That could very well be true, especially in today's market. Recycling has come a long way over the years.

My virgin lead info is probably 15+ years old. At that time, there was a series of batteries for large boats, claiming 100% virgin lead content and better longevity, with a price higher than other batteries. I did some research to see if that was really a "thing". My research back then said there was a difference between virgin lead and recycled lead. Back then the difference between the virgin lead and recycled lead was the impurity content.

FWIW, I didn't opt for the pure virgin lead batteries,,, just filed the info away in my head. Obviously time to update my research... One of the things about getting old, you forget some lessons learned get old too and info changes...

Thanks for the update...

 

Sorry to derail this thread, but I've been doing some current research about virgin lead v recycled lead performance ... I thought I would share it..

I reviewed some of my research from years ago, and there certainly used to be a difference between recycled lead and virgin lead batteries. Here is one of several articles, & discussions on the topic I saved from years ago. It seems to sum up the information I found, back in 2016, between batteries with virgin lead & recycled lead.

"Virgin Lead AGMs vs Recycled - Why They're Better
TenaciousDiscussion starter
137 posts ˇ Joined 2013
#1 ˇ Jul 12, 2015I wanted to make a quick list to compare the two types of AGMs - most people think a battery is a battery. I will use specs from G31 batteries to keep everything consistent. Yes, most sound quality vehicles will not have an auxiliary battery in the rear but a nice virgin lead underhood battery is a good, reliable addition to any system.

Brands:
Recycled: East Penn (Deka, Duracell), Johnson Controls Inc (Optima, Interstate, Duralast), and Exide. These 3 companies make around 90% of all recycled lead batteries
Virgin: Odyssey and NorthStar are the main two manufacturers, both located in the US. There are also foreign manufactured virgin lead batteries like XS Power.

Average Cost:
Recycled: $180-220 + shipping unless local
Virgin: $350-380 shipped

Warranty:
Recycled: Varying warranties. Usually 1-2 year pro-rated
Virgin: USA Made Virgin batteries have a 4 year full replacement warranty. Foreign virgin batteries usually have a 2-3 year full replacement warranty.

Life:
Recycled: 2-3 Years in commercial vehicles (semi trucks)
Virgin: 4-10 Years in commercial vehicles

Number of Cycles at 50% Discharge:
Recycled: 400
Virgin: 900

Number of Cycles at 80% Discharge:
Recycled: 200
Virgin: 400

Recharge Time:
Recycled: 10-14 Hours
Virgin: 4-6 Hours

Terminals:
Recycled: Some lead (poor conductor), some brass
AGM: Tin coated brass or pure brass

Storage Life without Charging or Draw: (read paper at end of thread, this is a big factor of why virgin lead batteries perform better)
Recycled: 6 Months
Virgin: 2 years

AH:
Roughly the same for both options.

Cranking Amps:
Recycled: 800A (East Penn)
Virgin Lead: 1150A (NorthStar/Odyssey)

Burst Amps: (5 seconds, more applicable to car audio than CCA)
Recycled: Not published... hmm I wonder why
Virgin Lead: 2150A for 5 seconds

Inter-cell connections:
Recycled: Pinch welds connect the cells
Virgin Lead: US made Virgin Lead batteries have solid internal bus bars, NOT welds going over the walls inside.

Further Reading (more technical explanation of why virgin lead is superior): http://www.battcon.com/PapersFinal20...10Final_17.pdf

In my opinion, the premium for a virgin lead battery is well worth it if you plan on keeping the battery 4 years or longer. They are all around better performers and will last around twice or more as long as a regular AGM. Virgin lead pricing may increase as supplies are depleted so this statement is only accurate for current prices. Lead can be recycled and refined to virgin lead standards, however it is much more difficult and expensive than refining it to regular recycled AGM standards. Maybe advances in technology will allow virgin lead prices to decrease in the coming years. (my emphasis, highlight)

Source: Recycled Lead AGMs vs. Virgin Lead AGMs"

Here is a more resent article by Redwood Materials. Keep in mind, this is in a brochure for the companies' products, so there is bound to be a mixture of fact and marketing. Redwood "produces lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper, and cathode active material at scale, manufactures key components for advanced batteries, and deploys energy storage systems that power data centers and the nation's grid." Per this article, their tests show:

"The results were clear: our recycled metal-sulfates delivered identical cycle-life performance, discharge capacity and Coulombic efficiency when compared to cathode materials made from virgin-mined metals. Argonne also concluded that “pristine performance can readily be obtained” from Redwood’s recycled metal-sulfates, noting they offer higher capacity and lower direct current internal resistance."

https://www.redwoodmaterials.com/res...ery-materials/


So what I am getting from my new research is that Virgin lead can outperform recycled lead. But recycled lead can offer "identical cycle-life performance, discharge capacity and Coulombic efficiency" as virgin lead.

It would appear the recycling process is the key to having recycled lead match virgin lead in performance.

Being a student of human nature for 68 years, I also know that not all people/businesses will go the extra mile, use the best technology, and/or spend the money on the recycling of old lead to match the performance of new lead.

So we are left with the reality that virgin lead, is the standard for performance, while recycled lead, if properly processed, can match that performance.

The big caveat is "How do we tell" if a battery has good virgin lead, properly processed recycling lead, and/or what combination of both?

The bottom line will always be the cost...

So IMHO, profit margins and name brand costs aside, eventually you will have to pay extra for better lead... be it pure virgin lead, or properly recycled lead, which leads to a better battery.

I will still believe that a $90 version of a $190 battery from different vendors will not be exactly the same.

But everybody is certainly free to draw their own conclusions...

 

Thanks for the legwork, Hatti! I think I am going to replace my long-in-the-tooth X2 Lithium with the XS Power AGM before it gives up the ghost. I have been eyeballing it at the local Batteries Plus!

 

Just one caution about the info you quoted....

That info was from 2016 and I was looking for info on recycled v virgin lead in general, not just in PowerSports batteries.

That info was about AGM batteries, but not specifically about PowerSports AGM batteries. So it may not apply to the actual battery model you are considering in 2025.

I guess a call to the manufacturer's product support would clear up any doubt... If you should check, report back for the rest of us...

 

Just last night, on the Yuasa battery, I discovered those brass threaded pieces easily come out of the battery terminals. I used a cotton swab and contact cleaner and cleaned a surprising amount of dirt out of the cavity inside the terminals. I am confident that most of the battery power transfers through the flat top of the terminals in contact with flat ends of the battery cable, but if the bolt and that brass part can carry a bit more, that is a bonus, both for starting and charging. I also cleaned the fuse blades and the contacts in the slots the fuses go into. I sprayed the slots with contact cleaner and blew them out with an aerosol computer duster.

My machine (23 FLHP) has gone into limp mode twice recently, so I am working may way through the electrical system. Some if this stuff may also improve engine cranking for starts.

 

Thank you for posting the recycled vs virgin lead info, @hattitude . Interesting stuff.

 

I've seen quite a few posts here and other forums regarding battery problems. Everything from lithium batteries burning garages to the ground to new batteries that won't start a bike. I didn't read all of the responses to this, but if you remove your battery and have it load tested, perhaps that might take that component out of the equation? I see many recomendations on here but honestly, I've never had an issue with an oem battery bought from our local Harley dealer. My bikes are in my non-heated garage, on a tender when we're not riding and also from early November until April/May without a problem. Maybe I've just been lucky, idk.