Non optima batteries

Quote from edwardaneal

I have thought about changing out my smaller 30L motorcycle battery for a larger car size battery, but I dont have any added electrical things that would increase the drain on the battery and I also love that I can walk into my local batteries + Bulbs and find several options in stock if I were to need a replacement.. With prices ranging from 109 to 159 it just seems much more reasonable than what it would cost to upgrade to a yellow top especially with the needed conversion mounting brackets.

Where I live it doesn't get cold so having a huge CCA number over the 400 I can get in the 30L doesnt seem necessary so am I wrong? would the larger battery really give me enough of a longer life to offset the extra expense?

On every motorcycle I ever had...the batteries were constantly low on water....the only explanation I can think of is....it must be getting real hot and causing it to evaporate....low water in a battery isn't good.....it’s one thing when it’s under you seat and you just flip a clasp and it’s open....it’s another trying to get at it on a SS.

It seemed like I needed a new motorcycle battery every year or every other....they only reason to have a small battery on a motorcycle is because of the lack of space and weighing less.

The Polaris service manual says 575 CCA for our motor and it was in small to mid size cars....they didn’t put a motorcycle battery in those cars....

And please don’t waste your money on an optima battery....they have a 3 year warranty....same as a full size lead acid one.

Quote from Bigdog

On every motorcycle I ever had...the batteries were constantly low on water....the only explanation I can think of is....it must be getting real hot and causing it to evaporate....low water in a battery isn't good.....it’s one thing when it’s under you seat and you just flip a clasp and it’s open....it’s another trying to get at it on a SS.

It seemed like I needed a new motorcycle battery every year or every other....they only reason to have a small battery on a motorcycle is because of the lack of space and weighing less.

The Polaris service manual says 575 CCA for our motor and it was in small to mid size cars....they didn’t put a motorcycle battery in those cars....

And please don’t waste your money on an optima battery....they have a 3 year warranty....same as a full size lead acid one.

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the battery in the Slingshot is an AGM type battery - its sealed and water shouldn't be a big problem - cant even check it, also in the back of the slingshot the battery may be a bit harder to get to, but is about as far from the heat of the engine as it could possible be which is a very good thing

As to Cold Cranking Amps - - - is the measure of the amps a battery can provide at 0 degrees without dropping below 7.2 volts something I really should be concerned with here where it is never going to get even close to zero?

the regular cranking amps should be much higher than the CCA at 32 degrees or higher and I would suspect a 400 CCA battery is probably in excess of 600 amps at normal temperatures

Quote from Dave@DDMWorks

Technically the Slingshot has an LE9, but the only difference between a LE5 and LE9 is the LE9 is E85 compatible, externally they are the same otherwise.

Ok, so is ours the LE9..... meaning E85 won’t ruin our gaskets?

Quote from edwardaneal

the battery in the Slingshot is an AGM type battery - its sealed and water shouldn't be a big problem - cant even check it, also in the back of the slingshot the battery may be a bit harder to get to, but is about as far from the heat of the engine as it could possible be which is a very good thing

As to Cold Cranking Amps - - - is the measure of the amps a battery can provide at 0 degrees without dropping below 7.2 volts something I really should be concerned with here where it is never going to get even close to zero?

the regular cranking amps should be much higher than the CCA at 32 degrees or higher and I would suspect a 400 CCA battery is probably in excess of 600 amps at normal temperatures

If an optima battery drops below 10 amps you’re screwed....

Quote from Bigdog

If an optima battery drops below 10 amps you’re screwed....

The Optima is just an AGM battery - it is spiral wound, but otherwise it is the same, and just like other AGM batteries it can require a charger with special AGM settings, but also like other AGM batteries it will have several advantages - - the "motorcycle" battery that now comes in the slingshot is also an AGM battery so changing to an Optima or other larger AGM type battery should not pose any different or additional risks

On the other hand switching to a standard flooded cell battery will come with new problems like water evaporation and much higher corrosion issues

All types of batteries have their own set of problems/issues that are unique to their design. and personally I would take the advantages of the AGM type over the possible charging issues any day - - just cleaner and easier IMO

Quote from Bigdog

Ok, so is ours the LE9..... meaning E85 won’t ruin our gaskets?

The injectors and fuel rail are E85 compatible, however the rest of the fuel system from Polaris is probably not. Also, you would need a custom tune as the stoichiometric air/fuel ratio of E85 is completely different than regular dino juice.

Quote from edwardaneal

I have thought about changing out my smaller 30L motorcycle battery for a larger car size battery, but I dont have any added electrical things that would increase the drain on the battery and I also love that I can walk into my local batteries + Bulbs and find several options in stock if I were to need a replacement.. With prices ranging from 109 to 159 it just seems much more reasonable than what it would cost to upgrade to a yellow top especially with the needed conversion mounting brackets.

Where I live it doesn't get cold so having a huge CCA number over the 400 I can get in the 30L doesnt seem necessary so am I wrong? would the larger battery really give me enough of a longer life to offset the extra expense?

Given your description, it sounds like the smaller battery should meet all your needs. While I assume Polaris put the battery in the back for weight distribution, that location also does a good job of protecting the battery from engine heat and probably extends the life of any battery placed there. W/o extra electrical demands, the battery should be fine since it shouldn't be seeing any special current demands to lower its output.

Quote from wokka

My base 19 had the heat shield over the exhaust manifold and another over the muffler. Plus heat shielding is on the firewall and inside fender.

wjfyfe not sure where you are at, but if you want my old heat shield (has less than 1k miles on it), you are welcome to it. If you are coming to Kerrville, I can bring it. Would trade for a beer or two

The 2015 SlingShot came without any heat shielding, since Polaris has corrected the problem and we have installed both.

Thanks for the offer and if we ever get to Texas we'll look ya up! Of course, the same invitation goes to you if you ever get up here into Oregon territory!

Bill

My optima battery comments are based on my personal experience from owning one.

If anyone wants to send me a free optima battery I’ll tell you to keep it because I’m not interested.

It does need a special battery charger.. $200 (click on the picture) plus the battery with tax you’re looking at $500 for a 3 year battery......do the math.....

And it has the same 3 year warranty as any other barttery...

https://www.optimabatteries.co…deeply-discharged-battery

More headaches than having two wives......

I would consider owning one again if I had a pallet full of new free ones laying in my driveway so I could just throw them away if /when they screw up....other than that, none of my vehicles will ever have one installed again.....

A waste of my time and money......

Quote from wokka

Yeah, I'm not going to buy online unless it's for an in-store pickup and I can return it to said store.

I've been researching batteries, trying to find a good AGM that will fit. The AGM's I've used in the past have been good, so want to stick with that if I can, otherwise I'll just put a very cheap battery on it and plan to replace in 2 years

Either that or I will find the battery with the longest warranty locally.

Just go to costco and get an interstate I think the price is ~86 after cores and what not and it has a 4 year no BS waranty.

Quote from Neosolidus

Just go to costco and get an interstate I think the price is ~86 after cores and what not and it has a 4 year no BS waranty.

A friend of mine us to get the Interstate battery for me at a very good price. So in the process I used 3 or 4 and never could get any service life out of them. I always kept distilled water in them and checked always about every 6 months. The short story is I have never bought an Interstate again. Now this was a few years ago. I started buying all of my batteries from Auto Zone and what got me started with them was my back was so bad at the time that I could not even change the battery out, and they would change it for me. In all of these years with around 6 different batteries in service at a time. I have only had one failure and it was still in the full replacement warranty.

http://vi.raptor.ebaydesc.com/…s=0&t=1553265493000&ver=0

Here is a link to the battery directly from Polaris and the vehicles it fits....

I’ve been searching and it seems like a group 24 battery is becoming extinct.....and they all seem to be deep cycle

Interestingly .....it doesn’t mention 2015 slingshot....like it never happened...WTF...

Quote from FunCycle

A friend of mine us to get the Interstate battery for me at a very good price. So in the process I used 3 or 4 and never could get any service life out of them. I always kept distilled water in them and checked always about every 6 months. The short story is I have never bought an Interstate again. Now this was a few years ago. I started buying all of my batteries from Auto Zone and what got me started with them was my back was so bad at the time that I could not even change the battery out, and they would change it for me. In all of these years with around 6 different batteries in service at a time. I have only had one failure and it was still in the full replacement warranty.

it all depends on the quality(type) of the battery just like every company outthere the lower tiers are crap, costco sells the AGM platinum battery for under 100 with 4 years warranty, the same battery at a normal interstate dealer goes for 200 MSRP $193 with only 30 months(not even 3 years)

All my vehicles have it and I live up north where subzero temperatures kill batteries like is no body's business, I have never had one fail before the warranty expires(good thing).

Now I would never advise to get an Interstate from a dealer/shop/store other than costco since costco policy is if you are not satisfied for whatever reason at anytime, doesn't matter how long ago you bought it, they will refund your money no questions asked, that makes it a very trust worthy place to buy from, they don't have great variety but what they have is the best that each manufacturer offers.

Quote from wokka

I'd love to, but it's not an AGM battery. Interstate only does a couple per their website, and they are too big for the SS.

Don't know what to tell you about the website, but the fact is my battery IS an AGM interstate and i got it from costco.

Quote from Neosolidus

Don't know what to tell you about the website, but the fact is my battery IS an AGM interstate and i got it from costco.

Is yours a group 26?

If one were to do a bit of research of vehicular batteries, they would find that most are manufactured by a very limited number of major manufacturers, check out Johnson Controls for one.

Bill