Replacing your Battery - '21 and up

[Rydinon]

I just replaced my 4 year old battery after a lot of waffling. It shows no signs of weakness, the bike starts and shifts ok, but it is 4 years old. Checking around, Yuasa's cost $120 and up, aftermarket no name brands start around $30 or $35. Finally I took my own advice and called a friend with one of those cheaper electronic load testers. These work by measuring internal resistance and thus the amount of sulfation and indirectly the battery's capacity. I got big bold, all capital REPLACE.

Looked long and hard at those cheap batteries. Amazon showed almost 15% of over 2000 reviews that were 1 and 2 stars. A couple that said their battery arrived damaged in shipping sold me, because I've been a victim of Amazon's crappy packaging. I bought a Yuasa from a MC accessory place in Colorado.

Replacing the battery is not difficult...well, it should not be difficult. Removing the two screws and heavy factory wires from the old one is straightforward and easy. Unhooking that rubber strap is a horse of a different color. The top plastic 'hook' is just the right size for the metal loop, it is out of sight, and I think it tends to hold that metal bail when you are able to stretch the strap enough to unhook it. After a bit of sweating, I was finally able to release the strap.

Pulled out the old battery, charged up the new one fully, and slipped it into the pocket. Attached the two leads. And then began a half hour struggle with my wife helping to reattach that cursed rubber strap. The 'hook' is just about the same size as the metal bail and you have to slide that bail in perfectly. You cannot see what you are doing, and fighting the tension of the rubber strap to give you enough slack took nearly all my hand strength. There is minimal clearance atop the battery and fingers barely fit into that space. This 'hook' is below the fusebox so you cannot get to it from the seat side of the frunk (I had all of the fairing off when I did this). I eventually succeeded, you should expect a bit of a struggle.

Fusebox: Removing the lid is a bit problematical. The cover has a tab on the right side of the bike that you need to push inward (toward the fusebox) while pulling up on the cover. It will hinge up and out and unhook from the left side. Since the entire frunk and fusebox are black (and light absorbing), you cannot see what to release until the cover is off. This too is more difficult than it needs to be. I'm considering cutting the tab off and using a piece of electrical tape to hold the cover closed.

 

[670cc]

Great writeup. Thanks for posting.

I’ve have generally stuck with Yuasa batteries, but found a cheaper option with Yuasa’s value branded line called Motocross. Same battery, same manufacturer, different label, lower price. The Yuasa label seems to be for OEMs and for dealers, while the Motocross label must be more for part supply houses, where shoppers are looking for better value. I get about 8 years out of them, just like the Yuasa, and have never had a surprise early failure.

 

[dduelin]

I had good service from a couple of Motocross batteries but the distributor here quit selling them several years ago. They are available online around $90 but I prefer a brick and mortar store for batteries.

 

[the Ferret]

I too prefer brick and mortar for batteries simply for the convenience of returns if there is an issue.

My Japanese Yuasa was $160 at my local store

and I complained about the very same thing (battery strap) when I replaced the battery on my 21 recently.... See post #41

Post in thread 'Time for a new battery or ?????'

Apr 1, 2025

I hear ya. I thought about that. Of the 35 mins it took to swap out the battery and assorted leads for electrical gear, 25 of that was getting the battery strap off and then back on. The clip is buried up close to the bottom and behind the fuse box. You can't even see it without a flashlight and mirror, and no room to get your hands/ fingers back in there. We made a special tool with a little v notch in it for trying to push the hook over the clip and even that didn't work. Honestly getting it unhooked and then rehooked was pure luck.

I miss the days of removing a side cover and voila...

• the Ferret

• 
• 

 

[670cc]

Do the brick and mortar stores always sell a freshly made battery? My fear is if the local store seldom sells and restocks a particular battery size, their stock could be stale. My theory is that online purchases from high volume distributors may increase my chance of getting a fresh product.

 

[the Ferret]

Who knows? I've read of lots of people get years old tires from online high-volume retailers. I suppose batteries could be the same. Whatever the guy grabs off the shelf at the distributor. It's all a crap shoot isn't it? The thing is, I can drive 9 miles and return the old battery the same day if necessary and have my bike back up running in short order. I got a bad battery for my ST 1300 one time that didn't even last a day, took it back and they handed me a new one that was good. I bought one of the cheapo $100 batteries from my local dealer a few years ago because of price (for my CB 1100). It only lasted 18 months.

My buddy just put a Batteries Plus Battery in his 2019 NC 750. Even that was $130.

 

[670cc]

About 3 years from now my NC battery will be due for replacement. I’m currently using a NOCO lithium battery in my wife’s Ruckus. If that goes well, I may try NOCO lithium in my NC. Lead acid battery technology has stagnated, and their high weight and short life makes them seem old-school.

 

[Rydinon]

I used to buy ALL my lead acid batteries from a local battery store. They were cheaper than anyone else, their batteries lasted an average of 4 + years, they offered varying warranties for different sized batteries, and over 35+ years, I've had no complaints. If anything, the physical plant gave me pause, old batteries sitting on skids, spilled acid on the ground, and a general feeling that the building should be condemned, but the folks were helpful, all the batteries I wanted were in stock (or a day or two away), and I loved their prices. I think the family retired and sold the business and now they only carry Exide batteries, no more motorcycle batteries, and their prices are right up there with everyone else.

Now the only places to buy a lead acid battery are big box stores, a couple of dedicated battery stores with stratospheric prices, gas stations, etc. and online. My local Honda dealer wanted $200 for a Yuasa and they had one on the shelf (age unknown). A less local dealer wanted $120 for an unknown brand from Yamaha (he said).

@dduelin, had I known about motocross I would have searched that out.
@the Ferret, if I had a store with competitive prices within $20 miles I'd patronize them in a heartbeat.
@670cc, Do the brick and mortar stores always sell a freshly made battery? Of course not. And absent a readable date code, its age is unknown at best.
Lead acid battery technology has stagnated, and their high weight and short life makes them seem old-school. I don't think the technology has stagnated, you can only get so much energy out of one due to its chemistry. I now object to their price escalation. I had a lithium battery in my ST1300 but decided to not get one for my VStrom due to cost and charging issues. That was some years ago and things have changed. I'd consider one now.

 

[670cc]

I had a lithium battery in my ST1300 but decided to not get one for my VStrom due to cost and charging issues. That was some years ago and things have changed. I'd consider one now.

I still have a lot to learn about lithium battery applications in Honda motorcycles, but one good thing is that at this point in time they have become less expensive than Yuasa replacements.

 

[Rydinon]

I still have a lot to learn about lithium battery applications in Honda motorcycles, but one good thing is that at this point in time they have become less expensive than Yuasa replacements.

Consider this. Putting a lighter lithium battery in your motorcycle will allow it to accelerate faster and the bike will be easier to pick up if you drop it. So what if you cannot measure how much faster the bike accelerates or you don't drop your bike?