Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 998 / 996 / 916 / 748 > 748 Battery

[DC]

Originally posted by Shazaam!
Replacement Batteries

The stock battery specification considers how much current is needed for a start, the range of operating temperatures, the reserve needed for repeated starts, and the charging system capacity. A larger capacity battery will be a lot kinder to your charging system.

The principal advantage of using a larger capacity battery is to be able to restart repeatedly. When you don't ride long enough to recharge fully between restarts, a larger capacity battery is an advantage. A lower capacity battery will need to be trickle-charged more often and the chance of a deep discharge (that reduces battery life) is greater with small capacity ones. Further, a battery's capacity drops when it gets cold so when you ride in cool weather, a smaller capacity battery will have an even smaller reserve for starting at low temperatures.

Consider also, that the early pre-1998 bikes have an alternator with a lower charging current output, so they'll take longer to fully recharge the battery. A prolonged 30 amp charging current is one contributing factor to why Ducati voltage regulator/rectifiers and stator wires fail prematurely.

In 2001, the bikes were fited with a revised starter motor gear ratio that drew less current and made it possible to start the bike using a smaller battery. The starter gearing on the early bikes are not well suited to the smaller batteries.

Standard battery 1994 - 2001 model years:

Yuasa YB16AL-A2 (16 AH, 200 CCA, 11.5 lbs.)

Standard battery 2001 - model years:

Yuasa YT12B-BS (10 AH, 125 CCA, 7.6 lbs.)


On the track, weight reduction is more important than these other considerations so the weight-saving battery-of-choice is the sealed and non-spillable AGM maintenance-free Yuasa YTZ7S. It's the same size as the later-year stock battery. The weight saving it offers is probably equivalent to $1000 in carbon fiber replacement parts, and about $3000 in titanium exhaust pipes and fasteners.

Yuasa YTZ7S (6 AH, 130 CCA, 4.6 lbs.)

On the street, reliable operation is of a higher concern to most of us, so consider the following maintenance-free batteries:

Fiamm-GS F19-12B (19 AH, 200 CCA)
GS Battery GT12B-4 (12 AH, 200 CCA, 10 lbs.)
Yuasa YTZ12S (11 AH, 210 CCA, 10 lbs.)
Power Source WP22-12B-4 (10 AH, 220 CCA, 15.5 lbs.)
Odyssey PC680MJ (19 AH, 280 CCA, 14.7 lbs.) (dry cell technology, my personal choice)

Thnx shazam,

Perhaps I will try the Yuasa YT12B-BS type battery. Or perhaps the one that Keefer has listed.

DC.

[Walenut]

Originally posted by ath748
Out of interest, and I'm not sure if it's possible to accurately answer this, but how long a ride would you need to go on to recharge a battery? Assuming the battery isn't fully discharged. Ta.

Ade.

I read somewhere that it would take a journey of over three miles for a battery to start to recharge via the alternate on a BMW, which I would presume is a similar loading to a Ducati. This was only to recover the capacity use to start the bike.

[ath748]

Hmmm, interesting and thanks s.p.

[moto748]

I've had both the YB16L battery and the YT12B-BS type on my (2001) 748. Both work OK. If you use the smaller, gel-type one, the relay bracket on the left fits "inside" the battery mounting area to fill the gap. Likewise, ther'e a removeable piece in the bottom, to take up the extra height.

For my needs, riding the bike all the year round, and considering that it's it's not garaged, and sits outside in the snow and rain, I don't think keefer's 6Ah battery would be suitable!

[Edited on 1-1-2005 by moto748]