1 Help, please, with choosing a non-BMW battery Tue Apr 17, 2012 5:46 am
C_Mick
Silver member
after it has stood for far too long in my garage. This post is concerned with choosing a
suitable battery. My bike is stock, non-ABS and I'll be riding in daylight only. Where I live, ambient temperature doesn’t fall below 8 degrees Centigrade, so havingto start the bike in freezing temperatures is not an issue. As I understand it (but my knowledge of motorcycle electrics is scant) , the key demand on the battery in the scenario outlined will be to provide sufficient current at the required volts for starting the bike; thereafter the alternator should take care of business. I realize that a replacement battery:
- Must fit the battery holder (i.e. must not exceed maximum permitted dimensions)
- Should have the appropriate orientation of the terminals
- Should have a rating of approximately 20AH
I should appreciate it if someone knowledgeable about motorcycle electrics would explain to me in layman’s terms how to determine from the specification for a given battery whether it will have sufficient ‘power’ for starting the bike and whether battery will be compatible with the output from the bike’s alternator for the purpose of recharging it. I'm uncertain how I will get on with riding again and I’m looking for a cheaper alternative to the BMW replacement battery (at approx R1800, hideously expensive in SA). Ideally I would prefer a maintenance-free battery, although a conventional lead-acid, wet cell type would be all right. Recently I came across info on the Net about the CSB Batteries, which are imported into SA. I have identified 3 models of interest to me. They are not sold specifically as motorcycle batteries, but is there any reason why they shouldn't work well on my bike given the requirements I have outlined? Thanks in advance for any comments. The 3 batteries are:
http://www.csb-battery.com/english/01_product/02_detail.php?fid=4&pid=46
http://www.csb-battery.com/english/01_product/02_detail.php?fid=4&pid=47
http://www.csb-battery.com/english/01_product/02_detail.php?fid=5&pid=14
Chris
Last edited by C_Mick on Tue Apr 17, 2012 5:52 am; edited 1 time in total (Reason for editing : improve page layout)
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