A text from a friend reminded me of something I've been meaning to do   Here is a re-post of a topic I raised last year        This is the time of year when we are much more likely to hear the dreaded "groan" from the starter or hollow "click" at the solenoid  (unless you are lucky enough to have a kickstart )   The following product I CAN personally recommend to releive those symptoms   I have used one now for two winters and where I live we get several degrees of frost regularly, even in summer months    These batteries,even when poorly attended to, will crank even the most reluctant engine into life, if there any suggestion of life in it   They recover from deep discharge much faster too   GEL type batteries are not only an investment towards peace of mind, they can also be installed in a variety of positions without fear of acid spillage and are maintenance free   Treat your bike to a Christmas present she/he will thank you for,   for years to come     http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150948985312?ssPageName=STRK:...3019wt_721   This is just a link to an example of the type   You may find one cheaper elsewhere   I'm not promoting this particular supplier, just the type of battery   Oh, and they are "Quadflex" which means they can be fitted either way round   And they usually come with a selection of re-sizing extensions to suit "most" battery compartments   But the majority are an exact OEM replacement size     Here's a link to the original topic   http://www.bikermatch.co.uk/sites/bm/forum/posts.asp?to...c_id=11213                                                                                                                                                                                 

good advice, well done for re posting it.

                                                                                                                                                                             

my battery just (3rd Nov, £44)  been replaced after a little over 3 years service which is about all we can expect from a lead acid liquid one, though many do last longer.

wish I had spotted this earlier......good call Emzed 
                                                                                                                                                                             

nice to have the information and I now know where to look when my current good battery starts to get iffy

thanks for the post                                                                                                                                                                             

  Thanks guys   Nice to know my post wasn't in vain   A real shame Android934   What a difference a day makes                                                                                                                                                                               

    I'm thinking back to how it was given me....(Halfrauds) and my new battery has no breather and took 20 minutes to fill from the acid bottles so maybe I have got one of those glass mat  thingys. 


I am sure its not possible/permitted to send a charged battery through the post as the ebay one would be.
                                                                                                                                                                             

  It sounds to me like what you have is a "sealed lead acid" type, Android   Most new batteries are what is known as "dry charged",  because they do generate a residual charge, just from the electrolytic action of adding the electrolyte   But it is almost always recommended to give them a full 24 hrs trickle charge before use   My batteries were delivered by courier   I have had traditional lead acid batteries arrive by "post" but they came with the electrolyte in a separate bottle   They needed a full charge too, although when filled they did have enough charge to to blow the horn & turn the engine over                                                                                                                                                                                     

battery playing up on Honda optimate 4 says its ok AA say itys knackered have ordered motobatt gel battery bike ok to start at moment but still iffytook your advice EMZ and now waiting for new one                                                                                                                                                                             

  Nice one Jaffa   It's the way to go mate                                                                                                                                                                               

I have just bought a Odyssey battery for my 2007 BMW RT1200 having had a Exide wet acid battery that the bike came with. The new Odyssey battery turns the old twin over far quicker than the wet acid types around. I used to get 9-10 years out of a proper German Varta 30Ah wet battery charging it up once a fortnight with a lab power supply. Then ended up with a Made in China battery from Motobins in Spalding for my old K100RS. Next day the battery was dead and checked the specific gravity of all 6 cells. One cell was completely dead. Went back and exchanged the damaged Exide battery for another so called Exide battery and within three years that had another cell failing. The quality of the plates produced in China is nothing like the German Varta ones that BMW used to put in their bikes years ago.
But this USA produced dry battery is great having put it through some tests in my workshop. Will in future pay more for a better made battery. By the way got hold of the Odyssey battery on eBay from a Peterborough company that was cheaper than others on the internet.