Received my new starter leads (thanks Exige) and started stripping it today, does not look like it has ever been out in the wet. Has a Motobat fitted which shows a bit of love but not as good as a Yuasa AGM IMO. What is the standard rear shock for a base MY03 999?
I'm pleased you've got some decent swift and helpful replies Denzil. You're always one of the first to consistently offer technical help in other threads. Having just bought a motobatt for my 916,if ( with permission) it's not taking your thread too far off track for a single answer, what reason do you hold for your opinion that a Yuasa AGM is your pref.?
TT, I think they are over priced and over hyped (often sold as Gel when in fact they are just AGM lead acid batteries) and are not quite as good build quality as the similar spec Yuasa AGM ones. The Yuasa ones are 20-30 quid less and can last if maintained correctly for 7-8 years. The Motobat in my 999 has inadequate terminal posts which can't help with the starting issues. I am not that convinced the battery design is adequate to reliably deliver the significant starter current required by a big V twin. They are an improvement over normal lead acid batteries and should be perfectly good for a jap IL4. Finally the most widely used OEM batteries are Yuasa for good reasons.
I considered both and went for the Yuasa. However, iirc, the two are a pretty similar price and many people swear by the Motobatt. I was put off because just as many seem to hate them. The Yuasa just seems to be solidly dependable.
+1 for yuasa. I tried motobatt after reading their blurb. No better starting and started dying after a year.
I've had no dramas at all with my Motobatts but maybe the Yuasa will be even better? I'll give one a try in due course.
Air Duck, if I was racing then maybe, for a road bike used throughout the year this is a bad idea. 1. Standard AGM batteries only weigh maybe 3.5kgs 2. Standard AGM batteries can be bought for a third of the price of Li Ion ones 3. Standard AGM batteries have at least twice the design life of Li Ion batteries (which are not designed to last beyond 2-3 years) 4. Standard AGM batteries are not overly sensitive to the hot and cold temperatures experienced by most motorbikes, Li Ion ones can shut down sub zero or go into melt down when overheated during use (like under the fairings of a Ducati) 5. Standard AGM batteries don't catch fire if the charging voltage goes awry, the regulators on Ducatis either fail low or over voltage, the latter risks causing a Li Ion battery to go into explosive melt down (thermal run away is the technical term). This is the problem reported with lap tops and Boeing 787s recently 6. Standard AGM batteries don't risk going into thermal meltdown during high capacity discharge (like when starting a big V twin) 7. Ducatis really don't need any more reasons for the battery and charging system to break down Perhaps in a few years when they get the technology sorted then maybe, but right now the only benefit I can see is the equivalent weight saving of having a dump before a ride
Loz, I have never heard of a Motobat passing 3 years old, I have heard of many Yuasas going past 5 years (I have had one expire due to a regulator failure at 7 years and the last one stopped holding charge adequately 5.5 years). Of course it all depends on how carefully maintained they are.
My Motobatt was brought to life in 2010. Still doing good service now. It replaced a Motobatt that was Fail-on-fit but replaced under warranty - full disclosure
All sounds great mate. Guess I'd better bin the many I use on my bikes. Yeah, 50 quid for a LiIon - breaks the bank that compared to lead acid eh. Still, your battery sounds great.
