| Author | Message | ||
     Tankhead |
Can anyone share stories about alternate batteries that they have used for the Uly and list if they would purchase again, benefits, disadvantages. tanks | ||
| Desert_bird |
My own experience with (2) non-lead batteries in the Uly has been bad: they seem to be temperamental with different charge rates and fluctuations in temperature, poor durability over time and pricey. Low weight is awesome, but I gave up on the fancy alternatives and have stayed with 12 pound stock lead units. They'll take a beating and just work and work . . . Accidental (and careless) short when working near a connected battery? Generally not a big problem for a lead unit, but one spark is enough to blow internal circuitry on a fragile plastic .... ion unit. The Uly's high operating temperature, shite stock voltage rectifier/regulator and stator, byzantine wiring and grounding system, paint shaker vibration and high amperage needs to start that big motor. . . over time all conspire to form a veritable battery-hell. That's just my experience. Fellow buellers put the $3?? EBR track units in there and seem to like them. I use my bike for international travel and long-range domestic transport. Sometimes I really NEED the thing to work. At this point I feel that can't be bothered with experimental or in vogue technology for such a critical component. My two cents . . . DB (Message edited by Desert_bird on December 12, 2012) | ||
| Ratbuell |
I've had the stock, original battery in my '06 Ulysses...since it was built. Nearly 30k miles, still going strong. Might be helpful if you told us what aspects of the stock battery you are having problems with, or trying to get away from... | ||
| Tankhead |
Not really having problems just curious if and when I choose to change just want to know the options. Thanks again Rat. Interested in more. | ||
| Pontlee77 |
I changed to Yuasa, looks like the stock one just connectors are a bit further in but a couple of washers do the job. | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
I'm staying tuned to this thread as well. The X is due for a new battery sooner than later. I put off getting a new one for the XT, despite the warning signs of impending failure, and it got a ride home on a friends trailer from a day trip to the woods. No bueno. Rat-do you put yours on a tender regularly? 30K is impressive for a stocker. | ||
| Uly_man |
The light weight Li-Ion battery, a generic term for all of them, is NOT designed or suited to normal road work. I looked into to these some time ago and they are, for me, not a option. You just need to read how they work to see why. The nature of these engines make them hard starters and all Vee-Twins are not great anyway. My RSV-R (Rotax engine as in the 1125) bike was WORSE than my 10 Uly. I still have my original 06 OEM AGM HD battery. It still holds a full, standing 12.7v, charge and as I have said before in the past I have even used it to jump, not for long though, a 3L BMW 730 car in the past. Its not cheap but it is superb quality. Other ways of saving weight are cheaper and more healthy. Ok the better starting bit. You will lose a bit of charge on a standing bike and a LOT with heated grips and gear. Some of the things you could do is add a slimmer battery, under the seat, with the OEM one. Carry a "bike size" set of jump leads under the seat. Leave it on a tender or even carry a second battery if needed. One of the great things about this bike is that it takes no time "at all" to change out a battery. About 120 seconds. Try that on a BMW RT1150 and it will take you two hours if you know how to do it. Myself I would stick with the OEM battery and carry the "bike size" jump leads. | ||
| Chorizo |
Hey Uly man I too was thinking about another battery.The other day with heated jacket and gloves I got a low voltage light on the temp controller. Turned off the jacket and it got me thinking. If you put another battery under the seat, how would it be wired? | ||
| Jsg4dfan |
I just put a Deka ETX14 in mine. Supposedly the same manufacturer as the factory battery. There's a thread somewhere here that praises it highly. Costs about half the price of the Hardly Ableson part. | ||
| Luftkoph |
you connect them in parallel + to+ and - to- | ||
| Ratbuell |
BeLinda - no...not regularly. Non-climatized garage, "when I remember" tender. Like..."hm...the Uly has been sitting for 2 weeks and I want to ride it to work tomorrow because it has fuel", so I'll plug it in overnight. Thinking about it...ALL my bikes have the batteries in them that they had when I got them, or that I put in right after purchase (used S1W, bought '05 with 1100 miles). I haven't had to buy a battery yet. All on the "when I remember" tender schedule, all with stock batteries. Take care of them...they return the favor. I don't reinvent the wheel if I don't have to... | ||
| Britchri10 |
I bought my Uly w/18K on the clock. I'm up to 26K now. Original '09 battery still in her. I use a tender religiously (every day) as I travel 15 miles to & 15 miles from work on her. I do not run heated gear but I do have aux driving lights which I use most of the time. Chris C | ||
| Ratbuell |
I work my electrical hard. Heated jacket. Heated gloves. Heated grips. GPS. Aux lights (wired with high beam). Stebel. To try and ease the pain on the system, I did convert to CR mirrors and LED rear signals. I also have HID low beam, and a Kuryakyn voltmeter. When I camp with the bike, I do have a cig lighter plug under the seat, wired direct to the battery, for charging my phone overnight, or my Scala. And, I've been known to get up late at night and plug in a jacket, for a shot of warmth  | ||
| Chorizo |
Will an additional battery under the seat help with all the extra load? For a few hours anyway? | ||
| Etennuly |
I have been using the AGM batteries from O'Reilly's. My original HD battery would never test above 12.3 volts. It is supposed to be above 12.6 according to the SM, in order to make the bike work properly. HD would not replace it. About a year and a half in I bought one of the AGM batteries and it showed 12.7 or more, Always starting the bike better, and never letting the memory drop on cranking. These have seemed to work really well for a couple of years without being on a tender and using the bike nearly every day. I have been running them for two years in the Uly then putting it into our Blast for two more years. It is working well for both bikes. | ||
| Uly_man |
12.7v is a full standing charge (as per the book) on the HD OEM AGM battery. It should charge up to about 13.4v and settle back to 12.7v and hold that. Its best not to use a charge of more than one amp. There is a slight "parasitic drain" from the bike while it is standing but my 10 bike is just about ok after two weeks. The 06 bike was not after only one week and it was not the battery as I changed it out and it was the same. I also still have the old one and it is fine. I find that the bike will "spin up" well enough with a full charge but most of the time, even after a long ride, the battery is only at 12.6v (or less) which HD state as a 75% charge. And thats NOT good enough for this type of engine. Apart from the "nature of the engine" cold weather does not help any. The CCR rating of the battery goes down and the oil is VERY thick as well. You can change the oil grade for cold conditions but I do not think this is the core problem. There are lots of things you can do but it depends on your situation and how much you want to spend. I have been thinking on this one for a while (about 5 years) and think the best "all round" fix is a second battery. A half depth AGM which would add about an extra 100 CCR to the system. Easy to do and would not cost very much. I have not tested this but I have used my old 06 battery like this and the engine spun up real fast. I do not know what others find but on both of my bikes it did not take very many cranks of the engine to kill the battery. | ||
| Britchri10 |
With my Uly I find that she starts first crank every time. As said, I keep her on a tender. There is sometimes a hesitation when starting. My opinion is it's just where the piston is in the "stroke" when I crank her up. Also, I do my PM stuff regularly but, generally all I do is take her out & ride her. I find it counter productive to obsess about every little thing. Chris C | ||
| Uly_man |
Keeping it on a tender will give it a full charge and I guess it would be in a warmish garage as well. I wish I could but mine is outside. The 10 bike is fine even down to 0C with no extra charging even if it is a little slower. Quite good I think. Yes its the stroke position that is the problem. It takes all the power to get past it. I having been riding in all conditions again I am happy to trust the 10 bike to start. Not the case with the 06 bike which is the one most seem to have problems with. Part of that may be the long fan "run times" the 06 bike has because it runs so hot. | ||
| Sharkguy |
I just installed a "big crank" battery in my 09. The oem was fine as far as holding a charge but the neg bolt had gotten to the point where it wouldn't tighten enough for a reliable connection. I think it got over tightened at some point in the past and when I tightened it up after disconnecting it for something it was stripped. I tried fixing it with some soldier which worked for a bit but it still continued to loosen to the point that I didn't trust it. The new battery cranks a bit better then the oem it also has top and side terminals which allow me to connect my gps,heated clothing, and charger connections without stacking them all on the same connection as the battery cables. Very happy with it so far. | ||
| Britchri10 |
The bike is garaged when it's not being ridden. It is a warm garage as it is in Florida. I've had more problems w/heat killing batteries in my cars/trucks than I have had with cold weather. It's 35F this AM. The bike cranked first time & I froze all the way too and from the beach! Chris C | ||
| Turf_moor |
I'll buy a stock one when my 06 Uly's finally packs in. I live in a warm country (PORTUGAL)and I charge it on an Optimate once a week. The bike is garaged too. I wonder how long it'll last. | ||
| Tankhead |
Well I ended up buying a new sealed battery. Wholesale batteries direct. I installed the battery last evening. Well what do you know, none of the stuttering, coughing, struggling to get started like i have had for the entire time I have owned the bike. Started right up like my old City-X. I am happy. That is all. | ||
| Uly_man |
Well just a story if it helps? I have been checking the charge and all seemed ok and it was about 12.7v which should be a 100% charge. After messing/doing the electrical repairs the battery would not start the bike and I had to jump it, first time ever on the 10 bike, to go to work. I put it on charge, over night, on a 700ma charger and the bike spun up great and has done for the past four days. The problem though is this? It still had the same 12.7v charge in the battery. I know a AGM battery does not work quite like the old acid types but I am now getting the idea it is more complicated than I thought. |
