FuzzyRSTD Posted May 15, 2016 Share #1 Posted May 15, 2016 HELLO everyone, and God bless. Been a while, but I am back. This YUASA model YTX20L-BS was in my RSTD since new, as far as I can remember (9 yrs). Pretty good I would say. I have always kept a battery tender on it in the well insulated garage. No problems, but expecting one any time from this battery. I just removed it to see what it was. Should I be concerned ? I think maybe so, so what you all recommend ? YUASA again, I am thinking. Ordering quickly, need it this week. Leaving out next Saturday morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bongobobny Posted May 16, 2016 Share #2 Posted May 16, 2016 Well, if it worked for you... Myself I would invest the few extra dollars into an AGM battery such as the DEKA which Skydoc_17 sells. AGM's have more reserve power (CCA's). However, I am not sure you will get the longevity you got out of your original battery, you may! Actually I am somewhat surprised yours lasted as long as it did, a lot of people are hard pressed to get 4 years out of a battery! However, you are not the first time I've heard of that long, but I have only heard of a couple... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiCarl Posted May 16, 2016 Share #3 Posted May 16, 2016 Wet cell batteries will last a long time if properly charged and maintained. Overcharge, let them sit discharged or let the fluid get low and they die young. I've got a friend had the original battery in his RoadStar last 11 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djh3 Posted May 16, 2016 Share #4 Posted May 16, 2016 AGM need an entirely different "battery tender" thing from what I have read. The way you charge up a AGM is suposedly different. I dont know how when your bike is going to charge it the same way as a wet cell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bongobobny Posted May 16, 2016 Share #5 Posted May 16, 2016 They just need to be charged at a lower rate, best charged with an old fashioned simple battery charger. They don't seem to like some of the fancy "Sensor" type chargers or float chargers. My battery charger has a specific setting for AGM... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuzzyRSTD Posted May 16, 2016 Author Share #6 Posted May 16, 2016 Well I just placed the order with Skydoc17 for a Deka battery. The original is in fact a YUASA as I had in my bike since new. I researched the Yamaha manufacture web site and found it was the battery that came in it. I thought so, but my wife says I replaced it. I did not, I would have records of it if so. I have purchased others for UTV and ATV though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirby Posted May 16, 2016 Share #7 Posted May 16, 2016 Still got the original battery in mine also. It's an 09 with 88,000 miles on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigLenny Posted May 16, 2016 Share #8 Posted May 16, 2016 I had the original YUSA battery in mine until March of this year (8yrs, 9Mo). Never even put a battery tender on it. I went back with another YUSA. I do put a battery tender on it now though. Not sure why i do it now, when I never did it before, and got nearly 9 years out of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuzzyRSTD Posted May 16, 2016 Author Share #9 Posted May 16, 2016 I had the original YUSA battery in mine until March of this year (8yrs, 9Mo). Never even put a battery tender on it. I went back with another YUSA. I do put a battery tender on it now though. Not sure why i do it now, when I never did it before, and got nearly 9 years out of it. I agree BigLenny, why now. Do you keep your ride in an insulated or heated garage ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bongobobny Posted May 16, 2016 Share #10 Posted May 16, 2016 Does Arkansas even see weather too cold to drive in for months?? Of course, Fuzzy, you have a longer riding season than we do in NY... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigLenny Posted May 16, 2016 Share #11 Posted May 16, 2016 I agree BigLenny, why now. Do you keep your ride in an insulated or heated garage ? Fuzzy, I keep it in an insulated garage. That probably helps the situation. BL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigLenny Posted May 16, 2016 Share #12 Posted May 16, 2016 Does Arkansas even see weather too cold to drive in for months?? Of course, Fuzzy, you have a longer riding season than we do in NY... We have winters that see temps of teens to single digits. But, we generally in the winter, have a day or so here and there when the temps will jump up to high 40's or low 50's, then plummet back down to teens and such. So, we aren't locked in for months on end. We can ride fairly consistently into mid November, then hit and miss to mid December, then none until late February, then hit and miss again until late March. Then we're riding again. However, we hadn't touched the bike since the last week of September last year due to a couple surgeries my wife and I had. So, when I got the bike out in March, it, for the first time in 9 years, had a dead battery. I jumpstarted it. It then would start, but cranked slow. I just decided to replace the battery because I figured it had been long enough on an original battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowpuc Posted May 16, 2016 Share #13 Posted May 16, 2016 Tweeks has got the original battery out of a friends 08 Sportster in her,,, I will let you guys know how that works out ... Maybe carry your old battery tie wrapped to the back of your bike just in case you run across someone like me sitting on the side of the road Fuzzy .. Sounds to me like your on the right the track swapping it out - no sense taking any chances if you dont relish the excitement of being broke down in obscure places:happy34: Sooo,,,,, anyone trying Lithium:icon_smile_question Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowpuc Posted May 16, 2016 Share #14 Posted May 16, 2016 Sorry to bug ya Fuzzy but just wanted to add = """"This YUASA model YTX20L-BS was in my RSTD since new"""" = so thats what was!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bongobobny Posted May 16, 2016 Share #15 Posted May 16, 2016 OK Lenny!! The bottom line is cold temperatures kill batteries!! Up north here some of us will ride in November until it snows, but a lot of bikes get put into storage late October, not to be brought out until May! There are some rare people that will actually ride their bike in the winter especially in January when we have a "January thaw" but with the amount of salt poured on our roads they must not respect their bikes to get them full of salt powder from the roads! Anyway, we go for months of below freezing weather both day and night! There are times when we go for weeks with a high of single digit temperatures and lows in the minus double digits, other times we are below freezing in double digits during the day and single digits during the night. Float chargers help, but even with a constant full charge they are still coooooold!! In my case, I take my battery out when I store my trike in my neighbor's uninsulated unheated garage and store the battery in my fully insulated sometimes heated garage. It never freezes in my garage, which is attached to the house and gets heat through absorption mostly or when I heat it to work out there. even so, I am lucky to get more than 4 years out of a battery. The exception to this is my Odessey battery in my 1st gen which has been in my garage since '09, the battery was purchased in '06, and is still good!! Yes, 9 years for any lead acid battery is exceptional!! I would say that anything over 7 years out of a lead acid is doing good, car or motorcycle! Up north here our batteries don't last as long... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bongobobny Posted May 16, 2016 Share #16 Posted May 16, 2016 Puc, for the cost of a good lithium I could probably buy two or three regular batteries... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuzzyRSTD Posted May 19, 2016 Author Share #17 Posted May 19, 2016 Having issues now with the Deka AGM. Skydoc says I have to cut some tie straps on my RSTD and move the hot terminal to the oposite side. I dont know if that will work very well along with my already added on extras on the bike and wired into the battery. Look for threads to help me, but cant find anything at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bongobobny Posted May 19, 2016 Share #18 Posted May 19, 2016 Not sure about RSTD issues, but I CAN relate to extra connections to the battery!! I just went with a little longer 6mm bolt... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now