Gel or Acid

[threepot]

What do you guy's reckon is the best? Only ever used acid.

[Bixxer Bob]

Gel supposedly gives more cranking power, lasts much better on the shelf without a tender and holds its charge longer BUT they give no warning when they go.  They go from cranking ok to nothing almost overnight.  Ask Chris.....

[Sin_Tiger]

Got a Mottobat for the Steamer a bit over a year ago. So far so good, the extra set of terminals is handy, I have a C-Tek comfort indicator lead connected to it permanently. Handy for keeping an eye on the state and also means I can whip it out quickly to use elsewhere or bench charge without running extensions or faffing about with crocodile clips.

[nickjtc]

Can't comment on gel. I use a Shorai lithium in the XR650, primarily to save weight and to be able to fit it under the seat by lying it on its side. The Roadie has a regular lead acid.

Since the batteries in our bikes stand upright is there any benefit to going with gel??

[threepot]

Just bought a Varta Acid for £28 inc,on eBay. Stick withwhat I'm used to I think. Reason I'm buying one is the Super3 ran the Yuasa I use on the Tiger flat. Don't know if its the extra hp,or compression? But it's always felt 'sluggish' turning over compared to the other bikes?
http://www.batteriesnorthwest.com/batteryschool.cfm?TID=4

[nickjtc]

For the record I have had very good success with regular batteries by storing them through the winter on a battery tender, thereby keeping them in a steady state of charge.

The battery on my VFR was good as new after five years.

[JayDub]

I've had a Yuasa lead/acid on a tender for over 3 years now, and it still has loads of kick, and it still reads 12.8-13v (off charge), I often swap it with the steamer one when I run that low.

[JayDub]

Just bought a Varta Acid for £28 inc,on eBay. Stick withwhat I'm used to I think. Reason I'm buying one is the Super3 ran the Yuasa I use on the Tiger flat. Don't know if its the extra hp,or compression? But it's always felt 'sluggish' turning over compared to the other bikes?
http://www.batteriesnorthwest.com/batteryschool.cfm?TID=4

You have checked starter and earth connections?............... 'course you have 

[threepot]

I shall give it a try JD The only thing I've done in 17yrs is change the crank sensor,and the shims a few times.

[JayDub]

I shall give it a try JD The only thing I've done in 17yrs is change the crank sensor,and the shims a few times.

must get an S3!!!
It could be worth pulling the starter and trying a direct battery connection even.... cos it could be the brushes or sumfink

[Chris Canning]

Gel supposedly gives more cranking power, lasts much better on the shelf without a tender and holds its charge longer BUT they give no warning when they go.  They go from cranking ok to nothing almost overnight.  Ask Chris.....

Over night  blimey mine died on the spot after a 175 ride to Portsmouth and in the couple of minutes it took to fuel the bike up it was kaput.

[Sin_Tiger]

Over night  blimey mine died on the spot after a 175 ride to Portsmouth and in the couple of minutes it took to fuel the bike up it was kaput.

Have any of your mates in the trade tried doing load tests on them? Never tried it on a GEL or an AGM myself but used to do it regularly on standard liquid type.

[Chris Canning]

Nope for the simple reason when a punter comes in with a battery on the blink there's only one way it's going and to be honest the price of them in todays day and age is peanuts the difference between trade and what you can one for off ebay is zilch,the trick is buy e'm cheap run e'm 2 years bail out and buy another but folks don't,they still have this thing about I've had it on an Optimate and it'll be fine and yea  I'm sorry was!! as guilty as the next but after my battery going belly up in Portsmouth docks that cured me  :icon_wink:

The complication is the lithium I have on my 660 

[Bixxer Bob]

I know nothing (yet) about Lithium vehicle batteries but can subscribe to the general view on batteries Chris.  The most recent example was I was working at an offsite sale last Saturday, it was warm enough to be in shirtsleeves, and a Range Rover outside was getting a jump start from a taxi.  If you own several thousand pounds worth of car (or bike) why would you hold back on £80 for a new battery at the first sniff of it going down? It's just not worth the hassle of getting caught out when it goes flat.  There seems to be a dogged determination to not accept the obvious.  I understand if you're running an old dog on a shoestring because you can't afford anything else that you have to eke it out as far as possible but .....

Not saying that's true of this thread of course, but it does seem to be one of those strange phenomenons

[Sin_Tiger]

Nope for the simple reason when a punter comes in with a battery on the blink there's only one way it's going and to be honest the price of them in todays day and age is peanuts the difference between trade and what you can one for off ebay is zilch,the trick is buy e'm cheap run e'm 2 years bail out and buy another but folks don't,they still have this thing about I've had it on an Optimate and it'll be fine and yea  I'm sorry was!! as guilty as the next but after my battery going belly up in Portsmouth docks that cured me  :icon_wink:

The complication is the lithium I have on my 660 

You're dead right, even a Motobatt at £50 (local bike shop matched the best Web deal) £25 a year is not much more than one petrol fill. I suppose most of us have this ting about not throwing things away until they really are done (maybe it's a generation thing) but as you say, finding that out in a wet petrol station on Sunday night with a ferry ticket in your hand for a long trip that you've saved for and been looking forward to for months is not the best idea.