The first thing we suggest to all new vulcan owners (new or used) is to replace the stock wet cell battery with a Sealed Glass Mat battery. It will help save your electrical system from Acid damage, greatly reduce your weekly maintenance effort for the battery (no water to check, no acid to clean up), and it will prevent bike performance problems.
The two batteries recommeded by the group are the:
WestCo (stock # 12V14L-B)
http://www.westcobattery.com/battery_page.php?bid=14&vid=1&mid=150
Yuasa YTX14AHL-BS
http://www.yuasabatteries.com
Make sure you get the sealed battery folks ,not the wet cell ones where you have to keep adding water.
Sears in some places, also carries motorcycle batteries and has the Yusa one
(#44005)
RB
More good info
-------- Original Message -------- Subject: [vn750archives] WestCo and Yuasa batteriesDate: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 05:24:01 -0800 (PST)From: Vince Hancock <unclegomer@yahoo.com>Reply-To:
vn750archives@yahoogroups.comTo:
vn750archives@yahoogroups.com
[Source: Ken Eng & Dan Morgan]
Both the Westco and Yuasa MF batteries are of the AGM
technology. Yuasa has a policy of not shipping theirs
with the acid in them. After adding the acid and
sealing it up it is the same as the Westco unit. With
an AGM battery the acid is absorbed into plates and
separators inside the battery. Therefore there is no
liquid inside the battery case to leak out.
From the Westco site:
These sealed batteries are built to perform. Multiple
features like Absorbed Glass Mat technology showcase a
completely sealed and maintenance-free battery that
provides the power needed for motorcycles.
Features
Maintenance-free
Sealed design
No liquid
Zero corrosion
Absorbed glass mat technology
Resists vibration damage.
Very low self-discharge rate
Higher cold cranking amps than stock wet batteries
Extra heavy duty terminal design
From the Yuasa site:
These sealed batteries are built to perform. Multiple
features like Absorbed Glass Mat technology showcase a
completely sealed and maintenance-free battery that
provides the power needed for motorcycles.
Features
Maintenance-free
Sealed design
No liquid
Zero corrosion
Absorbed glass mat technology
Resists vibration damage.
Very low self-discharge rate
Higher cold cranking amps than stock wet batteries
Extra heavy duty terminal design
The Maintenance Free Battery
Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) Technology is an advanced
battery design used in Yuasa's Maintenance Free
Batteries that eliminates water loss. Once it's filled
with acid the battery is permanently sealed - so
you'll never need to fill it with water or check the
acid level.
Long Life
Because of its lead calcium design, the AGM battery
will hold its specific gravity more than three times
longer than conventional lead antimony types. This
means much longer periods between ! charges when the
battery is used in a standby mode, like winter
storage.
And to remain factory-fresh the AGM battery is shipped
dry along with its own pack of high-gravity acid
that's added at the time of installation.
Sealed, Non-spillable
Once filled with acid from its special packs, the AGM
battery is virtually maintenance free. It's totally
sealed and all of the acid is absorbed in the special
plates and separators, so there is no need to worry
about acid leaks on valuable vehicle parts and
accessories.
Ken
NJ
----------------------------------------------------------------
Actually both batteries are the SAME. The difference is that Westco fills
the battery with electrolyte and charges it before shipping it to you or the
dealer. Yuasa has you do it for them. They both use the exact same
technology. The terms used differ slightly but in all ways, the same
technology. Westco says AGM or Absorbed Gas Mat technology whereas Yuasa
says they use advanced gas recombinant technology. It's the same thing
folks. It's all a copyright thing. If both used the exact same terms, one
would be paying royalties to the other. Here's something else. Westco uses
the term "valve-regulated design" when describing their battery. Guess What?
Yuasa says the EXACT SAME THING. Let me quote from Yuasa:
"Yuasa's innovative sealed VRLA (Valve Regulated Lead Acid) batteries are a
new generation made possible by advanced gas recombinant technology. These
include the YT and YI series batteries. We refer to them as "sealed VRLA
batteries" here."
The reason the Yuasa is cheaper? They don't have to pay someone to fill and
charge the battery before shipping it out.
Dan Morgan
-------- Original Message -------- Subject: [VN750] WestCo Battery and ChargerDate: Sat, 31 Jul 2004 04:54:37 +0000From: Pete Morton <mortonp@adelphia.net>Reply-To:
VN750@yahoogroups.comTo:
VN750@yahoogroups.com
WestCo has a 10% discount and free shipping special on purchase of a
MF battery and charger combination. See:
http://tinyurl.com/236sw
(battery shown is for the VN750)
The charger charges the battery in three stages. First it charges
at 1.2A until the battery voltage reaches 14.3 volts, then maintains
14.3 volts until the charging current drops to 0.2A, and then
maintains 13.8 volts indefinitely. (The charging cycle restarts if
the charging current should increase to 0.2A.) The three-stage
charging process prevents the battery from being overcharged and
allows maintaining battery charge over extended periods of battery
non-use.
A cable is provided with the charger for permanent connection to the
battery while installed in the bike. The charger may be connected
to the cable and the battery charged without removal from the bike.
I just received mine. Looks like a good system. I'll install the
battery in the 750 tomorrow.
-Pete, 2002 VN750 solid black (salvaged)
Finksburg, MD VROC #12468