Ducati Monster Forum

anyone know the exact size and suggestions for a battery to replace the stock monster 620 battery 2003?

anyone have any suggestions on better brands or such? cheaper places online to buy or reputable places, etc?

thanks.

Yuasa YT-12B-BS

Don't skimp on the battery, you may regret it later.

These Speedcell batteries look incredible:

http://www.motowheels.com/italian/myproducts.cfm?parentcategoryid=139%7CDucati%20Electrical&productID=6814&showDetail=1&categoryID=141 (http://www.motowheels.com/italian/myproducts.cfm?parentcategoryid=139%7CDucati%20Electrical&productID=6814&showDetail=1&categoryID=141)|Most%20Late%20Model%20Ducati%20Electrical&vendoridtodisplay=0&filterFor=&collection=168%7CEuropean%20Motorcycle%20Parts

2 lbs!  I'm just waiting for some real-world feedback before I pull the trigger.  Maybe if Moto is lurking he could give some more detail? 

TAftonomos is also selling them.

Aren't they like $300?

$240 from me :)  Try loosing 9lbs with 240$ elsewhere? [thumbsup]

I use the Yuasa too.
I had two bad cells with cheaper batteries and finally got smart and went with the Yuasa and have had no problems.

are those batteries charged like any other battery through the alternator?

Between the Yuasa and Speedcell is the Odyssey PC310 for about $150 delivered.  I got mine from Motowheels.

+1 with Capo, do NOT go cheap on the battery.

Nothing is more frustrating than a well-running bike that won't start because of a weak battery.

Is the 9 lbs number from stock?  There's a picture floating around of the speedcell on a scale.  It shows a weight of 1 lbs, 7 oz.  Is the stock battery really 11 lbs? 

I'm going to order one of these, I'm just waiting for some real-world reviews; I don't want to be a guinee pig.  But if they are as good as they claim, its pretty much the best lbs to money ratio mod you could possibly do.  The only way you could drop more weight would be to go to CF wheels, and there you'd only lose 4 more lbs, and it would cost you $3500 to do it. 

Had one on my bike now for a little less than a month

-I've ridden it 3 times due to the cold. 

-It's not on a tender

-It starts/runs fine.

is that the standard size that is a drop in exact size replacement for the stock battery?

i have a local shop asking $150 for a dry cell yuasa battery, they said they will fill it and charge it completely for pickut for that price, does that sound normal?

they are saying that "they" need to put in the acid in the battery and let it sit, then seal it up and charge it, are they bsing with me or does Yuasa already do this at the factory?

those ones from moto wheels look cool, but how do you "make posts" to attach everything to?

this is me being stupid... dry cell + acid = wet cell ?

this is correct

I include installation instructions with my batteries.  I'm sure moto would do the same.

According to the link it's 7 lbs weight loss.  8 lbs 12 oz. vs 1lb 7 oz.   Still great weight loss for the money though.

looks like everyone says the yuasa battery is the way to go and has good experiences with them.

however the bike came stock with the GS battery which some people have said is a battery that had a lot of leaks guess i was lucky in that mine has not leaked but i'll change it before it does.  did GS eventually fix that problem as its a cheaper battery than the comparable Yuasa brand.  Funny thing is that they are affiliated companies.

The Speedcell is a very nice battery if you are looking to drop weight on your bike. It does not need to be hooked up to a tender. It loses only 1% per month- so it can sit for 3-4 months and only lose 3 to 4% of its capacity. The small size makes it an easy install.

The latest batch of Speedcell batteries will have a maintenance lead that will allow you to balance the batteries. Everyting will be included so you can do this. This will extend the life of the batteries.

We will also have a batch made with Quick-Disconnects so you can easily pull the battery out, charge it or use on several bikes. We have several project bikes here- and they are never ridden all at once. Instead of installing expensive batteries on each bike, we are making Quick Disconnect leads for each bike. We'll just pop a battery in whichever bike we ride. This will end up saving us a lot of money in the long run.

We will be stocking the Speedcell batteries and handling warranties here.

The 240 amp SBK version retail for $250 but we offer them for a lot less right now if you register on our website for passwords.

SpeedCell SBK Battery  (http://www.motowheels.com/italian/myProducts.cfm?parentcategoryid=915%7CBatteries%20and%20Battery%20Accessories&productID=6814&showDetail=1&categoryID=915|Batteries%20and%20Battery%20Accessories&vendoridtodisplay=0&filterFor=&collection=)

-M

got hte YUASA battery as suggested, filled charged and sealed up.

got a question on the battery there are what looks like two small vent covers or something near the battery terminals, are you suppoed to NOT touch these at all?  or do you have to open them before putting the battery on?

thanks.

Do not touch them.  They are vents, but only open if the internal pressure is really high to prevent the battery from exploding.  If all is good the battery needs no venting, therefore the terminology "sealed battery".  Also fully charge the battery before putting it into service.

thanks for the heads up.  installed teh battery DID NOT touch the vents at all.  works perfectly in this 20degree F weather we are having in the dc area at night now.

damn that battery acid smells horrible, nobody told me that the sulfer/raw egg smell reeks so bad while you are filling it up.

looks like the old battery was not in as bad condition as i thought, basically tested it and it holds a charge pretty well, it only let me down on one really cold night -1F outside, then i remembered that it did give me about 4 long tries of startig it before conking out.

anyone need a NON leaking GS battery that still holds a charge that would proably be good for a warm weather person that rides often?  real cheap like 15$ or so and you pay shipping.

Iam  confused as to exactly what battery you have purchased.
Both of the Yuasa batteries that I have came plug and play out of the box. No vent or fill covers.

Could you post a pic?

I got the maintence free YUASA YT12B-BS battery, came from online dealer, with the acid packs in the box with the battery, you had to put the acid in, charge the battery and then it came with a what looked like a strip of bottle caps strng together that you put on the top fo th battery to give it a smooth appearance, drop it in the bike its done.

dont' know how to do the pics thing with this but i'll try tomorrow.

battery looked like this out of the box
http://www.batteriesxpress.com/Store/images/YT12B-BS.gif (http://www.batteriesxpress.com/Store/images/YT12B-BS.gif)

Yup that looks like mine.

I'm not sure about the rest of the world, but in the US that particular model is sold with the acid separate, which is a good thing since battery life starts the day you activate it.  A rack of measured tubes are used to fill the battery so you don't have to worry about over or under filling.  Strangely, most of the other Yuasa AGM batteries come with the acid already in.