Bike batteries put through their paces

Hopefully this will be useful information for many - it is from 2009 so apologies if this is old hat... It's an interesting read.

The Texas Toast Battery Cook Off

[Sid Squid]

TSM and I were reading and discussing that with interest last year. The Motobatt seems too good to be true, so I bought one and have been using it for a few months now. If it works as well as those tests suggest, and lasts as well as typical example of a brand-worth-buying-battery I shall tell all.
Utterly unscientific initial results are entirely unspecial - thus far it just works. But then even the cheap-ass unbranded guff would do this long, so nothing to tell yet.

What has been interesting is the change in prices, even measured against well known brands they're still cheap - but not as cheap as they were when first seen in this land.
Example; when bought a few months back, typical price, (which I paid), for my battery £31, now typical price £42, of course everything is dearer now, but the well known brand batteries have not risen in price nearly as much.

[650]

Originally Posted by Sid Squid

Example; when bought a few months back, typical price, (which I paid), for my battery £31, now typical price £42, of course everything is dearer now, but the well known brand batteries have not risen in price nearly as much.

If people buy enough though...

Really you'd think prices would come down the more of a product is bought, just ain't the case though!

I paid about £55 for my Yuasa and it's been bob on for 6 months, the bike starts super quick everytime (apart from when it breaks, ahem)

Curious - do you think the initial low price was to capture some market share? Gotta be a hard thing to do when there are so many long standing brands.

I've had my Motobatt in for around 18 months now and, unscientifically, it seems as good as new (as it should be with regular usage, which it's had). Anecdotally though I'm very impressed - last week we spent a day trying to get a friend's RS125 stroker running and, after about 15 cranking cycles, their year old Yuasa gel cell was pretty dead (~11.6V). We then swapped to my battery and did at least that again with no apparent discharge whatsoever, ~12.4V afterwards on my DMM, then straight back into my bike, button, go!

It'd be interesting to see how the Texas Toast thread develops, looks like the chap who wrote it is going to keep updating it over time. We shall see!

[embee]

Yes, saw that last year and found it very interesting. There have been quite a lot of comments on other forums from people who have used Motobatts and I have yet to see a negative comment.

I've been a fan of the high output YTZ Yuasa range but I had decided that as and when I need another, I would happily give a Motobatt a try based on what I've heard so far.

The problem with assessing a battery in real-life service is that as long as it works then there's nothing to report, and you'd expect it to last several years anyway, so it's a long term thing.

The guy who did those tests gave it the best shot he could, as far as I can see, in being both impartial and practical. He came in for some pretty sharp flack from a certain party who appeared to have some vested interests in a certain battery line, but I couldn't see the justification.

Interesting comment on prices. I suppose it makes a lot of sense, a new name on the block wants to gain a foothold so prices very competitively. If and when reputation builds then they can begin to recoup the investment. As long as it is still value for money then good for them, that's business.

[Sid Squid]

Originally Posted by 85jas

Curious - do you think the initial low price was to capture some market share? Gotta be a hard thing to do when there are so many long standing brands.

Yes, I suspect so. There are umpteen brands out there that no-one who knows the slightest about this would touch, and a few 'big brands' that those same people would know. One would probably have a hard time selling them a new brand with essentially no provenance, however, if it at least sells for the same-ish money as the other cheapies then some market share is surely a realistic aim. And they're bright yellow - it's obviously better.
Whether that is a realistic, sustainable price that provides suitable profit for the maker/distribution chain/retailer or simply a leader, I haven't the first notion*.
Once the name gets around and perhaps a better-than-everything-else at this money reputation is gained, one might wish to start moving one's prices toward the level that the market leaders enjoy.

*Cue discussion from the usual suspects, subjects will include what terrible profiteers manufacturers of batteries and brake pads are, and of course whether Starbucks should pay more towards the cost of, well, everything. Followed by a predictable bleat of 'the rich should pay' ad infinitum.

[Sid Squid]

Originally Posted by 85jas

Anecdotally though I'm very impressed - last week we spent a day trying to get a friend's RS125 stroker running and, after about 15 cranking cycles, their year old Yuasa gel cell was pretty dead (~11.6V). We then swapped to my battery and did at least that again with no apparent discharge whatsoever, ~12.4V afterwards on my DMM, then straight back into my bike, button, go!

I know you know this, but that's not a fair test. Those two batteries could be the best or worst available, what you found is simply that one is well charged and in good condition, and the other, isn't.
Why it isn't in good order is the question, and I've seen too many good quality batteries buggered in a surprisingly short time with the wrong treatment, to criticise any of the better known brands unless there's a very good trail of evidence to suggest one should do so.

Repeat: I know you know this.

[Biker Biggles]

Originally Posted by Sid Squid

Yes, I suspect so. There are umpteen brands out there that no-one who knows the slightest about this would touch, and a few 'big brands' that those same people would know. One would probably have a hard time selling them a new brand with essentially no provenance, however, if it at least sells for the same-ish money as the other cheapies then some market share is surely a realistic aim. And they're bright yellow - it's obviously better.
Whether that is a realistic, sustainable price that provides suitable profit for the maker/distribution chain/retailer or simply a leader, I haven't the first notion*.
Once the name gets around and perhaps a better-than-everything-else at this money reputation is gained, one might wish to start moving one's prices toward the level that the market leaders enjoy.

*Cue discussion from the usual suspects, subjects will include what terrible profiteers manufacturers of batteries and brake pads are, and of course whether Starbucks should pay more towards the cost of, well, everything. Followed by a predictable bleat of 'the rich should pay' ad infinitum.

Outrageous profiteering by the batt(er)y boys who frankly deserve to be immersed in their own acid and sunk with their own lead.
I would never buy a battery from Starbucks on principal,not unless they pay me a lot more tax anyway.
If I needed a new battery I would hope the rich will buy it for me.If not lets have a revolution now.

Will that do?

Originally Posted by Sid Squid

I've seen too many good quality batteries buggered in a surprisingly short time with the wrong treatment, to criticise any of the better known brands unless there's a very good trail of evidence to suggest one should do so.

cf. the Yuasa mentioned above Occasional usage, short journeys, lots of cranking and no maintenance charge = not 'appy!

Originally Posted by embee

The problem with assessing a battery in real-life service is that as long as it works then there's nothing to report, and you'd expect it to last several years anyway, so it's a long term thing.

These being the main issue... Tell you what, embee you look after your battery, I'll abuse mine and we'll report back in five years

More seriously though It'd be useful to have a long-standing place on the forum where we could post long term battery usage results, something like Manufacturer, part, date, usage (e.g. occasional fun, 25mile commute, 2 mile commute, etc, long trips only). Not that it'd be at all scientific of course, and there's some relevant idiom about about mountains and molehills

One of my projects for this year is hopefully going to be a rasperry pi-based bike computer. I want to use it for recording from USB video cameras and set up a GPS trip computer, but it'd be easy to use the GPIO and an ADC to monitor battery voltage and current too. Aah, the possibilities... (Scratches chin)