Maintenance Free Battery

hmondo
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Re: Maintenance Free Battery

04 Nov 2008 12:52

I also will invest in a "Specific Gravity" gizmo just to be sure. I currently do not have any problems with my battery, but I'm trying to avoid any issues in the future.

Thank you for the great information...you've been more than helpful!

1989 KZ1000 P-8 (Police)
1987 ZL1000
1986 Concours (Project Bike)

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RonKZ650
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Re: Maintenance Free Battery

07 Nov 2008 07:09

#246064

If you add water to a maintenance free, you might ruin it. I just got a new Yuasa maintenance free for the Goldwing because it's a piece of junk and boils the battery dry constantly, so as on the KZ1000 I thought it worth the extra money just for the fact I'm tired of removing the caps to add water 25 times a year. :laugh: Here's the deal though, I got the battery shipped 2000 miles here and they packed the battery box in another box the exact same size so a fragile 15lb battery had 3/16" cardboard as packing. To start with this battery it comes with a huge 6 section sealed acid container, you put it on top of the battery all the acid drains into the battery, then you seal the top, charge and you're all done. I assumed the acid stayed in liquid form from then on out. Well the lack of packing I see I have a damaged corner and acid is leaking out so I call out for a new battery and since this one has acid in it now it can't be shipped back they tell me to throw it out. After a little while the leak stops and I know darn well I haven't leaked out the amount of acid I put in that cell. I pry off the seal caps, turn the battery upside down and it's dry in all 6 sections. So apparently this is one of those absorb types where acid soaks into the plates and it runs dry from then on out. I'm going to give it a shot the way it is. So don't add water unless you're sure it's supposed to be there.

321,000 miles on KZ's that I can remember. Not going to see any more.

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BSKZ650
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Re: Maintenance Free Battery

07 Nov 2008 07:35

#246068

I was a optima battery rep for a while,, that one is a true mait free battery, not place to add water to it and the acid is absorbed into the cell material.
Water loss is due to the charging of the battery in the form of gassing, they all must vent the gas someplace or they will explode.
If you are having to add water all the time, I would be suspect of the charging system, over charging.
Heat and vibration are the two major killers of the battery.

I normally replace mine about every two years, seems like thats all they last in a bike, and I use the standard lead acid type

77 kz650, owned for over 25 years
77 ltd1000, current rider
76 kz900, just waiting
73 z1,, gonna restore this one
piglet, leggero harley davidson
SR, Ride captian, S.E.Texas Patriot Guard Riders.. AKA KawaBob

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guitargeek
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Re: Maintenance Free Battery

07 Nov 2008 10:27

#246088

TORTURE TEST: ODYSSEY BATTERIES
By Adam Zuckerman

It's not often that we in the motorcycle magazine industry get to truly test the endurance of a product over many years. I have just had an experience that I felt justified a long-term torture test review.

In 2001, I purchased an Odyssey AGM-type battery for my Moto Guzzi California EV 1100. At the time, I had heard good things about Odyssey and AGM-type batteries in general but I was mainly sold on the idea that it would be much smaller and lighter than the stock battery.

As of the writing of this review, the battery has survived seven New England winters without the benefit of heated parking. I have added approximately 90,000 miles to my odometer in that time. The battery has carried me through commuting in sub-freezing weather and touring the Southwestern deserts with temperatures well over 100 degrees. It has sat without a battery charger for over a month and willingly cranked the bike on below-freezing mornings when the snow has finally been plowed sufficiently to ride. Needless to say, I have been impressed with this battery.

But the true crowning achievement came when my regulator-rectifier died just prior to a 300-mile trip to Gettysburg, PA. Unaware that the bike was getting no charge from the alternator at all, I set out with my wife and friends. The battery lasted the whole way down and through 2 days of sightseeing. After a quick diagnosis, a friend put the bike on his charger for me. From barely 11 volts, the battery took a full charge. I disconnected the headlight, and we rode home without incident. Regulator-rectifier replaced, the Guzzi is as good as new and the battery takes and holds a full charge.

1980 KZ750-H1 (slightly altered)
1987 KZ1000-P6 "Ponch"
1979 GS1000 "Dadzuki"

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racer54
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Re: Maintenance Free Battery

07 Nov 2008 10:36

#246092

I was always told to use distilled water if you need to fill a battery. The impurities (metal particles?) in tap water will short out a battery over time. Distilled water is just water without all the crap suspended in it. Told never add acid to refill a low battery by places I bought battery from and also mentioned in instruction sheet to put battery into service. Never told why but assume something along the lines mentioned above about concentration of acid.

1980 LTD (changed over the years), 1979 LTD (being rebuilt), 1977 KZ turbo and various KZ's in various states of build. KLX110

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timebomb33
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Re: Maintenance Free Battery

07 Nov 2008 17:28

#246135

one of the biggest killers of batteries is sulfation on the plates the new technoligy in chargers is anti sulfation charging if you want to know more about them yuasa batteries has a great web site with lot's of really good info i use a lot of thier info when im teaching about batteries in electrical theory class. www.yuasabatteries.com

1973 z1 2-1974z1-a,2-1975z1-b dragbikes1015cc+1393cc, 1977kz1000,1978kz1000,1981kz1000j, 1997 zx-11, 2000 z12r,1428turbo nitrous pro-mod and a shit load of parts thats all for now leader sask.,CANADA
I THINK MY POWERBAND BROKE

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Zedone
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Re: Maintenance Free Battery

18 Nov 2008 08:20

#248108

I just bought & installed a AGM battery this summer for one of my KZ1000'S and have not run it yet (have a battery tender on it, and will soon have this bike on the road) so the jury is out on that one. I also have a Yellow Top Optima (AGM) in my truck (@ 4 years old) and I'm kinda peed off with it. I dropped $300 for it and in my 3rd & 4th year I'm charging the frigging thing up as it doesn't seem to hold a charge for longer than 4-6 weeks unless I use my truck on a regular basis. My elec. system is running perfect also. However, I contacted Optima and they said NOT to store the battery in a warm/hot enviroment when not in use as that will shorten the lifespan. I believe the charging plates have sulfated a fair amount in my case. I do LOVE the fact that they don't leak acid all over the place though. Doug

1977 KZ1000A1
1977 KZ1000A1 (Superbike Project)
1969 Chevrolet C/10 Short Fleet

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bountyhunter
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Re: Maintenance Free Battery

18 Nov 2008 15:41

#248156

FWIW, they used the lead acid gel-cell batteries in camcorders and the portable spotlights. They will sulphate and die if not kept on a tender. I think they do it worse than the regular wet cell types.

1979 KZ-750 Twin

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darmahsd
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Re: Maintenance Free Battery

28 Nov 2008 19:20 - 28 Nov 2008 19:25

#249853

On the '84 GPZ I have, the stock battery has an electrolyte sensor. This extra bit of what turns out for me to be useless technology makes the battery cost almost a hundred bucks more than what it's really worth. I was tired of getting ripped off, so when you replace it with a standard Yuasa without the sensor, the +/- battery post orientation is reversed. I had to make new battery cables, re-route them and plug the now extra sensor lead into a positive lead to shut off the warning light. The next replacement battery made good use of this conversion and also was an Odyssey AGM. I installed it last November and stored the bike in an unheated shed over the winter with no type of trickle charger or Battery Tender. Without firing it up once during last winter (northeast USA), it started right up when I began using the bike last April. This year I purchased a dedicated charger made just for AGM batteries to protect my investment. Just make sure you get this type of charger. I am very impressed with the Odyssey.

Stephen

Last edit: 28 Nov 2008 19:25 by darmahsd.

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