started right up. My good friend needed a battery for his VSR and I gave it to him. It is still running great after more than seven years. I cannot tell you what is better after this revelation.

 

[van avery]

I bought the DEKA AGM battery. Been happy ever since.

I fought with my 83 venture not starting unless it wanted too. I had to keep the charger on it all the time to make sure it would start. I had replaced the battery cables, cleaned the connections replaced the voltage regulator, etc. .

I had bought a Bike Master last year when I bought the bike just did not have the CCA to keep the bike starting w/o keeping the charger on it.

After I installed the DELKA it has been great starts everytime and have not had to charge it. It was well worth the extra bucks.

[mlew]

The FexEx man just brought me new Deka AGM battery. I am supprised at the starting difference. The other battery would start it when hot but it was always slow even though the battery is almost new. The AGM has more CCA and after a ride to heat the engine up it started easily. I'm convinced now, no more wet cells in my bikes.

[van avery]

If you get the AMG battery your battery condition warning light will be blinking since there is no place too put the probe into the battery. There is a fix it's detailed http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=489 .

Buy the way the Delka battery fits the battery holder very well.

Got mine from http://www.bohannonbattery.com/html/motbat/18lbs.html

[KenP]

I have an Odyssey PC680, which by the way, I just replaced under warranty after 1 year's worth of use. No idea of why it failed, but it did. If I had to do it over again, I would go with the DEKA first, then the Odyssey.

 

A couple of other things I found out is that a 4 Brush Vmax starter (or the "Dingy" starter mod) and some larger battery cables will make a big difference. No more starter "drag" after replacing those.

[ActionJax]

Just to jump in here. I've been out of commision this summer. And won't be ridding anytime soon. Had a pretty bad accident in May. (Not on the my bike at the time thank God!) But I've been on the mend and though I'm still not able drive because of medical reasons, I've been itchin, and so I've started working on it.

 

Anyhoo, I went out an bought one of those DEKA AGM batteries at O'Reilly's, and WOW what a difference! My bike was having all kinds of trouble on cold starts! I had already replaced the cables with the larger mods. But I was still using the OEM battery. This new DEKA with the 310 CCA is like night an day.

 

I've still got a lot of work that I want to do, but man does it make such a difference in your attitude about your bike when is "starts" when you want it to. LOL

 

Just my 2 cents. ~Cheers

[mlew]

I rode the Venture to work today and wow , that battery makes a huge difference. I don't know why but it seems to even run better.