BMW R1200R R1150R/T F800 K1200R R1100R/T R1250R RnineT Message Board

I too have always had good life with the BMW batteries. All were actually made by Yuasa and I would get 5 years without ever taking the batteries out of the bike. Top the water twice a year and kept on a Battery Tender year round. I actually had a Yuasa battery in my Honda tractor that lasted 11 years with it ever being taken out of the tractor and just charged periodicaly over the winter months. However, the first sealed battery I ever had in one of my bikes was an Exide and it lasted about 8 months. Dealer replaced it under warranty and it has been in the bike now for 3-1/2 years. The stock Exide battery in the 1200 R was replaced under warranty. So, for me at least, is if I can get the right battery for my bike from Yuasa, that would be my first choice.

I had pretty good luck with the original battery in my '07, but I drained it a couple of times and, in the middle of the 4th season it was getting noticeably slower in turning over. So, before I headed out on the transcontinental trip last summer my tech dropped in a Yausa YTX14-BS, sealed, battery. I've pulled it out of the bike for the winter as this is the first time it hasn't been in "professional" care in storage at a dealer. We'll see how long this one lasts!

Yuasa and Exide are the same company today. Same battery.

tinytrains wrote:Yuasa and Exide are the same company today. Same battery.

Incorrect.

http://www.yuasabatteries.com/about.php

http://www.exide.com/portal/server.pt/c ... munity/212

This from a Ducati list. Take it for what it's worth:
Re: Battery brands
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I used to work for Exide battery and then they were bought out by Yuasa to become Yuasa-Exide quite a few years ago. We made batteries in our facility with "Yuasa", "Exide", "Challenger", "EZ-GO", and a few other names on their labels. I used to work in several of the manufacturing departments and then later worked in the engineering department and worked with a PhD from our corporate office on gell cell technology.....

I usually buy the cheapest batteries I can find and have bought my last five bike batteries from http://www.ebatteriestogo.com. I don't know how much everyone else is paying batteries, but the ones I've been getting from ebatterierstogo have been 1/3 to 1/2 the cost of most Yuasa batteries.....and just may be manufactured on the exact same production line. Go ahead and pay the exaggerated prices, but with my "cheap" batteries lasting 5-8 years, I would rather buy 2-3 batteries for the price of your one. Those Yuasa batteries last 10-24 years, right?
__________________

I'm starting to consider a new battery mtself, and the lithium battery in another post looks very interesting (but pricey for the higher performance one $187), I'll wait for one of the list 'experts' to weigh in with the pros and cons.
Right now it looks like I'll stick to a proven enity like the Odyssey ($135)which seems to be the hot choice.

USMCDad wrote:

tinytrains wrote:Yuasa and Exide are the same company today. Same battery.

Incorrect.

http://www.yuasabatteries.com/about.php

http://www.exide.com/portal/server.pt/c ... munity/212

Well.. mebbe not so incorrect: http://www.yuasabatteries.com/history.php

"In 1977, Yuasa Battery Japan formed a joint venture company with General Battery Corporation in Laureldale, PA. With the formation of Yuasa/General Battery, the new company manufactured its first battery in 1979, producing standard conventional and Yumicron 12 volt batteries.

Yuasa/General Battery engineered its first YMF14L-2 maintenance free and gas recombination battery for the powersports aftermarket in the early 1980’s. Additionally, the Company developed the first AGM, YTX14-BS specifically for ATV applications.

In 1987, Yuasa/Exide Battery Corporation evolved when General Battery sold its company to Exide Corporation. Yuasa/Exide Battery Corporation purchased Exide’s Industrial Division (Motive Power and stand by batteries) in 1991 to form Yuasa Inc.

In 2000, Yuasa Battery Inc. was established when Yuasa Inc. sold its industrial division and sealed lead acid business to Enersys.

In 2004, Yuasa Japan merged with Japan Storage Battery to form GS Yuasa Corporation.

Today, Yuasa Battery Inc. is the number one powersports battery provider, supplying 7 out of 8 powersports original equipment manufacturers in the United States, Canada and Mexico."

There is a lot of incest in the battery world. Lots of manufacturers making certain size batteries that are re-branded for other manufacturers. BMW is owned by the Quandt family, who were the owners of Varta battery in Germany (and who made their fortune making submarine batteries for both WW's) and for a long time BMW batteries exclusively came from Varta. No more since the family sold their controlling interest in Varta. The "BMW" battery that came on most of our bikes had "Exide" labeling on it besides BMW's labeling.. but physically it is IDENTICAL to the Yuasa battery of the same size, right down to the vent recombinant cap assembly, which I swapped from the Exide BMW battery to the Yuasa when I damaged the one on the Yuasa.

Someplace on the Interwebz there used to be a site listing who made what for whom.. don't have the link offhand, but in MANY cases the battery you buy very likely wasn't made by the corporation who has their name on it.

Batteries are a very incestuous business. You don't know from day-to-day who makes or buys from whom. I am out of date on my Exide-Yuasa data. They seem to have split again. Below new since I last looked in April.

GS Yuasa (Japan) is now the merger of Yuasa Corp and Japan Storage Battery Co. http://www.gs-yuasa.com/

EnerSys (USA) is the former Yuasa Inc. and Yuasa-Exide (USA) http://www.enersysreservepower.com/

Exide Technologies (USA) [formally Electric Storage Battery Company, (Exide)] http://www.exide.com/

This link will make it crystal clear
http://www.jgdarden.com/batteryfaq/batbrand.htm

Check back weekly!

tinytrains wrote:This link will make it crystal clear
http://www.jgdarden.com/batteryfaq/batbrand.htm

Check back weekly!

That's the page I was referring to above. Interesting hint on looking at the MDS sheet to see who actually manufacturered the battery.

Just purchased a new Yuasa battery. After adding acid, instructions are to charge at 1.2amp for 5-10 hrs. I have a 6amp charger and a .75amp tender. Will it hurt to charge for shorter period at 6amps?
BTW got 6 yrs and 30K miles from OEM batt before it started acting cranky.

Roger
'70 R1200R

It might well hurt. Use the tender and all will be well.

I'd put it on the Tender overnight. As I recall, a fresh fill of acid brings a battery to about 75% charge. Or just put it in the bike and go for a decent ride.

rpoppen wrote:Just purchased a new Yuasa battery. After adding acid, instructions are to charge at 1.2amp for 5-10 hrs. I have a 6amp charger and a .75amp tender. Will it hurt to charge for shorter period at 6amps?
BTW got 6 yrs and 30K miles from OEM batt before it started acting cranky.

Roger
'70 R1200R

The BMW battery I looked at on the dealers shelf said "made in china". The Yuasa I bought at a local bike shop said "made in the USA". That tells me that same corperation or not the two batteries are made in two different plants. Any time the same product is made in two seperate places with different machines and people the finished product may differ. Given chinas labor problems I would prefer to buy the US product.

rpoppen wrote:Just purchased a new Yuasa battery. After adding acid, instructions are to charge at 1.2amp for 5-10 hrs. I have a 6amp charger and a .75amp tender. Will it hurt to charge for shorter period at 6amps?
BTW got 6 yrs and 30K miles from OEM batt before it started acting cranky.

Roger
'70 R1200R

I'm just impressed with your 42 year old R12R..