Affordable AGM battery alternative...

[Justin B.]

I have been trying out a fairly inexpensive AGM battery in the Junkyard LS.  So far - so good.  It has been in over a year on the "included" 500 ma trickle charger and it cranks the bike over just as fast as the PC680 does the others.  I just ordered another one for the "Garage Ornament", and at $52 and change plus shipping I think it's pretty good bang-for-your-buck...

Here is a link to the battery: http://www.gruberpower.com/gruberpower/advertising/batteries/cutsheets/58-ytx20-bs.asp

It's only an 18 AH battery but I doubt an R65 will ever notice the missing 2 AH.

[not-so-fast-ed]

Justin,  That's a steal!

 

[Justin B.]

I don't have any long-term test data but I used to only get a little over a year out of a wet battery 'cause I never did seem to remember to keep them filled up.  And, when I did remember I usually got 'em too full and they dribbled and made a mess of things.  This battery is about what a wet battery costs so even if it doesn't outlast one the other benefits makes it worth it in my mind.  

I am a big Odyssey fan (have them in three bikes) but at well over $100 I doubt I will be buying any more.  I remember the first Odyssey I bought was about $64 including shipping...  Suraklyn tried one of the Panasonic AGMs in his R1200ST and after a year it didn't have enough cajones to crank the bikle on cold mornings...

The last one I bought was the "L" version, this time I bought the other.  Posts are reversed but I think for $30 difference I can either stretch enough slack or make me a 3" pigtail to extend the wires a tad...  For some reason the "L" version went up over $30 since the last one I bought.

[MrRiden]

I'm seeing it listed at that link for 92.65!

[Justin B.]

The UBX20L is but the UBX20 is $52 and the only difference I could see was the posts were reversed.  I ordered one and we'll see what happens...  The UBX20L was about $50 a year ago...

[Justin B.]

I just checked the link and you're right!  I just ordered one right before I started the thread and they were $52!!  I'm going to e-mail them and see what is going on...

[Justin B.]

A rep. from Gruber e-mailed me back and explained the pricing on these had been creeping up lately but they had the feeling it was a short-term spike and had not raised the selling price.  He said that after I bought mine they were compelled to raise the selling price.  The YTX20L-BS (http://YTX20L-BS) is $81 and change and has the terminals in the correct location.  This is the one I have "aging" in the Junkyard LS on the back porch.  $82 is still $30-$40 less than an Odyssey (although a few amps less power), a stock BMW, and only a little more than a standard wet cell battery.

I have proposed the idea of an "R65 Group" to them so we'll see what happens...

[MrRiden]

Thanks Justin. looks like you timed your purchase well! Can I use my battery tender jr on one of these AGM batteries or do they require something different.
rich

[Justin B.]

I just bought a two-station battery tender (http://batterytender.com/product_info.php?products_id=55) and I believe it indicated it was OK to use (confirmed on their web site), but I think these batteries come with a 500 milliamp trickle charger - at least the last one I bought did.  I have used a "Junior" on three Odyssys over the past few years...

[Semper Gumby]

Odesseys need atleast two amps to bring the battery up.  But if the battery is fully charged or close to fully charged then a regular Battery tender will be OK.

4 years and 4 months and counting on my PC680.

I am getting an uprated version of the Battery Tender to keep my PC680 in top form.

http://www.batterymart.com/p-battery-tender-plus-12v-5a-wp-battery-charger.html

TTFN,

[Justin B.]

Looks like a great charger.  I don't use the battery tenders to charge a depleted battery, just to maintain.  If I have a dead 'un then I have a switchable 2/6/10 amp charger for those situations...

[Justin B.]

Just got my new Gruber battery today, tomorrow it goes into the R65RS "Garage Ornament".  I will be sprucing it up a bit this winter and I think next spring will be a good time for it to find a new home.