2000 1100 Shadow Spirit Battery

[robert145]

My 2000 bike didnt start this morning and the battery is only about 2 yo. A conventional acid battery was installed. I use battery tenders and I checked the levels which seem to be in the normal range. Is there any reason I cant switch to a maintainance free type? Is there one that would fit this bike? Thanks.

[Spirit_1100]

http://www.hondashadow.net/forum/vie...shaped+battery

If you have a T-Shaped battery.

If you have the regular battery, there are plenty of places to get them. I used BatteriesPlus in my bike. Pricing was cheaper than the stock battery. Others have gotten a square battery from Wal-mart. Don't know anything about those though.

Joe

[callmeal]

The Yuasa site says the YTZ14S fits your 2000 VT1100 Spirit. You can buy a cheaper battery, but I don’t think you can buy a better battery.
http://www.yuasabatteries.com/vehicle_search.asp

[Shadow1]

I have the Wal Mart battery in my 01 Spirit. Just installed this Spring, but it seems to work just fine by me. The test though is gonna be how does it handle the off season this winter. I will have it hooked to a tender, so we'll see how it goes. But it's been a good battery to date.

[robert145]

Well I checked the battery with a meter and at idle, it was putting out 13.5V. Not bad with the headlight and amber lights always on. I notice 1 cell behind the pos. terminal was just showing plates, so I added distilled water. The rest of the cells were good and at proper levels. I put the charger on for a day. Now Im just testing every other day to see if the bike starts normally. Until I do this for a week or so, Im going to ride the other bike so I dont get stuck somewhere. If I need to, I will just get a new battery. Preferably a maintainance-free one.

[Steve-O]

My 2004 came with a maintenance free battery. I'd recommend switching over to one before you have to.

[MarkC]

Originally Posted by robert145

Well I checked the battery with a meter and at idle, it was putting out 13.5V. Not bad with the headlight and amber lights always on. I notice 1 cell behind the pos. terminal was just showing plates, so I added distilled water. The rest of the cells were good and at proper levels. I put the charger on for a day. Now Im just testing every other day to see if the bike starts normally. Until I do this for a week or so, Im going to ride the other bike so I dont get stuck somewhere. If I need to, I will just get a new battery. Preferably a maintainance-free one.

You didn't check the battery, you checked the charging system. Full charge the battery, let it set a couple of hours, (or even over night) then check JUST the battery volts, nothing on, nothing running! then tell us what that is!
Also, I'm thinking you have the dreaded T battery. If your battery has the drop down center bottom then its the T battery. If it is get rid of it! that battery is one of the worse batteries ever made!.
MarkC

[robert145]

It is a "T" battery. YASUSU or however you spelll it. I know I was checking the charging system. I wanted to see if that part of the system was ok. 13.5V was on the meter. Good enough with the headlight and ambers on. The battery is an '04, so its not old. One cell under the POS terminal was a bit low so I added distilled to top it off. Charged it for 2 days, then tested it starting each day off the charger for a week. No problems, fast start. I will watch it over the fall and see what happens. If I get the least bit skeptical, I will just replace it with a maiintainance-free one.

[MarkC]

Originally Posted by robert145

It is a "T" battery. YASUSU or however you spelll it. I know I was checking the charging system. I wanted to see if that part of the system was ok. 13.5V was on the meter. Good enough with the headlight and ambers on. The battery is an '04, so its not old. One cell under the POS terminal was a bit low so I added distilled to top it off. Charged it for 2 days, then tested it starting each day off the charger for a week. No problems, fast start. I will watch it over the fall and see what happens. If I get the least bit skeptical, I will just replace it with a maiintainance-free one.

Okay, I just read your title post and took it that you may?? have thought you could check the battery that way! On the receiveing end of the post we don't have no way of KNOWING the knowledge of the poster.
You say your "T" battery is an 04 battery, that leaves it at LEST three years old, I feel pretty certain that many of the folks here on the forum will tell you that three or more years on one of the T batteries and its about to go! really, that really is a BAD battery design. Many of them don't make two years!.
In fact you may even think its turning the bike over good, but when you replace it with a REAL battery you would almost for SURE hear it spining better at start up.
So, you're doing good to keep a close eye on the battery!
MarkC

[robert145]

I need to correct something I said. Its an 06' battery, not an 04'. Interestingly enough, its only the second battery put in the bike. When I bought the 2000 Shadow in 06' from a friend, it had the original (same type) battery in it. That one lasted 6 years. I replaced it because the terminals were looking bad, but it still started well. So I think its a crap shoot how long these things last, but I do like the maintainance free ones.