cwilliams Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 Need a battery for a 2001 K1200rs looking for suggestions Link to comment
RedMac Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 Get an Odyssey. PC680 for the K1200RS I believe. I put one in my 2001 back in 2005 and the guy I sold it to is still using it after 6 years with no issues. Link to comment
realshelby Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 +1 for the Odyssey PC 680. I tried the cheap Panasonic.It failed in 1 year. But, the big improvement was in the cranking speed. The PC680 cranks the engine noticeably faster than any other battery I have had in the RT. Link to comment
mrsoup Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 The PC680 is an awesome battery. Just last week I checked to see how long my current battery has been in my 1100RT. That was 7 years and 2 months ago and it is still going strong. It has been 50,000+ miles too. It has never let me down, I commute 50 miles a day as long as the temps stay above freezing. I will probably replace it before winter for peace of mind.... Are batteries supposed last this long? Link to comment
Tom V Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 http://www.racerpartswholesale.com/product/3284/Odyssey_Motorcycle_Batteries This is the version you want! Link to comment
GRB60 Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Are batteries supposed last this long? Odyssey claims an 8-12 year design life for the PC680. Link to comment
szurszewski Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Local independent Odyssey dealer told me 8 years was normal expectancy if just used as you would in a car or whatever, but that I could expect 10 or more if I kept in on a battery tender type device when the bike was in disuse for a more than a day or two. So far it's been an awesome replacement for the gel battery in my R1100RT but I won't really know for another nine years or so... Link to comment
fwegerich Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 Odyssey is the way to go! cheaper and better than what BMW is using Link to comment
BeemerLover Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 FWIW, I have used $50 Ebay batteries with great success on my bikes for years. They last as long as the more expensive ones. I have a R1200RT so I don't know if this one would fit in yours. Search Ebay for UB12220. It fits almost exactly into my RT. These are sealed AGM batteries that have better specs than the BMW OEM. BMW = 19ah, UB12220 = 22 ah. Link to comment
mrsoup Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 So BemmerLover, you are saying that you have experienced 7-9 years of useable service life from these UB12220 batteries? Several on the list have testified to this with the Odyessy PC680 but no other brand has even come close until your post. That being the case my next battery will not be the PC680 for $130.00 but one of these for less that half that. Can anyone else on the list report similar experiences with these batteries (UB12220)? Link to comment
moshe_levy Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 I don't think he said that at all. He just said "the more expensive ones" which isn't really specific. There is no AGM or VRLA battery that is rated for more than half the useful life of an Enersys (Odyssey) at a given temp range (usually +25C). None. -MKL Link to comment
boatzo Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 One thing I have noticed on the less expensive batteries that folks are claiming are so good, is the they are batteries used for UPS systems. The may have a high Amp hour rating, but check the CCA rating. Cold cranking amps is what is needed to start the bike. I know that our resident battery expert, Moshe, can elaborate on this better than I can. Link to comment
Boffin Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 One thing I have noticed on the less expensive batteries that folks are claiming are so good, is the they are batteries used for UPS systems. The may have a high Amp hour rating, but check the CCA rating. Cold cranking amps is what is needed to start the bike. I know that our resident battery expert, Moshe, can elaborate on this better than I can. The typical value for maximum instantaneous current for an UPS battery is 10x capacity, or 180 amps for an 18AH battery. The OEM GEL battery is specced at 170CCA. The big difference in UPS batteries vs automotive batteries is in their construction - automotive batteries use thicker, stronger plates that withstand the high-draw of starting better than UPS batteries. UPS batteries are optimised for deep-discharge at moderate currents (in the order of 20-50amps) for a few minutes whilst the computer systems perform orderly shutdown. They are expected to be used only occasionally and have limited recharge cycles in mind. That said, the usual alternative AGM to fit the BMW is also used as a golf-cart battery. These too are subject to deep-discharge at moderate current, but are also re-charged more frequently - the modern AGM batteries are quite capable of both duties. Automotive batteries are optimised for low-to mid level discharge at a high-current (100+ amps) for a few tens of seconds. This discharge regime is not good for cyclic batteries (such as UPS or golf-cart) and so limits their life. Whereas I have had great results with Enersys military spec batteries at work, I have no experience with their consumer batteries (Odyssey). I have just replaced a PowerSonic PS12180 (UPS) battery after four years of almost daily use - it is exhibiting signs of increased internal resistance, which reduces the CC considerably. It cost me a quarter of the price of an Odyssey. I do not believe an Odyssey would have lasted more than 16 years. Andy Link to comment
philbytx Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Andy, Did I read correctly that you use the PowerSonic PS12180 in your RT? If so, I can buy them for $28 shipped here in the U.S.!! FYI - The 3 year old WestCo in my RT just decided to die on me (even though both bikes are Battery Tendered 24/7), but the 3yo Westco in my R1100R (installed at the same time!) is just fine! I checked the draw, recovery voltage with my Fluke and also used a Battery tester (resistance type) to double check and it showed the battery is definitely TU. If you are using it on your RT, then I will definitely try the PowerSonic on my RT, given that I BT it all the time and ride it once/twice a week max . Link to comment
Boffin Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Yes, I used that battery right up to last weekend It lasted four years. The CCA is lower than the Westco, so you will notice a slightly more lethargic cranking speed, especially when the temperature gets close to freezing, but I would have used one again if I did not get such a good deal on the westco. Andy. Link to comment
BeemerLover Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Good info Boffin! After thinking about it, I suspect the lower CCA battery has worked for me because my bike is garaged and I very very rarely ride in weather that is less than freezing. Thus, the bike is hardly ever started when the battery temp is below 40 degrees. For those living and riding in colder climates and who keep their bike outside the higher CCA battery would definately help. Link to comment
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