I bought my FJR in spring of 2013 and have no idea how old the Yuasa battery is that came with the bike. We have a lot of trips planned for 2015 and the last thing I need is the battery to fail so I while at the motorcycle show this weekend, I decided to do something about it.
I stopped by the Battery Tender booth the at the show and asked if they had a replacement battery for my FJR. The guy cross-referenced my battery and determined they did. The battery from Battery Tender was $125. I bought it there on the spot. The Yuasa replacement battery is anywhere between $100-125 plus shipping. So why did I decide to buy a Battery Tender battery over the Yuasa?
For one thing, Battery Tender gives a 3 year warranty to Yuasa’s 1 year warranty.
The Battery Tender battery is almost 8 pounds lighter than the Yuasa (both pictured above). The BT battery is also smaller. Getting the battery off the FJR is a VERY tight fit so this smaller (and lighter) battery is going to make things much easier. Also with the high location of the battery on the FJR, trimming 8 pounds is significant.
BT includes foam blocks to optimize the fitment of your battery to your bike. I haven’t installed mine yet but I look for it to be much easier than the factory battery. You’re also provided with 2 sets of terminal nuts and bolts.
The Battery Tender battery is only 75% charged when you receive it so you’ll have to put it on the charger (mine is currently on my Battery Tender). For $125, I couldn’t be more pleased.
