Best Replacement Battery?

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TAL2GK
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Best Replacement Battery?

Post by TAL2GK »

I have a 1999 R1100R w/ ABS and it still has its original battery. Unfortunately, it didn't do very well this past summer on the YUSA trickle charger I've had for it for the last 10 years and I think its now fried. The other day, the only way I could get any juice to the system was to jump start with my car (I tried jump starting with a buddies motorcycle, but there just wasn't enough juice to share, apparently).

So - how easy of a DIY job is replacing the battery for a relatively mechanical novice ... and is there a particular battery out there that comes highest recommended from the group?

Thanks!
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pinecone
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Re: Best Replacement Battery?

Post by pinecone »

10 years? I wouldn't complain. I had a BMW gel that only lasted about 5 yrs then fried a no-name AGM battery in one season because the posts were weird and I couldn't get the cables clamped tight. So I don't have any recommendations other than a lot of folks seems to like Odyssey.

To swap the battery you'll need to remove or at least lift the tank. Do you have a shop manual? The trickiest part is dealing with the fuel lines. If you're going to remove the tank (assuming you don't have quick disconnects) you'll need 2 fuel line clamps. I like this type:
Image
This is a good thing to master - you need to get under the tank for the air filter, to access wiring, swap fuel filter/fuel pump, etc.
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Re: Best Replacement Battery?

Post by Golddust »

No problem to replace the battery. Remove the center trim piece from the rear of the tank by unscrewing the 3 phillips screws. There is a nut and bolt on the right rear of the tank that attaches the tank to an L shaped bracket. Remove the nut and bolt. The tank will now lift up. Support it with something in the up position, remove the negative and positive leads and slide it out to the left. Replace it with an Odyssey PC680. Yeah it's expensive, but show me a better one. Your bike is worth 4-5K, it deserves reliable starting power. Don't forget to use the copper colored L shaped connector brackets included with the Odyssey. (They allow the positive and negative leads to reach the terminals without stretching them too much.) Good luck.
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TAL2GK
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Re: Best Replacement Battery?

Post by TAL2GK »

Thanks for the advice. I have heard good things about the Odyssey, so I'm not too worked up about the cost. It looks like this is a doable DIY project, so I think I'll give it a shot.

Thanks!
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TAL2GK
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Re: Best Replacement Battery?

Post by TAL2GK »

Job is complete with the Odyssey. The battery cables were a little short, but I was able to make it work by repositioning the L-brackets.

As far as installation, the BMW owners manual actually had good directions on what to do. It was more complicated than it needed to be, but not beyond a middling novice. I had to raise the gas tank and remove the side fairings, but as long as you have something non-metallic to prop up the gas tank, you don't need to remove it completely.

So far so good. Starts without incident every time and the ABS warning lights I was getting the last few months are now gone. I had no idea that they could be a sign of a dying battery, but I do now.
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Re: Best Replacement Battery?

Post by Golddust »

Good job! The R1100R is a battery "hyper-sensitive" machine. I too was getting the intermittent ABS flashing with a 3 month old NAPA battery and replaced it with the Odyssey. No problems from that day forward. Read a trip report recently about a loaner R1100R. The shop gave it to the guy while they waited for parts for his bike. It had 40000+ miles on it and he took it for a trip. Left him stranded on the freeway... had to get it towed... Diagnosis and cure was a new battery.
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Re: Best Replacement Battery?

Post by TAL2GK »

Thanks, this job actually gave me confidence to do other jobs myself on the bike. Truth be told, though, I'm looking to sell it soon for something else ... possibly an R1200R or maybe something with more protection. I love the naked look, but you feel it when you have to hit the highways.
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Re: Best Replacement Battery?

Post by martygilbreth »

best battery buy. batterystuff.com yt51913-22 part #. $83.00. Don't let the price fool you. It's great. A steal. period. Buy yourself a clymer book to work on your bike. Removing the tank for battery change is a breeze with it. cya
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Re: Best Replacement Battery?

Post by Beimuir »

What is the collective thought regarding a sealed vs. flooded battery in the R1100RL no ABS? I see the above recommendation for the Odyssey PC680. I’ve read different thoughts online, (I know, consider the source) regarding the R1100R having a hard time pushing out the required voltage to charge a gel battery. Gel battery running 13.1 to 13.2 volts vs. a flooded battery of 12.6 to 12.8 volts.
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Re: Best Replacement Battery?

Post by daytonaredeye »

I just did a battery changeout the other day (put in an Odyssey) and it was a real b*tch to do this time. I did one about 5 years ago and raising the tank was difficult but was able to get it done w/o assistance but it ran rough for about 30 miles afterward before smoothing out.
I really had a difficult time with raising the tank this time, and this time I had one of my sons helping me with holding the tank up, and as a matter of fact, it got a little out of alignment (was hanging to the right a little too much) and after much extra work was able to get it realigned in the midline. Now, my question is: I had a really difficult time keeping it cranked as it kept idling very irregularly - sputtering and "coughing" - and I had to restart it 3 times within about the first 5 minutes for the first ride with the new batt. I checked and none of the tubes appear to be kinked or blocked and everything seems to be in good alignment and all the electrical systems are working fine. Is it normal for some air to get into the fuel delivery system after so much tank movement during the battery changeout? I can keep it cranked now but is NOT a smooth ride at all - with sudden surges in power followed almost immediately by almost complete loss of power if you let off throttle even a tiny bit. As I said, it ran rough for about 30 miles after I did my last battery changeout but eventually smoothed out and by the time I got it to my dealer for annual checkup and maintenance all was well. I am due for next dealer checkup later this week but just wondered if there are any known issues like what I describe especially with so much trouble I had with relocating and reinstalling my tank.

Thanks,

d
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Re: Best Replacement Battery?

Post by Railbender »

daytonaredeye wrote:I just did a battery changeout the other day (put in an Odyssey) and it was a real b*tch to do this time. I did one about 5 years ago and raising the tank was difficult but was able to get it done w/o assistance but it ran rough for about 30 miles afterward before smoothing out.
I really had a difficult time with raising the tank this time, and this time I had one of my sons helping me with holding the tank up, and as a matter of fact, it got a little out of alignment (was hanging to the right a little too much) and after much extra work was able to get it realigned in the midline. Now, my question is: I had a really difficult time keeping it cranked as it kept idling very irregularly - sputtering and "coughing" - and I had to restart it 3 times within about the first 5 minutes for the first ride with the new batt. I checked and none of the tubes appear to be kinked or blocked and everything seems to be in good alignment and all the electrical systems are working fine. Is it normal for some air to get into the fuel delivery system after so much tank movement during the battery changeout? I can keep it cranked now but is NOT a smooth ride at all - with sudden surges in power followed almost immediately by almost complete loss of power if you let off throttle even a tiny bit. As I said, it ran rough for about 30 miles after I did my last battery changeout but eventually smoothed out and by the time I got it to my dealer for annual checkup and maintenance all was well. I am due for next dealer checkup later this week but just wondered if there are any known issues like what I describe especially with so much trouble I had with relocating and reinstalling my tank.

Thanks,

d
The first thing I would do is check to see that the cables are seated properly at the throttle bodies. Moving the tank and other things it is very easy to knock them out of position.
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Re: Best Replacement Battery?

Post by duckdave »

Reseting the Motronic, might help. True, they "reset" when the battery is disconnected; but "setting" requires a set procedure. Lots on here about it. Found one by IowaBeakster that was clear:
iowabeakster wrote:Resetting the throttle position sensor should be done when the engine is not running.

reset procedure:
pull out fuse #5 for several seconds, to clear memory
key on, do NOT start engine
open throttle fully a couple times
key off
iiirc, you need to put the fuse back in before the key on step.
I think if you just drive it a while it might eventually find it's way, but what's the fun in that?

Also, it's easy when removing, or moving, the tank to get the throttle cables out of their little cups. Wiggle the at the juncture with your fingers; it's kinda hard to tell when they are out of position, but you can tell it when they pop back into position (kind of an "oh, there it is" revelation).
-duckdave

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Re: Best Replacement Battery?

Post by daytonaredeye »

railbender - thanks for the quick reply and this sounds cool but - how?

duckdave - I would probably have more confidence trying this step as it doesn't require much mechanical input.

I admit I am somewhat challenged when it comes to troubleshooting stuff on the bike. As I initially mentioned, when it happened last time, the ride eventually smoothed out on its own and I was hoping it would do likewise this time around. I've taken it out twice now and after 15-20 miles, it does smooth out some but starting is still iffy due to its continually sputtering out. It is still not idling right - only ides at ~ 800 rpm instead of the normal 1100 or so where it usually ides.

I have an annual appt with my dealer this coming Friday and am sure they will set it straight if not self corrected by then.

Thanks again for the suggestions,

d

Forgot to say earlier that the sales guy at the dealership recommended the Odyssey battery directly. He said it was cheaper than the BMW brand (and it was $140 for the Odyssey vs $190 for the BMW brand) and said the Odyssey had a lot more cranking power than the BMW brand did.
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Re: Best Replacement Battery?

Post by Railbender »

daytonaredeye wrote:railbender - thanks for the quick reply and this sounds cool but - how?

duckdave - I would probably have more confidence trying this step as it doesn't require much mechanical input.

I admit I am somewhat challenged when it comes to troubleshooting stuff on the bike. As I initially mentioned, when it happened last time, the ride eventually smoothed out on its own and I was hoping it would do likewise this time around. I've taken it out twice now and after 15-20 miles, it does smooth out some but starting is still iffy due to its continually sputtering out. It is still not idling right - only ides at ~ 800 rpm instead of the normal 1100 or so where it usually ides.

I have an annual appt with my dealer this coming Friday and am sure they will set it straight if not self corrected by then.

Thanks again for the suggestions,

d

Forgot to say earlier that the sales guy at the dealership recommended the Odyssey battery directly. He said it was cheaper than the BMW brand (and it was $140 for the Odyssey vs $190 for the BMW brand) and said the Odyssey had a lot more cranking power than the BMW brand did.
Take a look at the pictures in this thread; http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthre ... ight=cable

I would go for the Odyssey battery over the BMW in a heartbeat. It may take some modification to get it to fit but is a MUCH better battery. There are numerous threads on this and other forums on the Odysseys.
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Re: Best Replacement Battery?

Post by daytonaredeye »

Thanks railbender!!! You were right, the cable on the right side was sitting out of the rear side of the "seating?" and took only a second to pop it back in. The bottom picture shows what appears to be a nut which the cable sits in. Does this screw onto the end of the cable to keep it there or is it supposed to be sitting inside this seating w/o screwing it in? Only reason I ask is that there appears to be threading on the end of the cable like something is supposed to screw onto it.

Thanks again!!

d
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Re: Best Replacement Battery?

Post by AndyRR »

I spent HOURS troubleshooting my R1150R after doing some valve/piston work for what turned out to be that cable not seating in it's ferrule. #-o The cable tension holds it in place, it doesn't screw in.
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Re: Best Replacement Battery?

Post by Rider Rick »

Hey, new to the forum, but have you followed the use of the new lithium battery in our bikes? I have seen major cudos concerning its use, with a certain caveat about extremely cold weather starting, but otherwise excellent reviews. Its virtues certainly seem to outweigh its vices, and the price seems right in with conventional Odyssey bats, etc. Just a thought.

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.p ... ght=shorai
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Re: Best Replacement Battery?

Post by daytonaredeye »

Quick update. All is wonderful in the world again after slipping the cable back into its ferule/seat. :D Amazing what < 1 cm of movement will do!

Re: the Odyssey - was same size as the BMW brand battery and no modifications needed to get it into the battery "box"

This forum just saved me quite a bit of time, frustration and probably some money too with help from the members. Thanks again to railbender, duck dave and AndyRR =D> =D>

d

PS Since this seems to be such a common problem, based on the number of posts about rough engine performance following tank movement procedures etc., wonder if the mods might consider making this topic a sticky - easy to find/at the top of the list under either the R1100 and/or R1150 Topic Board. Just a suggestion in keeping the common fixes for commonly encountered problems easily available.
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