[Beemie]

Changed the fuel in our '03 Thunderbird for winter storage today. It's always on a Battery Tender but this time it cranked slowly but did fird and ran a bit to circulate the new fuel. No such luck when trying to restart it to put it back in the garage, Oh, dead battery. Then I looked in the maintenance records and the original battery that Triumph provided in 2003 lasted 2 years. This deceased Westco Sealed battery that replaced it was put in service in May 2005. That makes it 14 1/2 years. Yea, Westco Battery and Battery Tender!

 

[justalurker]

Had a 2007 XL883 Sportster. Replaced the HD OEM AGM battery (made by East Penn - DEKA in USA) in 2018 with another East Penn AGM battery.

The bike did live in a heated garage and spent the winter on a Schumacher battery maintainer.

Have a 2010 John Deere X500 garden tractor with the OEM battery still crankin'.

Preventative battery maintenance does matter.

 

[denny]

Quality AGM batteries are the Bomb!!

Beemie, you BEAT me!! Mine lasted 9 years!

I replaced it with the same Interstate Battery.

Looks like I should try a WestCo next time.

 

[Beemie]

Quality AGM batteries are the Bomb!!
Beemie, you BEAT me!! Mine lasted 9 years!
I replaced it with the same Interstate Battery.
Looks like I should try a WestCo next time.

I recently beat the bushes and couldn't find a Westco replacement in the Thunderbird size. Only big bike (Harley) type batteries showed up. Shame!
I have a Westco AGM in the T140 that is thankfully holding its own though.


I've had nothing but bad luck with Interstates in cars so I didn't consider those.


Got an order in for a Throttle X that was significantly discounted. Taking a chance but I did without knowing about Westco back then and that worked out.

 

[justalurker]

As a heads up... East Penn-DEKA has been around forever making high quality batteries in Pennsylvania.

One of the last surviving battery manufacturers in the US. They make the HD OEM AGM batteries

East Penn-DEKA batteries can be had at Lowes for reasonable prices.

East Penn-DEKA car and MC batteries are also sold at O'Reilly Auto Parts under their house brand name.
Look for "made in USA" on the battery and it is an East Penn-DEKA battery.

 

[Beemie]

The Throttle X claims "made in the US".

 

[WSC]

Duracell vehicle batteries are also made by Dekka. I've had good results with them, as well.

When I sold my TBS it still had the same battery as when I bought it 6 1/2 years earlier. That battery was a "Power-Tec" http://www.midstatebattery.com/power-tec-power-sports-batteries . Still going strong when I handed it over.

A side note: I never leave battery maintainers connected 24/7 any more. I've had too many batteries go bad while connected to one. My gut feeling is they last longer if you charge them every month or so instead. YMMV...

Of course, if you always connect them, then I guess you'd expect them to go bad while connected. Just seems to me the ones I had go bad died prematurely.

 

[Felony]

Yuasa USA batteries I believe are made in PA as well. Don't know if any parts are shipped in from Japan or if General Battery in PA is still making them.

 

[Beemie]

As a heads up...
East Penn-DEKA car and MC batteries are also sold at O'Reilly Auto Parts under their house brand name.

O'Reilly Auto Parts; never bought anything there because they are not in the same pricing ballpark as the other four major players around here.

 

[justalurker]

The Throttle X claims "made in the US".

Doesn't necessarily mean that Throttle X is manufacturing the batteries only that the batteries are made in the USA.

Most storage batteries sold in the uS are not made in the US.

 

[justalurker]

O'Reilly Auto Parts; never bought anything there because they are not in the same pricing ballpark as the other four major players around here.

In this case they may offer the superior quality battery and they price match.

I find the best price on a comparable battery, like the same DEKA battery at Lowes, and they match it.

 

[Jamanimal]

FWIW

I'm currently running the "Big Crank" AGM made by Deka USA.
So far 2 years - no problem. I put my batteries on the Tender overnight about once every few weeks in the winter.

Before, I ran the Duracell AGM and it lasted 4 1/2 years - not bad.

I notice the Big Crank charges very quick off the tender and seems to be holding very well.
Time will tell.

 

[Beemie]

Doesn't necessarily mean that Throttle X is manufacturing the batteries only that the batteries are made in the USA.

Most storage batteries sold in the uS are not made in the US.

Didn't say they made them.
Besides, it's not a bad thing to have those hazardous materials handled somewhere else.

 

[justalurker]

Didn't say they made them.
Besides, it's not a bad thing to have those hazardous materials handled somewhere else.

When Costco sold their car batteries under the Kirkland brand and made in USA they were a great deal and lasted a long time at a great price.

A ways back they went to Interstate made in Mexico batteries. Check the failure rate on them.

 

[Doberperson]

Congrats on the battery life. However, if I might rain on your parade just a bit, it is NEVER a good idea to run a motorcycle engine for a "short time." It won't get hot enough to burn off the condensation water which will then find its way down into the crankcase and the exhaust system. Either don't run it or run it long enough to get it hot!

 

[Felony]

I don't run a battery until it dies. If it just fades then that's okay, but sometimes an older battery can short out and take other electronics with it. Just something to consider.

 

[Beemie]

Congrats on the battery life. However, if I might rain on your parade just a bit, it is NEVER a good idea to run a motorcycle engine for a "short time." It won't get hot enough to burn off the condensation water which will then find its way down into the crankcase and the exhaust system. Either don't run it or run it long enough to get it hot!

Got stuck in the situation not intending a short run. Noticed an unexplained gas puddle on the floor and shut it down to clean up before it got absorbed. Sometimes sh*t happens. And, the sun came up the next day....

 

[wenzel850]

Yuasa USA batteries I believe are made in PA as well. Don't know if any parts are shipped in from Japan or if General Battery in PA is still making them.

Yes Yuasa batteries are made in Pa.