stupid battery question

im about to go to the store and get a new battery what kind should i get? ie how many amp hours etc. i dont feel like digging the old one out before i go

 

You either need to buy one from somewhere who can tell you which one will fit your bike or get the number from the existing one.

You will probably have the choice based on price - I wouldn't buy the cheapest - or the most expensive!!! You get what you pay for.

 

Stock is, I believe, 12Ah. If you have a local Batteries Plus, you should check with them; they have a very good stock selection and pretty good prices too. They also seem to have some accurate fitment data in their reference system.

 

I have bought 4 batteries from Wal-Mart, and I'm into the 4th year on one of them. I hear the Chinese are good at working with lead.
This is your low price option.

 

Per the factory Maxim book, you're looking for a 12N12A-4A.

I got my last two at the auto parts store for around $40 (ea.)

 

thanks. yeah i was thinking walmart i can get one for 40-50 instead of the 100+ they want at a battery store or something

 

Generally, you do get what you pay for. For my SECA, the $100 option at Batteries Plus was a 20 (iirc) Ah AGM with a two year replacement warranty... pro-rated in the second year. They also had three or four lower priced choices in stock.

 

The SEARS DieHard Brand has been my Go-to Battery for a long, long time.
They hold a charge, crank when cold and are in a Translucent Case that makes keeping the Fluid Level easy to monitor.

They aren't sold at Walmart so you know it wasn't made by a starving, child slave, handcuffed to a work station 16 hours a day, in a firetrap building with no windows and no cushion on the three-legged stool she tries to balance while counting-out little plastic plugs and getting whipped if she puts more than 6 in the envelope for the 12 dollars a week she's paid after deducting for toilet tissue and bottled water.

 

I bought my last battery at a lawn-mower supply store for half the cost of the automotive place - same unit.

 

well im kind of running on a dime at the moment so a $100 drop your pants battery really isnt an option. at $42 and some change the battery i got at walmart was good for me.

 

Well - if you already got it, it's too late for this advice, but for reference I'll give it a go.
1 - get an AGM battery if you can. These are the newer designs, and much less susceptible to damage from vibration - that's almost always what kills the XJ batteries. You may want to get a good charger for it however, but they're not expensive either.

2- A good source for the above battery, if you don't mind shopping online, is Mike's XS shop, and the part number is 61-2026
AGM Batteries at MikesXS

Battery is $49, and if you want the good charger for it from them, it's $34 (see the bottom of the above page) -- good deals if you ask me (and I don't work for them or anything!)

 

does anybody know where i can get a gel battery for year round use i.e. A LOT OF COLD CRANKING AMPS.
Ive been using a walmart battery that has to be replaced about every 1 1/2-2 years
at 50 bucks a pop its getting expensive
Interstate said that one of their battery run about $50
their battery is a 1b12a12-a for use in place of the 12n12a4a
with 120 cold cranking amps he said that it would be good for +40 degree weather.
he recommended gel as they are maintenance free with a lot of CCA at 175+
So... a gel battery....any help would be greatly appreciated

 

don't confuse a gel battery with a AGM battery, two different animals
gel= older tech (cheaper) maintenance free, not really for starting loads
AGM = newer tech ($) maintenance free, designed for heavy draw starting

 

You can get a Battery that will start your Bike at 20 Degrees below zero.
You'll need to attach a Harness Racing Sulky to the back of your Bike to transport it around!

The Space we have for a Battery that will fit in the small compartment also dictates ... "How much of a Battery" you are going to get that fits the space.

Most of what is available to provide power to a Motorcycle are "Lead~Acid" Batteries within about the same average Amp-Hour rating for a "Small Battery."

And of all the Batteries that are of the right size to fit into the space we have that will accommodate them, ... the bottom line is to expect it to perform in relation to how well it is maintained.

 

I run a second battery in parallel with the main, it's a 7ah gel battery tucked up in the tail piece. Could fit a larger one in their. Put it in as insurance against a flat battery as i run a ham radio rig. Never had a problem even on 0degree mornings. (i ride 7 days a week)

 

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