Why have you ruled out lithium. With no drains - ie on your workbench, or even on the bike depending on your set up, the battery will hold its charge for upto 2 years - according to the manufacturers. If its on cost grounds i fully get that - especially if you also upgrade to a dedicated reg / rec.

 

Weather definitely plays a part i battery maintenance and longevity depending on where you live, I live in Florida and even though it’s primarily warm here all year long I have gone through a few batteries here in the past ten years. After buying and using all types of motorcycle batteries for the last 40 yrs and owning multiple bikes at one time I am happy now days with AGM and Lithium in my bikes.
I have the Yuasa AGM in my TTR which is fine and I really like my super low maintenance Shorai Lithium in my Repsol. It seems like the Lithium is out of your budget range the Yuasi AGM I got directly from the TRI Dealership for $107.95 tax $8.52 so $116.47 out the door for me. Of course u can order batteries on line for a better price also. What happened to the good ol days when u could get a good mc battery for $35 bucks...lol….FTG

 

YUASA ALL THE WAY. Get one you add the acid and not a dealer charged one.
As I suspect they do not follow the instructions, as it takes time to set them up.

Something to consider....
I picked up an Oxford Oximiser smart charger/maintainer bout 30 yrs ago. Have one for every ride.
Get home and plug her in.
Bikes can sit for months and you have no worries that it will start and have a brimmed battery.

There are many "smart chargers" Oxford, Deltran, CTEC to name a few.
Do not get a trickle charger I reckon, go smart charger.

 

YUASA ALL THE WAY. Get one you add the acid and not a dealer charged one.
As I suspect they do not follow the instructions, as it takes time to set them up.

Something to consider....
I picked up an Oxford Oximiser smart charger/maintainer bout 30 yrs ago. Have one for every ride.
Get home and plug her in.
Bikes can sit for months and you have no worries that it will start and have a brimmed battery.

There are many "smart chargers" Oxford, Deltran, CTEC to name a few.
Do not get a trickle charger I reckon, go smart charger.

View attachment 833802

!00% Yuasa battery I replaced my Yuasa with a Yuasa after much research and debate I'm also here in New England and it was a no-brainer after looking up many articles on the internet, but personal experience is what I fell back on and it because it was so supported by other personal testimonies, my only conundrum was the local bike shop didn't have one and quoted me 140 bucks and a week to come in, but we can sell you this Parts Unlimited battery for 80 ready to go today, I was tempted, because living in New England you don't want to miss a weeks worth of riding, but I wasn't going compromise, so back to the internet I went, my old Yuasa battery was finally shot it was at least 6 maybe 8 years old I had it for 5 years and the prior owner had for some time before that but he gave me the battery tender Jr. and that was great and helped me get all those great rides in worry free, I was sticking with Yuasa, found it on Amazon (not a big fan) NEXT DAY Shippingand it showed up for only 80 bucks! I followed the easy instructions, added the acid and waited the appropriate amount of time and never looked back. It's actually one size larger than what I had, properly sized for my bike, I suspect the prior owner or shop just put in "what was available", a size too small and yet it was great for years. I highly recommend Yuasa and the battery tender Jr, run the cord out there. Don't believe me look up best bike batteries, Oh and they are made in Pennsylvania by the way. I hope this helps -- I'm not a paid sponsor either. Happy riding.

 

Thanks for the input so far all. Lithium I ruled out largely due to cost also it gets cold here in NH, sometimes even during riding season it'll get below freezing at night and I didn't think lithium held up well in cold weather.

I've had Yuasa batteries before, good batteries for sure. Had one in my DRZ400, though it didn't last all that much longer than the BikeMaster one I had before it.

So sounds like maybe I'm being overly critical on the AGM? My fear is simply that sometimes my bike goes a bit without being ridden and I dont' want it to discharge to the point where it won't start the bike.

Plugging it in after every ride isn't really an option unless I run an extension cord, I don't have a garage.

 

I use the Yuasa, once a week I plug in a Battery Tender Jr.
The 995s usually need some charging, the 1050s less so.

 

AGM is the best bang for the buck technology right now.

Over the winter I put mt ST on an Optimate 4 one week a month and it starts right up in the spring.

Yuasa batteries have a great reputation BUT I've been using East Penn/DEKA AGM batteries for years and routinely get 9-10 years in my bikes and wet cell batteries 7-8 years in car, truck, and tractor.

You can always tell an East Penn/DEKA motorcycle battery by the improved design terminals and Made in USA on the label whether their label, Duracell, Lowes, Amazon, or the O'Reilly house brand.

 

I'll have to check those out for sure!

 

Just so you know, an AGM battery is a sealed lead/acid battery. It's not an old school flooded lead/acid battery from years ago, but still a lead/acid battery that doesn't need to be vented. It has it's own vent system tech if a Yuasa battery. Unless you pry up on the sealing strip, the battery won't leak, the electrolyte is absorbed into a glass matrix.

 

Yep AGM = Absorbent Glass Mat. I should have called the old school a flooded lead acid battery to be more specific.

Think I've decided to give the AGM a shot, Will probably go with Deka.

 

AMAZ- Motorcycle Battery YTX12-BS, UPLUS EB12-4 Powersports Batteries High Performance, AGM Maintenance Free Battery
1000+ good reviews, $30 shipped free. Don't overthink it - just replace it. Works Good -2014 Bonneville America.

 

My understanding is that SLA is either AGM or GEL. Yuasa is AGM. GEL types are very rare.
Non sealed FLA - have a vent tube and caps so you can top up distilled water.

 

I would go for GEL type - as you your self nearly have concluded.
it's more expensive than AGM but it beats all other lead types in performance:
Highest cranking power
Slowest self discharge - only needs a maintenance charge every 6 months when in storage
Can withstand deep discharge without losing capacity (sulfates built up)
Has the longest lifespan
Often more capacity in same size as normal and AGM batteries
No gasleak that ruin the soundings.
Withstand vibrations the bedst do to the gel stabilizing the internal components.

The higher price tag is actuality more than fair and and will pay it self back fast.

This is not my opinion but facts that can be looked up and verified 😉

Would I switch to Lithium technology?
No and for a lots of reasons but primarily because of the complexity of preserve capacity and battery life.
Can it be used and is there benefits?
Yes - A low self discharge and high power density reduces the weight significantly compared to a Pb battery.

But - Here's a few of the drawbacks to take in consideration and conditions that will either - shorten lifespan (1) - destroy the battery within a short period of time (2) or destroy battery instantly and potentially make it burst in to flames (3)

- Price tag

- On a "12V" Lithium battery, the voltage must not get under 10,5V (2)
This is normal controlled by the built-in protection circuit - if the battery is equipped with the circuit - but means in practice that the battery capacity is actuality lower than stated compared to a Pb battery.

- Can't be used in a temperature under - 20° C or over 60-80° C (2 and 3)

- Should be kept within a state of 20 to 80% charged (1)
It should Ideally be hold in a state of 60% charged to obtain maximum lifespan - around 300 to 500 charges.

- Your regulator on the bike and the built-in overcharge circuit in the battery - if it has one - is set to obtain a 100% charge (1)

- Shouldn't be charged to full capacity unless you plan to use the battery (start the bike) with in a day after a full charge (1)

In the end - the choice is yours 🙂

 

Two years ago I compared two brand new types of batteries in Sprint 1050:

vs

.
The result was that the factory prepared battery (SLA) has 0.4V higher voltage when fully charged (12.8 vs 13.2V) and holds voltage for months without discharging.
Make sure to check the inclination angle of battery in the compartment

vs

.

.

 

i have a 19 +18 triumph + a 13 Vic ALL with AGM OE batteries, i ride little at 75 YO but all get charger regularly with my C-Tek muse 4.3!!! getting a battery dry means its not slowly dying on a shelf before sale after activation!!!