Katana Owners Club U.K.

I never seem to get more than 2 years out of a YUASA YB14lA2 battery for my 650 Katana before it needs replacing.
Recently, I saw a new type of battery advertised, manufactured by Motobatt for around £65 :

"MotoBatt is an AGM battery, a type of Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) battery.
This is a high torque battery. The cold cranking amps exceeds that of original equipment.
Each Quadflex Battery has 4 terminals (2+ and 2-) and when necessary includes spacers for flexibility and fitting.
No electrolyte or harsh acids to deal with, MotoBatt Batteries require no maintenance. Motorbatt batteries do not even require charging before being put on the bike, they are ready to install directly out of the box."



Has anyone used these batteries? What were they like?

if it goes flat can it be recharged ? asking as I've got through six batteries on my kwak kr-1 in 25 years

answering my own question they can be charged, but require a charger with auto cut off as overcharging can make the battery explode! and guess what? motobatt can sell you a special 'optimised' charger, I didn't bother to find out the price but I think i'll stick to my yuasa cheap as chips batteries

ive been using motobatts for a few years and never had a problem. they will charge on an optimate or in my case, the aldi/lidl equivalent of one. plenty of poke and they will hold their charge even when left in the bitter cold. i wouldnt use a bog stock charger on them as it would overcharge them. had one on my old bmw and it was great, got one on my current bike and the wifes little 125. no problems with them.

bought one for my 650... but it sat for ages unused... stuck it in my 11 and it cranked it fast after, maybe, 6-8 months?

Thanks. Looks like mixed reviews here:
http://www.streetfighters.com.au/forum/ ... s-are-SHIT" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

@pookie.
No, I don't seem to recall the Yuasa's can be recharged successfully once they got too old and if I went on using them too long, the regulator/rectifier unit invariably failed on me. But that may have just been coincidence. Maybe my electrics need sorting out. I heard there's a way of rewiring them on the 650 Katana to prolong regulator/rectifier life.
My battery charger has auto cut-off when the battery is charged, so Mottobatt is an option.

Many years ago, I used to own a Suzuki GS 125. The Yuasa batteries on that used to last 5 years. Also did 100 miles per gallon. All in all, quite a cheap bike to run, but not as much fun as the Katana.

@johnr
How long did the Motobatt's last for before they needed replacing?

i'll let you know when one goes belly up. the beemer i sold a year ago still has its motobatt on that i fitted 2 years before. sues hondas motobatt is as good as it ever was after 12 months, my motobatt on the gs beemer is only 9 months old so still new. just dont hold your breath for me to reply again,,,,,,,

I'm on battery no.6 on my kr-1, but that is in twenty five years and only 12000 miles so the bike has spent a long time standing still, I found out that just leaving the battery in the bike helped it last longer than repeatedly removing it, but as the last one was just £12 (from a Suzuki dealer) I'll carry on with the yuasas

Personally I get my batteries from Griffen batteries in Oldham on eBay.....£24 delivered.
Never had issues with not lasting but like has been said , mine are in constant use.

Re wiring 650 reg/ rec.. Simplist things leave the lights on...attach heated grips.

Or take the 3 wires from alternator direct to reg/rec. take the earth feed to reg, direct to battery.
You will have wires spare from the loom. But they are not live. So no hassles.

I just bought a Motobatt for my 1100 and will be using with an Optimate. I only cranked over once as then the front end was removed and it's still it that state.

Good price from Griffen but not Yuasa if that is what you are after - I'd previously used http://www.mdsbattery.co.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; for Yuasa (Mainly for APC UPSs but now use another supplier).

My DL650 still has the original (Gel?) battery in it - 10 years old, 39,000 miles and normally optimate over the winter.

The Shorai batteries using lithium iron phosphate technology look very good, but are pricey in the UK (cheaper in States of course) and are probably better with their own charger but will work with one that doesn't have a desulphate mode.