Replaced the OEM battery on my 2021RTL (Pic)

[shakin_jake]

Posting strictly to keep my post count respectable =

Have had some battery flat issues in the past, always chalked them up to listening to the radio with the motor off. Also, have taken the OEM battery to a knowledgeable battery purveyor in the past to do a load test with positive results but, the ultimate finally happened, she just wouldn’t respond to float charging any longer. FWIW I stopped at the local Can Am dealer first, to give them my business (Purchasing a new battery). For those unaware, Jake (Me) bought this RT and the Ryker I Had from Cycle Zone Powersports in Topeka Can-ass. Great dealer IMNSHO. Every transaction I’ve had with them went smoothly so, if you’re looking to buy new or used Can Am, look no further. They are a small dealer (compared to the big conglomerate dealers) yet they move quite a few units through their doors. Service is top notch too. Anyways, went to the Can Am dealer in Ocala Fla. to buy a battery and almost had a heart attack when the parts guy told me the cost was $225 for a new OEM battery. I’ve done plenty of business with the previous dealership proprietor, but these new guys always hit me with absurd prices for just about everything. Last purchase made there was a part for my Ryker. Can’t recall exactly what the part was but the price was $25 and didn’t seem unreasonable at the time. Needless to say, but I didn’t purchase the battery from them. I thanked them none the less and was able to leave despite an overly aggressive floor salesman plying his craft on me. I told the salesman he’d have a chance with me if only they carried Royal Enfield, I’ve had the hots for the 650 Super Meteor & if the right deal came along, I’d snatch one up in a heartbeat. I’m not going to live forever and at 67 years of age, there’s a few more motorcycles to find their way into my garage before I expire. Anywho,

So I picked up this brand of battery from a local auto parts store, after inquiring to availability & price. They had several in stock, price after taxes paid was $113 & change. It has 340 cold cranking Amps. After installing and using it for several weeks, I couldn’t be happier. Not that anyone asked but, I bought this RT new in August 2021. There’s approx 7100 miles on the odometer. Yes! I need to ride more, further, longer. Cretin Girl is ridden literally every day, but mostly on the homestead and local runs into town (about 15 miles each way). This RT has been very reliable. Only real money I've put into her was for a new set of front tires (Quatracs), and I only bought the tires after stupidly riding on a flat front (left front tire) for 3 miles home… that episode ruined the OEM tire. Never touched the tarmac with the rim so I guess that tire did its job, & it was done for thereafter.


Best,


Jake
Reddick, Fla.
It’s never too late to have a happy Childhood

 

[Dusterdude]

Good info

 

[ulflyer]

Seems like a decent price.

 

[Navydad]

I have used Duralast Gold in several of my bikes over the years and have had no issues with them. I currently have lithium batteries, but would buy a Duralast in a heartbeat if needed. I am 68 and I too would like to have a Royal Enfield 650 in my stable. Unfortunately we recently downsized and most of my stable was sold because of garage space. I have my RT and my Suzuki which were the ones I rode the most.

 

[Longtimer]

Was the battery you got the same size case and were the cranking amps the same as the battery you replaced? I need to replace the battery on my 2020 RTL. Also, is that the right part number on the box in the picture? Thanks.

 

[PMK]

Gave up on lead based batteries in the Spyder.
Ours now has a Shorai brand lithium type, like LiFe4 or something like that. Works absolutely fabulous in our 2014 RTS.

 

[shakin_jake]

I have used Duralast Gold in several of my bikes over the years and have had no issues with them. I currently have lithium batteries, but would buy a Duralast in a heartbeat if needed. I am 68 and I too would like to have a Royal Enfield 650 in my stable. Unfortunately we recently downsized and most of my stable was sold because of garage space. I have my RT and my Suzuki which were the ones I rode the most.

~~~I’ve only had 1 lithium battery in a motorcycle, it was put into service in the 93’ BMW R100GSPD I bought used in late 2014. I sent that bike up to Virginia Mottrad to have some work done. It came back with a lithium battery installed. No issues with that battery

In regards to the RE Super Meteor, I’ve owned/ridden more 650 vertical twins than any other motorcycle. Guess you could say i have a particularly fondness for the mill. The RE Super Meteor has been on my radar ever since it was introduced, in fact I have a tracker set up on used models with the Cycle Trader website to notify me of any used only within 500 miles of me. Few ever appear, I’m guessing because the owners are satisfied with them. I thought i would originally go for their Himalayan but after a ride on one for sale near to me (found thru Cycle Trader), the bike just doesn’t fit me well, especially because of the lack of range of motion in my left knee, a problem i would not have with the feet forward ergonomics of the Super Meteor



Best,


Jake
Reddick Fla.
It’s never too late to have a happy Childhood

 

[shakin_jake]

Was the battery you got the same size case and were the cranking amps the same as the battery you replaced? I need to replace the battery on my 2020 RTL. Also, is that the right part number on the box in the picture? Thanks.

~~~the battery part number on the box in my pic is correct. Dimensions are exact (same) as the OEM battery. I took the OEM battery in with me @ the auto parts store where I purchased the replacement battery, both were measured by me using a tape measure. Not that anyone asked but the place i bought this battery from was not my first choice, only because I wanted to throw my business to Batteries Plus. Mrs. Jake convinced me to stop and inquire where I bought the battery mostly due to how far away we were from Batteries Plus. I have no regrets buying this Dura battery where I did as I have purchased auto parts from them in the past. When you need a battery and you find something that will fit, & the price seems fair to you, by all means, buy it

The location of the Spyder battery isn’t the easiest I’ve had to R&R but if you take your time and notate how the top tie down piece and the rubber strap are oriented (top and bottom), it’s not difficult to replace using common hand tools. I couldn’t see paying someone to replace that battery for me when I’m capable of doing it myself



Best,


Jake
Reddick Fla.
It’s never too late to have a happy Childhood

 

[shakin_jake]

Gave up on lead based batteries in the Spyder.
Ours now has a Shorai brand lithium type, like LiFe4 or something like that. Works absolutely fabulous in our 2014 RTS.

~~~you always were ahead of the rest of us PMK=



Best,


Jake
Reddick Fla.
It’s never too late to have a happy Childhood

 

[PMK]

~~~you always were ahead of the rest of us PMK=

Best,
Jake
Reddick Fla.
It’s never too late to have a happy Childhood

Not exactly, as others have done the lead to lithium battery swap long before me.
Merely got frustrated with Yuasa replacement having a less than stellar life span.

If I did stay with lead based AGM battery, very possibly would have been what you installed.

 

[Chasdog]

So tomorrow me and the gf are going for a week to Colorado. We are taking our '23 Spyder RTL. Upon checking the battery tender that has been on since our last ride a week ago, the light was orange. It started up but it didn’t turn over very fast. So I took it to Napa and had them test it. The guy said it was bad which I had figured. The original battery in our 2023 was a Haiju - I believe that’s how it’s spelled. So not even a year old and replacing a battery just seems wrong. It’s always been on a tender. It may have worked a bit longer but not worth the chance to me to have it go south on our trip. Not too bad of a price. $131 after tax. It’s a 340 cca and made in USA, AGM made by Legend.

Went looking for a lithium but neither of the 2 bike shops in town had one. Anyway, that’s my battery story.

 

[Quickdraw]

I ended up buying a battery from NAPA. It's called the Legend Premium. Cost me around $150 plus or minus. Last motorcycle battery I bought was for my '93 Honda Shadow. That was $19.95. Oh, how times have changed.

 

[JKMSPYDER]

My Yuasa battery gave up several months ago on my 2020 F3 Ltd. No dealer in town so I went to O’Reilly auto parts and bought a Duralast gold AGM battery. Total cost with trade in of old battery was $122. I charged the new battery for 8 hours on 2 amps before installation. Very happy with the battery so far. The Duralast has 340 CCA.

 

[ulflyer]

I bought a new '22 RT in April 2023 and had to replace the OEM last fall. I think a lot of the early '20-'22 (maybe '23 also) had poor quality batteries.

Good to know NAPA and O'Reilly have replacements.

 

[K80Shooter]

The NAPA battery is a relabeled Exide battery which is a very good battery.

 

[old Timer]

In trying to get to the Battery in my '20 F3 L, how does one remove the black front service cover off before lifting the Frunk's big box out to expose the battery? The manual says to remove the front service cover - HOW is it done???

Thanks in advance.

 

[racoon]

I found a Youtube video about how to change the battery in an F3:

https://youtu.be/uap3DCjwavg?si=oioQBzrW0eLzE-hb

 

[ARtraveler]

Hello Jake:

Glad to hear you got the battery issues solved. It seems the OEM's are not what they used to be.

Just wanted to thank you for getting me started on non-spyder motorcycles again. I just went through another round of I need another one. I was thinking Honda Rebel 1100 CVT. I have a "wonky" shift foot so need a semi auto these days. And then there is the low OEM seat height. And they would take our Mule in as a trade. I managed to fend off the last temptation to go test ride. But now you got me going again. Thanks Buddy. :bowdown:

 

[spyder crash]

After recently purchasing a new 2023 RT Limited, my wife and I spent 10 days earlier this month in Virginia riding the Skyline Drive and such, which really was our first trip out. The Spyder started OK, but just didn't feel right.

After our return home and surfing SpyderLovers, I found a post by BlueKnight suggesting a NOCO Lithium Battery, so I ordered one and installed it this week; and what a vast difference in cranking speed!

We are leaving tomorrow morning for a trip to the Finger Lake Region of New York for a week of riding. I feel much better with this upgrade. BRP could install a much better OEM battery! What happened to the YUASA they installed in the past?

 

[Peter Aawen]

Hello Jake:

Glad to hear you got the battery issues solved. It seems the OEM's are not what they used to be.

Just wanted to thank you for getting me started on non-spyder motorcycles again. I just went through another round of I need another one. I was thinking Honda Rebel 1100 CVT. I have a "wonky" shift foot so need a semi auto these days. And then there is the low OEM seat height. And they would take our Mule in as a trade. I managed to fend off the last temptation to go test ride. But now you got me going again. Thanks Buddy. :bowdown:

I'm sure Jake's seen my take on batteries before, so I won't subject you all to that again - at least not here!!

BUT AR, diving down the (slightly :) off-topic rabbit-hole of the 'non-Spyder motorcycle' path you mention (as being Jake's fault! :shocked have you thought of looking for a smaller, lighter, cheaper 'thumper' type bike?? A few of them even come with DCT's &/or flappy paddles these days, albeit the more expensive jobbies; but in these days of electronically controlled everything that make good batteries so bleedin' critical, it's not such an expensive or hard mod to fit an a/mkt Quick-shifter on some of these things either; and doing that makes the gear changing a whole lot easier on your foot!! hyea:

Now bear in mind, I'm certainly not giving up my Spyder, especially for our longer 2-up rides, but I've recently been pottering around the back-blocks & fire-tracks whenever I get the urge on a variety of these thumpers that I've 'borrowed' for a day or so from our various local dealers to see which one I like the most - they're mostly 350-650cc single-pot bikes with some 'off-road' or at least 'Adventure' bias, but by no means have any of them been a 'dirt bike'! And I've found that it's been bloody enjoyable!! :thumbup:

Anything like this that I might end up buying has gotta be big enough to carry me'n Buster, my (4kg) Assistance Dog; and they've gotta be able to climb over the odd rock or log; handle ditches, dirt, & gravel roads with ease; and still do about 70 mph for the odd stretch on the Freeway or main roads - but I'm never gonna be riding one of them for more than a few minutes at that sorta speed, let alone all the way across the Country ever again!! Been there, done that, more'n once even... Only now I know that I'm not young & indestructible anymore! :lecturef_smilie: Mind you, there's a few of those bigger Honda Twins that look very attractive too; or maybe an XR190CT Ag bike??? So like you, I'm pondering these things! Decisions, decisions... And of course, it's all Jake's fault!! :lecturef_smilie:

:joke: