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What brand battery is it.. if it's an Auto Zone your lucky to get one year out of it..I have up on them and now stick with Interstate.... Not many better.. You get what you pay for.. A Pontiac is not a Cadillac....
You can buy a modern battery tester for $40, they will tell you far more than a traditional resistive load tester...well worth it if you have a few vehicles.
This one is from Harbor Freight, mine works well and is also handy to see if the repair/desulphate mode on my Noco charger did any good on an older battery (sometimes it does)
I'm certainly no expert on this, but my feeling is that the old style (huge) carbon pile resistor battery testers gave more reliable battery tests than the new (and much cheaper) testers. This is not to say that the new testers aren't worthwhile. Even Interstate Batteries (at least our local one) are using the new small testers, though I expect not the $40 ones.
Here’s my hypocrisy… while I don’t like dealers.. at all, a new AGM right from the dealer is a great deal. Affordable and good quality. If your connections (this is the issue most of the time) are good an agm will do it. BIG cables are a must, clean connections are a must, accurate correct timing is a must.
for 30 years I’ve turned over 12:1 stroker shovels with stock starters with no issue. The trick is big clean cables and a fully charged agm battery.
In my deranged mind the dealer is only good for three things. OEM primary chain shoes, AGM batteries and green umbrellas for breathers… other than that the dealer can pound sand.
Last edited by Rains2much; Mar 2, 2026 at 10:55 AM.
Here’s my hypocrisy… while I don’t like dealers.. at all, a new AGM right from the dealer is a great deal. Affordable and good quality. If your connections (this is the issue most of the time) are good an agm will do it. BIG cables are a must, clean connections are a must, accurate correct timing is a must.
for 30 years I’ve turned over 12:1 stroker shovels with stock starters with no issue. The trick is big clean cables and a fully charged agm battery.
In my deranged mind the dealer is only good for three things. OEM primary chain shoes, AGM batteries and green umbrellas for breathers… other than that the dealer can pound sand.
Aren't lithium batteries more for deep cycle, like house batteries in an RV? I have no experience with them so I don't know.
Not at all, lithium batteries are made for all types of power sports equipment. Do a little homework and research before you decide to change over. Like anything, there are positives and negatives.
I am happy mine. Have been running lithium's for about 5 years now. Last year I changed over to the newer style that has the integrated BMS (battery management system) circuitry. My old lithium battery did not have a BMS. The BMS system adds safety and reliability. The old non BMS battery is still working fine after 5 years, just decided to go with the more modern BMS type.
Extremely light in weight, fast recharge, and once bike is started, the bike fully re-charges a lithium battery in about 5 minutes of run time (depends on manufacturer). It does not need to be put on a trickle charger for winter hibernation. Just needs a quick top off charge maybe once every 3 months of non use (again depends on manufacturer some say once every 6 months of non use). Bikes in storage that have a continuous small power draw are a different story and will need a top off charge more frequently.
The prices are in line with regular AGM type batteries. I noticed the quality of motorcycle batteries going down hill and decided to give lithium a try. Many of the original issues with lithiums have been resolved over the years (like the addition of a BMS) and there was/is a learning curve with using a lithium battery.
They are not for everyone, but I have no complaints.
It does not need to be put on a trickle charger for winter hibernation. Just needs a quick top off charge maybe once every 3 months of non use (again depends on manufacturer some say once every 6 months of non use). Bikes in storage that have a continuous small power draw are a different story and will need a top off charge more frequently.
I like the AntiGravity lithium battery in my chopper, the one without BMS. The AGM batteries wouldn't last two seasons, because of being in the horseshoe oil tank. This will be my fourth or fifth season with the lithium, and it still starts up the bike like the plugs are out. Turn the headlight on for 30 seconds three times in the spring to wake it up, and I'm good to go all season. I never charge it over the winter, but I do have a battery disconnect switch, so there is never a draw when the bike is not running.
Interesting. I switched from a standard lead acid battery to an AGM on my 83 Gold Wing a few years ago and it's still good. I've never got a full 3 seasons out of a normal lead acid in any motorcycle before, even with a battery tender on for the winter. My Harley, which I inherited last year had an AGM which is also still good. I don't know how old it is. Before I buy my next battery I'll do some reading on Lithium, but I'm pretty impressed with AGM so far.
