R1200S Battery

[Grip Fast]

The old battery is finally weakening and it's time for a new one before I get stuck. The handbook specifies an AGM type battery, but is that necessary, or is it just seen as a safety thing e.g. less to spill in the event of a mishap?

Also any recommendations for a replacement (make and model, and online supplier)?

I did do a search on here, but most recent discussion I found was pretty old (2010), so thought it wouldn't hurt to ask again. Apologies if I missed a more recent thread.

[milleplod]

The battery's the same as my ST - YTX14BS, amongst other type numbers. Physically larger ones won't fit the S/ST as there's no room.

https://www.tayna.co.uk/BMW-R1200R-S-1200-cc-Motorcycle-Batteries-D13332.html

I fitted a Motobatt MBYZ16H, rated at 16.5 AH, CCA 240, which was the highest-rated one I could find...and reasonably priced at around £50. It has 4 terminals too, the 'spare' ones are very handy for any extras you might want to connect, rather than having to fit everything onto the usual 2. Most ads show them in bright yellow btw....but mine came in black - I think if you make sure the 'H' is in its description, you'll get black as its specced for a Harley!

Pete

[Grip Fast]

Cheers Pete.

[Humbug]

Not sure if it may be something to do with the rear shock mounting. When I bought my 12S I took the rear Ohlins off to be serviced and the bottom bushes had to be replaced as it seems a previous battery had been leaking fluid and had eaten away most of the bushes! It seems that the rear shock lower mount is in the perfect position to accept any leaking battery fluid. May be complete coincidence but my Ohlins bore the scars.

[Grip Fast]

Shiny new Motobatt battery arrived today, and I had a spare half hour before it started to get dark, so decided to do the swap. That is a seriously tight space to get a battery in and (especially) out of. Working by sense of smell in the end, a fair bit after the sun had gone down, I persuaded the -ve terminal screw to catch the thread and it's done.

I'll need to check everything over in daylight, but she started ok, and quite eagerly at that. Thanks for the recommendation.

I NEED A WORKSHOP!!!

[milleplod]

Shiny new Motobatt battery arrived today, and I had a spare half hour before it started to get dark, so decided to do the swap. That is a seriously tight space to get a battery in and (especially) out of. Working by sense of smell in the end, a fair bit after the sun had gone down, I persuaded the -ve terminal screw to catch the thread and it's done.

I'll need to check everything over in daylight, but she started ok, and quite eagerly at that. Thanks for the recommendation.

I NEED A WORKSHOP!!!

Glad you got sorted. They are a tight fit, aren't they! I have a real job lifting mine out these days - a bit of what I assume is arthritis in each thumb means my grip isn't what it was, and there's no room to get a proper hold of the thing.....last time I ended up pushing the battery up from underneath with a large screwdriver so I could get a decent grip on it. As an experiment, I've purposely not had the Motobatt connected up to my CTEK charger for the last couple of months - the bike's not turned a wheel since October, I'm ashamed to say - but it still spins the engine over a treat, no slower than when it was on the CTEK every day. Hopefully that might bode well for a decent service life!

Pete

[Mitch1100]

I'll replace mine with Shorai LFX21A6-BS12...have one in my BCR

[milleplod]

£200!! Eck! I did consider going the Lithium way, but couldn't justify that sort of money tbh.....and my previous £35 Exide lasted 4 years anyway!

Pete

[Humbug]

Looks like my Motobatt is finally on its way out after 5 years. Starts ok first time but if you stop within a few miles it hesitates for half a second Before turning the engine. Been consistently good up to now though

[milleplod]

That's pretty good. Did you keep it on a charger/tender all the time?

Pete

[Topcat]

Glad you got sorted. They are a tight fit, aren't they! I have a real job lifting mine out these days

try a couple of cable ties around the battery and another to form a loop handle, works a treat. You can still get the battery clamp on if you use thin enough ties and get then in the right position so the ratchet bit of the ties are out the way.

[milleplod]

Glad you got sorted. They are a tight fit, aren't they! I have a real job lifting mine out these days

try a couple of cable ties around the battery and another to form a loop handle, works a treat. You can still get the battery clamp on if you use thin enough ties and get then in the right position so the ratchet bit of the ties are out the way.

Now that's a good idea....thanks!

Pete

[Humbug]

That's pretty good. Did you keep it on a charger/tender all the time?

Pete

Yes Pete, it was kept on an optimate when not in use.

[Grip Fast]

The battery that came out was a BMW-badged Exide and might be the original, which would make it 10 1/2 years old. It's certainly more than 6. I kept an Oxford solar charger attached all the time it wasn't in use.

Great tip from topcat - thanks. Why didn't I think of that?

[slparry]

If you look at tayna batteries
http://www.tayna.co.uk
they sell the oem Exide/Westco ones reasonably enough