Anyone recommend the best make/model battery for my 1998 cbr600f3 and where to buy?
on it it says YTX9-BS 12V. if i get this one (whichever bike its listed for) will it fit or are there different dimensions for different bikes with the same model number on?

Rich

 

A fully charged one.......


Ok ok had to lol. You can't beat the OEM Yuasa. It is a 9BS as you described. I have a BikeMaster true gel in mine which comes with a 2 year warranty but well see how that goes. I haven't had it very long at all.

 

+1 to Yuasa, Best brand out there but cost a pretty penny

 

cheers to you both. so if i get the YTX9-BS 12V will all batteries with this model be the same? i.e i have seen a battery with this model number for all different types of bikes. are they all the same battery ?

 

YTX usually means it's a Yuasa although some third party companies use that model designation. GTX9-BS would be Motosport (another brand I could recommend as they are distributed by American Honda). I think Bikemasters are BTX9-BS and you get the idea.

One more note, proper prep of a battery upon delivery matters almost as much as what kind of battery you choose. Some people just throw in the acid and then use a battery tender right away to charge it. If you get a Yuasa, they have to be prepped which means you put in the acid, let it cool down, throw it on a proper charger which lets you choose the voltage (I think the 9-BS asks for like 6.5-9 for a quick charge). One advantage of the Bikemaster Gels and Motosport Batteries is that they come prepped so you don't have to worry about that.

Dry cell batteries are also a choice you can consider. Ballistics and Shorai are the two brands I would recommend.

 

Manufacturers have a specific model number. YTX9-BS is just a number that will cross reference to many other manufacturers.
I would go for a moderately priced AGM battery. I like them way more than regular wet lead-acid batteries, and I'm honestly not a huge fan of yuasa's any more than I am of many other wet batteries. They are about the same to me, yet yuasa is usually more expensive. I've had great luck with motobatt batteries, to be honest, and sometimes you can find them really cheap.

 

Just my experience in the last few years.

Yuasa regular lead acid ($70)- lasted a year in my KLR (OEM from new)
Yuasa regular lead acid ($75)- came with my CBR and didn't last a year.
Die-hard regular lead acid ($52 w/ promo) - lasted about 3yrs in my CBR, but it wasn't strong in the last year.
Deka AGM ($70)- came with my magna and lasted through 3yrs.
Motobatt AGM ($65)- about 4yrs in my CBR now and it still cranks hard.
Motobatt AGM ($64)- 3yrs in my KLR and it still cranks hard.

 

Thank you very much for all your help. I will look into those makes.
Rich