Battery question - KLX140

[tgrrdr]

I bought a KLX140 for my daughter in January and the battery doesn't seem to be holding a charge.

I looked on Yuasa's website and it shows either a YTX4L-BS ($45 at amazon) or a YTZ8V ($120). There are other batters that seem to be compatible with different chemistry (LiFePO4, etc) with varying prices.

My questions are, should I stick with the "standard" YTX4L-BS or is the YTZ8V worth it at almost 3x the cost? Is a battery with different chemistry from a manufacturer worth it, some are more expensive and some are cheaper.

I've never bought a small dirt bike battery before but for my street bikes I usually just buy the standard Yuasa battery.

Not sure if this is the best place to ask or if I should have asked in the dirt bike sub.

thanks in advance.

 

[Titus58]

From what I can tell with some quick googling, the YTX7L-BS 12v 6Ah is the correct size/type of battery for the KLX140.

Amazon offers a regular SLA for $25 here https://www.amazon.com/Mighty-Max-Battery-YTX7L-BS-2008-2014/dp/B00VRDN2C2

and also has a LiFePO4 (Li-Iron Phosphorus) for $70 here https://www.amazon.com/Mighty-Max-Battery-YTX7L-BS-Replacement/dp/B07R175KFQ

I know Yuasa makes good batteries but have no data on the Mighty-Max brand. You might also consider buying it from your local moto retailer, as they will have similar choices (and warranties) have knowledge on preferred brands, and they will be much easier to deal with returns/exchanges if needed under warranty.

Re LiFePO4 versus typical SLA/AGM; LiFePO4 are amazing; I recently got a 100ampHr LiFePO4 for my RV, and they truly only loose a little bit of charge (few %) over months of sitting with no charger on them versus SLA, which must be kept charged/watered etc. But yes they can be quite pricey!

Good luck with whichever choice you make, and cool on getting your kid on a moto

/T

 

[kpke]

I've been using cheap Amazon AGM's for many years. They typically last 5+ years or so. Usually 25 to 30 bucks or so.

 

[dravnx]

Before shooting parts at the bike, test the charging system.

 

[bobl]

Before shooting parts at the bike, test the charging system.

THIS!

 

[tgrrdr]

test the charging system.

We went riding a few weeks ago and it wouldn't start. After that I hooked up my trickle charger so it should have been fully charged. When we went last Monday it didn't work again.

I will take the battery out and try again before I buy a new one, thanks for the advice.

 

[OaklandF4i]

If the bike lives on a proper maintenance/trickle charger like my dirt bikes do when being stored, there isn't much reason IMO to be spending a bunch of $$ on fancy batteries. RockyMtn, where it seems most folks get their dirtbikes parts these days, their Tusk brand standard agm batteries can be had for $25. That would be my recommendation.

Often the difference in most Yuasa battery models comes down to the number of cells, physical size, and then the terminals. Two almost identical Yuasa batteries might only have a slight difference in how the terminals attach or their orientation. I believe you can find all of this in their catalogue of specs.

If the number of cells is the same, cranking amps, and the physical size is the same or nearly so, and you are not picky about the orientation of the terminals and/or can make due... buy the cheaper one.

Just my opinion, others may vary.

 

[ST Guy]

Before you do anything else, you MUST check your charging system to see if it’s working properly. I’ll bet it isn’t.

 

[HadesOmega]

I use a bikemaster Trugel battery on my KLX140L. Been working great. Just charge it up like any other battery.
https://amzn.to/40i57O1

 

[Busy Little Shop]

https://www.amazon.com/Mighty-Max-Battery-YTX7L-BS-Replacement/dp/B07R175KFQ

Good call... for $60.00 you get Up to 80 percent lighter and 5X the life of a lead
acid equivalent with 2000+ deep cycles at 80 percent depth of discharge.

 

[SVJ]

If it’s the bike in the attached photo, that appears to be a 110. I finally just put battery tenders on all of our small bikes, before that it was at least a battery a year per bike.

 

[byke]

And don't just check the charging system, but remove the negative connector and put a meter between the connector and the terminal to make sure there's no parasitic draw when the key is off. One nice thing about a lithium is that they don't drain on their own nearly as fast as a lead battery will, plus it will have protection features like low voltage cutoff, whereas a lead battery will drain itself to death. They're better for those that park bikes for a while and are bad about using tenders.