BA Phillips Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 My battery won't charge, so I'm looking to replace. Spoke to the dealer on the phone and he started rambling specs that I know nothing of, but the cheapest option was $130 ranging up to $200. A friend with a Harley Davidson says he bought his battery at Walmart for dirtcheap. What's my cheapest option? I want maintenance free because it's hard to get to and get in and out. The BMW parts guy said the posts should be covered - is that really important? I was looking at a battery at a local battery shop that looked like it would fit and do the job, but the posts weren't covered - it was only $65 and was similar to this one: http://www.apexbattery.com/bmw-r1100rs--rt-motorcycle-battery-for-1997-upg.html?utm_source=googlepepla&utm_medium=adwords&id=78242867586&gclid=CjwKEAjwrbSoBRDok47Sv6Ci80wSJABFUszTNaRwdbx85rI8Fr2SsQykamcud-7YOlRHXN7Z-5AV8BoCXczw_wcB Link to comment
PAS Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 My 03 R1150RT had a UB12220 in it when I bought it used a few years ago. Cant get much cheaper. Not the best. UB12220 Cheap batteries Link to comment
BA Phillips Posted March 21, 2015 Author Share Posted March 21, 2015 Thanks PAS No need for the terminal covers? Link to comment
Skywagon Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 I don't have an 1150rt anymore but when I did the terminals did not have anything over them as I recall. Link to comment
Selden Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 BA : There is a saying that the cheapest part of a BMW is its owner. Google for the battery size, and you will find lots of options. Amazon presents lots of sellers. Or, pony up for ~$105 for an Enersys Odyssey PC680 and don't worry. Link to comment
Twinsig Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 +1 on the 680 "the most popular motorcycle battery" = from odyssey of course pony up for ~$105 for an Enersys Odyssey PC680 and don't worry. Believe it or not Im trying to find an odyssey for a newly acquired JD Mower. Sadly, the one that fits (and CCA) is $170. However my 12A odyssey charger is compatible and when I finish wearing that mower out I'll remove the battery for the next mower. Man just do it, peace of mind is worth what? And what brand of oil are you running? Quaker State. Pretty aint it? ]Odyssey[/url] Link to comment
elkroeger Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 When you say dealer, do you mean your local BMW dealer? Not the most economical thing to do.... +1 on the Odyssey. I've had a few of those, they won't let you down. I recently put an Interstate in my 11rs. Good quality, plain old lead acid unit. I'm pretty well convinced that regular old lead acid batteries are the most economical option in the long run. Just don't pay through the nose for it. Beemer boneyard has westco AGM 20Ah, for $80. Seems like a good way to go. http://www.beemerboneyard.com/batteries.html Edit - after looking at the photos, maybe that's just a re-branded version of the cheaper units listed above. Does anyone know? Link to comment
dirtrider Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Morning Eric With Westco's you just never know. At one time (long ago) the Westco was a pretty decent battery for the money. Not so any longer. Westco doesn't make their own battery, they just re-badge someone else's so you are at the mercy of the quality of the cheapest thing they can find at the time that will fit their badge & bottom line. Link to comment
mneblett Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 I won't buy another free-liquid battery -- AGM as a minimum for me. Not only does an AGM eliminate the need to monitor cell liquid levels, the more important aspect to me is that in a tip-over there's no chance of battery acid coming out. Link to comment
PAS Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 It's my understanding that in the past the Westco's were re-branded Panasonic batteries and were very good. That is not what they are now selling. Link to comment
Michaelr11 Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 That is correct; the Westco battery used to be a relabeled Panasonic. The Panasonic battery is still readily available. I have purchased the 20AH Panasonic for my Oilhead and the 28AH Panasonic for my Airheads. I am getting 5-6 years on the 28AH batteries and they are still showing a float charge of 12.8 but I change them for peace of mind. The Oilhead battery I change out at 3-4 years when I start getting more frequent ABS low voltage codes. Link to comment
Alan Sykes Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 For the cost of an Odyssey, why not plump for one of the new Lithium-Iron Ion motorbike batteries . They're all over eBay and they weigh one third of a lead-acid or gel unit plus they have at least twice the cranking power of an Odyssey, which itself is capable of twice that of a regular battery. I got a Li-ion for my Rockster and it rips into the starter motor like gangbusters every morning. OK so it's a tad smaller than the OEM but the poles are the right way round and all you need is a few slips of poly pads to stop it rattling in the larger space. An Optimate doesn't yet clock it - "Whaat the f...k ?" but they'll supply a dedicated monitor unit if you need one. My Li-ion powered hand-drill fires up every three months when I want to put up a shelf. Not like the many Ni-Cad items I used to buy which were always dead flat when you wanted to use it. Same effect with the bike battery - always there at full whack with no self-discharge effect. Look for JM Lithium for BMW, like this:- http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/R-1150-R-Rockster-2003-Lithium-Ion-Motorcycle-Battery-/131163602567?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item1e89f5be87 AL in s.e. Spain Link to comment
BA Phillips Posted March 30, 2015 Author Share Posted March 30, 2015 Well, I got the Odyssey Extreme PC680 ... asked for the pc680-p, got a pc680... assuming the 'p' is for powersport? It fits, but I haven't hooked it up yet. All the specs listed on the battery are the same as what the website shows for the pc680-p Thanks everyone for the input! Link to comment
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