Am I the only one ?

[teninospyder]

I doubt it but I'll ask anyway - Am I the only one to find that their local spyder dealer doesn't handle Yuasa batteries? This one pushes Interstate. Yuasa can be ordered thru them if you want, at the Yuasa home site price, and only in "factory filled" condition.
Disappointing :shocked:

 

[Chupaca]

Interesting....

Don't go to dealers much but they must be getting a nice kick-back on those interstate's. Yuasa is the OEM battery and the dealer should carry it...:dontknow: remember back when we mechanics could get a kick-back on oil products we recommended and used on the bikes...every little bit helped...:thumbup:

 

[joebryanjr]

It’s not a kickback, it is called margin. Dealers need that to stay in business.

Don't go to dealers much but they must be getting a nice kick-back on those interstate's. Yuasa is the OEM battery and the dealer should carry it...:dontknow: remember back when we mechanics could get a kick-back on oil products we recommended and used on the bikes...every little bit helped...:thumbup:

 

[teninospyder]

And about the Yuasa warranty

Don't go to dealers much but they must be getting a nice kick-back on those interstate's. Yuasa is the OEM battery and the dealer should carry it...:dontknow: remember back when we mechanics could get a kick-back on oil products we recommended and used on the bikes...every little bit helped...:thumbup:

I read the Yuasa warranty statement on their web site over the weekend too. Short summary........THEY don't provide any warranty....it's up to the final supplier (who YOU bought it from) to provide whatever they feel is necessary !

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Interstate brand is what Costco sells, and generally speaking, Costco doesn't push junk. Who knows, with all the cross branding that goes on today maybe the Interstate and Yuasa are the same battery.

 

[Centurion]

My dealer here in Kansas City stocks Yuasa batteries. I just preemptively replaced our RTs battery with a new Yuasa to try to avoid any potential issues while on the road in the summer heat. It might have been premature but it provides me some piece of mind.

 

[teninospyder]

I don't disagree

Interstate brand is what Costco sells, and generally speaking, Costco doesn't push junk. Who knows, with all the cross branding that goes on today maybe the Interstate and Yuasa are the same battery.

No disagreement here :clap:I think I understand overall what you are saying, and I don't disagree with the cross branding comment. It is far too common today without general knowledge. How it can be proven is another question.

Just to clarify, and end the discussion on my part, my investigation on S.L. into "what battery to buy" started over my concern about a 4 year old Yuasa battery still being good enough for an upcoming 1500 mile trip into sparsely populated areas where stop start would hopefully be numerous for enjoying the areas, but "service calls" would be few and far between. In my opinion looking on S.L. - if I need a replacement it pointed squarely at Yuasa as the "best for the spyder". Yes, there were a few other choices mentioned with both positive and negative views. All I am reporting here is what I discovered in trying to make my own decision. Being as warranty would seem to be a big issue for batteries, I was just surprised to read the Yuasa company policy. Trying then to find locally the battery for our spyder anyway, brought up other concerns about what's best (i.e., why wouldn't a dealer handle the factory replacement?).

This is all of course JMHO :thumbup: and may vary over time :dontknow:

 

[teninospyder]

And this is my concern also

My dealer here in Kansas City stocks Yuasa batteries. I just preemptively replaced our RTs battery with a new Yuasa to try to avoid any potential issues while on the road in the summer heat. It might have been premature but it provides me some piece of mind.

Agree completely. See my other answers probably below here as it was sooner. Just don't want trouble in high temp, desert, hills, Snake country, Scorpion country, etc:yes::yes::yes:

 

[canamjhb]

And, Ill bet that same dealer who won't replace a factory installed battery with the same brand, is the same dealer who won't replace the factory installed tires with any other brand...... Just saying. The term opportunistic hypocrite comes to mind.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

You just never know what a battery is going to do. I had an '05 Goldwing with a Yuasa battery. One day when the battery was about 5 or 6 years old the bike wouldn't start after breakfast at Burger King. One of the guys in the coffee group jumped and got it started. Since it was that old I figured I better just replace it. I stopped at the Honda dealer, and then at Interstate, but I didn't like their prices so I went to Walmart. I left the bike running at all the stops. Was about to buy a battery but I needed to take mine out so I borrowed a wrench to get the battery out. Of course I had to then turn the bike off. I decided on a whim to see if it would start. It did. So I gave the wrench back, put the battery back on the shelf and went home and ordered a Yuasa. I bought a Battery Bug battery monitor (no longer available due to patent lawsuit) and installed it. The battery showed good health for more than the next year. I carried the new battery and finally changed it only because I was getting ready to embark on a long trip and needed the saddlebag space it was taking up. I have no idea how much longer it maybe would have lasted.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Spyders don't like unhealthy batteries

Just a reminder for newbies and those who may have forgotten. The Spyder does not tolerate an unhealthy battery like other bikes in the past have done.

If the voltage drops below 10.5 when you hit the starter the computer chokes and dies! You'll see the cluster screen do all sorts of weird things and maybe even go black. Like today, the Battery Bug I have was beeping on my Spyder. It had sat for 6 days without running. The battery voltage was 11.9. Not a problem, right? The BB starts beeping when the voltage drops to 12. I watched the voltage and hit the starter. It immediately dropped to 10.7. 0.2 more voltage drop and the bike won't start, so I plugged the battery charger/maintainer in. That same battery would undoubtedly start a Goldwing even if the cranking voltage were to drop as low as 9 volts or less. But not a Spyder!

My battery is now about 4 years old so I'll have to keep a watch on the cranking voltage. It should be OK for this year but maybe not next! The Battery Bug shows it at 84% healthy.

It would be great if the Battery Bug was still available but apparently the company that holds the patent has no interest in a consumer model. They focus on industrial battery installations.

 

[mark4Jesus]

I haven't put an Interstate battery on a bike yet, but that's all I use now in my cars/truck and my tractor. They are more expensive, but I have never had an issue with one. They have always lived past their warranty. Can't say that for cheaper batteries that I have used in the past.

 

[fatenhappy]

I doubt it but I'll ask anyway - Am I the only one to find that their local spyder dealer doesn't handle Yuasa batteries? This one pushes Interstate. Yuasa can be ordered thru them if you want, at the Yuasa home site price, and only in "factory filled" condition.
Disappointing :shocked:

Can I ask why ? …. that is why you are disappointed … surely you can find a substitute with the same specs that is truly fit for purpose!