battery suggestion

[Red_Hen]

I see this group suggests AGM battery for R65LS - is the contact info. on the other page still valid?

I've also had good luck with Odyssey batteries.  

Your suggestions appreciated.

Thanks,

Ken

[montmil]

Have the Staab AGM battery in both my R65s. Couldn't be happier with the performance and price.

Monte

[Bob_Roller]

I've got one of the generic AGM batteries from Staab Battery, it was in the R65, up until January, when the Odyssey battery in the oilhead started turning the engine over noticeably slower .

In this desert heat, I get at best 4 good years out of an Odyssey battery, it's only got a 2 year warranty in a motorcycle, and with a current cost of around $130 for an Odyssey battery, I thought I'd give this Staab battery a try .

Don't know what kind of service life to expect from it yet, but time will tell .

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

As long as the price doesn't reach European levels, I will probably buy another Odyssey.
Mine is several years old, and it just came out of an 18 month hibernation without even a hiccup.
I love it.

[nhmaf]

I think that WestCo has an AGM model that will fit too.

[fmriguy]

I've also been very happy with my Odyssey battery.  The only drawback may be that these seem to require a specialized charger (at least based on the owners manual).  

I actually used a standard car charger just temporarily to get the voltage up a bit to start after a long winter, but I think there is a risk of damage to the cell if you do that regularly.  Also, the model that I have is a bit narrower than the OEM battery and the rubber straps are a bit loose, but that is a minor niggle.

[DeeG]

No issues with the Odyssey I stuck in the 45 about three years ago.  It's compatible with pretty much all of the 12V 'Battery Tender' style trickle chargers out there.  Mine has an HD pigtail on it for the Tender, as it was the only one out there that had a cap for the business end of the plug.  

The only time I've use a standard car charger on an Odyssey was on the Kubota tractor.  Was a bit chilly out (22F) and it hadn't been on a charger in about 7 months.  

One a side note, BT has a new model out that is water resistant and you can mount it on a wall.  Think I'm gonna pick one up and mount it outside next to the door.  Nice to be able to keep the tractors or the diesel p/u on a charger without having to run ext cords.  

[Bob_Roller]

I've had a Harbor Freight float charger on my old Odyssey battery, since January .

So far no issues with the battery, and it's plugged into the charger all the time .

The Odyssey is approaching 5 years in service, so the possibility of it quitting any day is quite likely .