Next time around, I'm planning on fitting an AGM battery to my 850. Has anybody fitted one to their present BFTP asset? From what I've read elsewhere, the pros appear to out weigh the cons. Pros. 1. Lighter than lead acid batteries of the same capacity. 2. They discharge at a very low rate when the bike is not used regularly. 3. They never spill acid on your bike, there are no liquids in them. 4. They can be mounted horizontally if you so desire it. 5. Their life span is double that of a lead acid battery. Cons. 1. Price is a bit steep, around double that of a LA battery. 2. Availability is limited for some makes and models of bikes. 3. Imports from China are now available in NZ. Not sure of the quality??? What say you guys and gals?
I haven't got an AGM in my bike yet. When i do get a new battery it will be an AGM. Mainly for lightness. The only caveats are that they are not quite as "robust" when it comes to charging, So the electrics need to be in good order, not normally a problem for a GS I know..... They also have a limited shelf life, so make sure you get it load tested before you take it out of the shop.
Thanks KiwiGS. I gather you mean that if the R/R is faulty and the stator is producing more volts than the battery can handle, you'll cook it up just as would happen to a LA battery. Good point about getting them load tested. I always do that for LA's anyway. Didn't realise that shelf life was an issue though. Sounds similar to conventional dry cell batteries.
I have seen them for sale and am interested in how they perform long term. The lightness and safety aspect if you get stuck under your bike in a spill appeals to me. Keep us posted if you do get one, it will give me time to save up And if anyone knows where to get the best price on one would be good too. Currently I have to share a battery amongst a few bikes and it's becomming a real pain.
Looked at em a while back, but expense and size were the issues then.I got the biggest bloody Century one that I could shoehorn into the compartment and changed the wiring to original so I could hook up jumper leads if required, as it's been needed on one or two occassions aye cmoore!
Dieseldick Thanks KiwiGS. I gather you mean that if the R/R is faulty and the stator is producing more volts than the battery can handle, you'll cook it up just as would happen to a LA battery. Good point about getting them load tested. I always do that for LA's anyway. Didn't realise that shelf life was an issue though. Sounds similar to conventional dry cell batteries. Yes you will cook up a Pb acid if the R/R etc are crook, in my experience AGMs can be a be a bit more fussy. On the shelf life thing, Pbs should be stored dry. I wouldn't touch one that hasn't.
Hey Dodgy, no hydrogen fumes to go boooooooooom either, when welding nearby!! Caseye, I did see your monster battery when you were jump starting Cmoore during the anniversary ride. I didn't realise it was an AGM though!!
Yeah, lead acids are stored dry, but it pays to load test after the initial charge too. I believe reputable battery suppliers do that anyway.
Yes I always worry about that when welding.
i've heard only good things about agm's but considering their price i dont see a reason to use one on a GS as you dont really gain any space or anything else (other than it being spill-free). i do plan to use the agm on the "project" bike, mainly because of the small size and the fact that you can lay them down if that fits better with the room you have. but that "project" is probably yeeears away anyway and by then i'm sure the batteries are going to become even smaller, lol
What's this project Psy? Not going over to the dark side are we? :nono We're not looking at some Italian racing hybrid thingy are we?
Dieseldick What's this project Psy? Not going over to the dark side are we? :nono We're not looking at some Italian racing hybrid thingy are we? He's got the chop bug
Or was it this one. I can't remember
Just kidding. This is the one... seriously
Dieseldick What's this project Psy? Not going over to the dark side are we? :nono We're not looking at some Italian racing hybrid thingy are we? i have a gs shaftie rolling chasis. if the 1100 engine i'm working on proves a sucess then i can throw it into bruno and use the 850 in that chasis to make a bobber. would go for a minimalistic look like in the last pic, but with standard wheels, etc. but that's a big IF and a long way off, just something to dream about
