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Re: [St] Stupid question--Yuasa battery specific




On Sep 10, 2008, at 8:02 AM, Todd J wrote:

OK, maybe I missed something in the last several years (actually, I know I have but that is a different story).

Matt, are you just joking about the uncertainty of Yuasa batteries (new or old)?

I first experienced the infamous "snap of death" as Lisa so aptly titled it back in 1986 with my Yamaha Vision. I was touring Oregon with a friend. We made one stop in early evening after everything in the area was closed. Got off the bikes to take some photos, and a few minutes later got back on to continue the ride. Bike wouldn't start, not even a click of the solenoid. It was like someone stole the battery while we weren't looking.


In case you're not aware of the Yuasa problem, for years they were turning out batteries with weak welds on the inside. In some cases these welds would just suddenly break and it had nothing to do with how old the battery was or what charged condition it was in. It would just work one minute and stop working the next, in my case usually at the most inopportune times and/or places.

Since that first incident it has happened to me on several other bikes, and I've read numerous accounts of it happening to others. Yuasa first denied they had a problem, then they said they fixed it, but it continued on. I finally just gave up on their products, which is hard because a lot of other brands are actually Yuasa products just relabeled.

Fool me once, shame on me...


Matt Knowles - Ferndale, CA - http://www.knowlesville.com/matt/ motorcycles
'99 Sprint ST - for going fast and far (2CZUSA)
'01 KLR650 (A15) - for exploring the North Coast backroads
'97 KLX300 & '01 Lakota - for playing in the dirt
'79 KZ400 - just because it was the first vehicle I ever owned


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