Whats the best battery?

[orangeokie]

I need to replace the battery on my 02 V11. Has anyone a strong opinion on this fairly mundane issue??

 

Old news

[Guest Phil_P]

Budget Odyssey arrived today. It's showing 12.61 volts representing 80% SOC. I'm more than happy

[docc]

Weird. My Odyssey in the V11 and the new Optima 34/78 in the Jeep both want to show 12.61. I think they should throw a resounding 12.84.

 

What gives?

[dlaing]

Two possibilities come to mind.

1) alternator puts out less than 14.7V, so you might need to give it a proper charge every now and then.

2) temperature. See chart in post 97 of this thread

http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?...90&start=90

[docc]

For sure I think my charging output is closer to 13.5. I did discharge the battery 3 minutes with the lights on, then 1.5 amps for about 2 hours. This morning it was showing a full 12.8 before the pawl spring broke. Too much voltage?

[slowkitty]

Reviving this thread, does the V11 supply enough supply to the Odyssey  battery without the need for an occasional keep-fit charge?  I ride my Guzzi infrequently, and wonder if the Odyssey will be appropriate.

 

Thanks

[docc]

sk,

 

That depends partly on your charging voltage. Some V11 don't seem to make even 13.5 and the Odyssey like closer to 14 to stay happy.

 

What do your voltages look like, say, at idle and above 2000 rpm?

[luhbo]

Hawker says that for buffer use (what I think we have here) 13.8V is totaly appropriate for charging. 13.5V woudn't be bad either and would, of course, also give a 100% SOC, it's just a matter of time. The state of charge can be told by measuring the 'idle voltage'. Anything above 12.6 after sitting for 12 hours indicates 100%.

 

Anyway, a Hawker Odyssey or one of its relatives should be the best suiting lead based battery actually available. But as any lead based battery likes to be stored in a completely charged state a proper charging action before winter for instance surely won't hurt.

 

Hubert

[2003v11]

Can Confirm.  Have a 2003 V11, replaced battery today and the odyssey 545 was exact fit.  No mods needed, not catching on seat.  

 

+1 on the Hawker Odyssey 545

[sp838]

I'm late to the discussion but in my opinion the best batteries are the Li ion batteries made by EarthX. I replaced my stock battery with one of theirs: it's smaller, weighs ten pounds less, has more amp hours and higher cold cranking amperage, and can be used with conventional chargers. They also have longer life, are guaranteed for three two years and are made in the USA. What's not to like?

[docc]

. What's not to like?

What kind of money are we talking for the Li ion?

[sp838]

$260 from PJ's Parts, including shipping, and if you're really nice you'll get some free aluminum 90º angle red anodized tire filler valves.

[docc]

What does it look like in the battery tray? Much smaller? Still use the same tie down strap?

[sp838]

Still use the same tie down strap, but you have more room all around it. 

[GuzziMoto]

I have used two different brand Lithium batteries, Shorai and Anti-Gravity. I am sure they are both nice batteries, but the Anti-Gravity one seems better than the Shorai for my uses. But both of them, and all Lithium batteries in general, have certain drawbacks that can be an issue for some applications including mine. The main two issues I have are the way they act when cold and the lack of serious amps to start a hard to start bike. You can quote all kinds of specs on paper, but the harsh reality is they don't have as much ASS when it comes to CCA.

The Shorai batteries worked well enough on my DRZ (since sold) but did not work on my Griso for shit (yes, I had the largest one they made at the time for my Griso, not the same one I used for my DRZ). The A-G battery seems to work better but it is not great. The weight savings sounds great but when you figure what kind of percentage it is of the total weight you realize it is not really making a difference. If it works well enough than great, they are cool. But it is not always nothing but roses.