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Battery Advice

V-lust

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Joined
Nov 11, 2004
Messages
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Location
Boonsville, Tx
My 13 Tenere's battery needs replacing and i have spent the last two hours looking online and reading reviews. The YTZ 14S seems to be preferred over the the stock YTZ 12S. I find prices from $45 to nearly $200 for the Shorai lithiums. Amazon has some 14S lithium batteries for about $100 and the 7 pound weight saving is appealing.
Okay the question is: Have you run the cheaper lithium batteries or should I just go back with a sealed lead acid battery?:giveup:
 
Have the battery tender LI batteries in both the ZRX and KTM been running them for 2
years with no issues
 
I would suggest buying local, like a Wal-Mart.

I had a mail order battery go south after about 6 months and the warranty hoops was half as much as buying new.

Also if you are in North Dakota on vacation again, there are WalMarts everywhere for a warranty replacement.

Finally ... that hunk of bologna you had for lunch today was 7 lbs. I wouldn't think it would matter either way.
 
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I do not recommend lithium's for an adventure bike and particularly not this one. We recently came across a guy in NM that was having starting issues when he first tried and I suspect his lithium battery may have played a part. It seemed to start fine after the key had been on a while. It had been pretty cool. Maybe the battery needed some current to warm up?

I just installed a MotoBatt in mine. It came from https://www.impactbattery.com I get excellent service from them and the batteries have held up well. I've used them on all my power equipment and motorcycles and I've had one failure that I thought was premature. I think I caused that by repeatedly leaving the ignition on. It was on a generator that I'd start every two months and then run it out of gas. I'd forget about the key being on. The batteries have better terminals than most motorsports batteries and you no longer have to chase that stupid little nut. It's also easier to make additional connections.

I do like being able to buy local in case there's a problem and in this case I checked Walmart and I don't think they even offered that size battery. A couple of other places had the same cheap connections we've been using for years. I went back to MotoBatt and I think I'll stay with them for a while. YMMV
 
I also like the motobatt. I don't have one in my Tenere yet but I had very good luck with them in my Strom.
 
LI batteries need some heat to work in cooler temps, turning a key on bumping the starter to get the headlight on or using some other power draw is all they need.

I have a separate fan switch on my ZRX that I installed for heavy traffic situations that I can also bump on for 30 seconds or so when the temps are in the 40s which is the only time I have had the starter not spin faster than it ever had with a Lead Acid or Gel battery

Being and ADV bike should make no difference as to how voltage works, the battery and starter circuit does not know what they are in, Street, ADV, Cruiser or Touring bike
 
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Here is my $0.02 worth. Several months ago before a trip to CO I "upgraded" the battery in my Africa Twin to a Shorai lithium and have regretted it ever since. When the temps are at 55 or less the starter struggles to get spinning. The bike has started every time, but the LI doesn't crank it as well as the stock battery. I have a feeling it may not start at all if the temps get below 35, which does happen in the high country.
 
An adventure bike doesn't make any difference to how electricity works, but where most street bikes never get far from parking lots full of people and help, many Tenere's do.

Lot's of choices for lots of people, but my recommendation is to stay with well proven technology, particularly when moving off the beaten path. I think you'll find checkswrecks and some of the others that are familiar with this bike are a bit dubious yet too. As I said YMMV
 
Several bike makers are putting Lithium ion batteries in as standard equipment now. For me, this is now totally "proven" technology. I use 'em to save weight and so I never have to use battery tenders. They are still more expensive, so I see that as the only compromise.
 
Sometimes the Li batteries need to "warm up" when cold. A couple of crank attempts will usually bring it back. Counter intuitive, but it works. I personally like the EarthX batteries as they are designed to work without a special charger. That said, I use a Li specific charger on the Li battery in my GSXR.
 
Well I went with the $100 lithium and every time it cranks now I’m pleasantly surprised. In the same time frame I’ve had very poor service from two motobat batteries. One was dead when I got it and after 20 minutes of arguing with Amazon customer service I finally got a refund and told to keep the battery, Being as tight as a BMW rider I put it on a slow charger and it cranked my wife’s NC700 twice and died, never to come to life again. I have had the cold start problem a few times but did what budzrex and others said and it has always started down into the thirties. This battery has never been on a tender and has sat way longer than it should. Thanks COVID. As always YMMV.
 
Wow. I had a motobatt on my old strom and thought it was great. I was fixing to buy one for my Tenere but now I don't know.
 
Wow. I had a motobatt on my old strom and thought it was great. I was fixing to buy one for my Tenere but now I don't know.
Everybodty's experience is different, but I've had very good luck with them. They are in my bikes, power equipment and emergency generator. None of them see a battery maintainer vey often, none of them get used very often anymore, but it's rare that I have to jump anything.
 
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