Generic AGM Battery

[Bob_Roller]

The Odyssey battery that I removed from my oilhead 2 months ago, has finally given up ! Six Phoenix summers and it's thrown in the towel. I tried to start my R65 after about 6 months of being worked on, I had the battery on charge all night, and all I got this morning was about 30 seconds of engine cranking, and then nothing.
My question is about a generic AGM battery, I think it was made by Justin B., in a post on Boxerworks over a year ago, about buying a generic AGM battery from an eBay seller. The seller ( Gruber Power Services ) is located here in the Phoenix area.
I mentioned these batteries to a co-worker that runs a BMW bike shop out of his garage. I told him about the company and the batteries after seeing the post in Boxerworks. I had mentioned it to the co-worker that my battery was on it's last legs here last week, when he informed me that he had contacted the company, and seeing as he had a business license to run his shop, he could get the wholesale price on the batteries, if he bought at least 10 at a time . He gets them for $26 ( for the small batteries for the R65 ), no sales tax. So I'm getting one tonight.
 Question to Justin B. if it was you that posted on Boxerworks, any comments on the battery so far ?

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

Congratulations on 6 years!

Congratulations on $26!!!  

If you get two years, you will still be way ahead of BMW lead-acid!  (The low-standard by which I judge wet cell batteries...)

[Bob_Roller]

Rob, I plan on paying him more for the battery, as if I went to buy one, it would be $58, + 8% sales tax, and a 75 mile round trip drive to the north side of Phoenix. Now whether he'll accept more I don't know, but I'll at least offer him more.

[Justin B.]

Bob, the battery is in the junkyard bike so I really have no comment on it.  I have been keeping it on a Harbor Freight $5.95 float charger and so far so good.  Do I smell a group purchase in the works?  

[Bob_Roller]

Thanks Justin, I was just wondering if you had any comment on them. The co-worker has only been using them for less than a year, so he really doesn't have any idea if these batteries are worth the effort or not. I'll post updates if I experience less than a positive experience with this battery.

[Lowen]

I paid $125 for my last BMW battery a year ago, on the plus side BMW no longer makes a lead acid battery for the R65 and what I got for my money was a gel cell sized to fit my R65.

[Justin B.]

Lowen, even the BMW Gel battery seems to be flaky.  My youngest son had one (Excide) in his 2005 Oilhead and he had to replace it this past spring - less than 2 years old.  Of course, BMW weasled out and said warranty did not cover it so he opted for the Panasonic and so far so good...

[Bob_Roller]

I got the battery last night, agreed on a price of $40. Anyone local to the Phoenix area, he'll sell them for $40, and no sales tax. The longest that one of these batteries has been in use, is 14 months, and so far he has gotten all positive feedback. Has them installed on all of his bikes, and no issues yet.