ytz12s battery alternative?
 

I'm sick in Honduras with a dead battery. It's a YTZ12S. After a bit of shopping around I'm only seeing 12N#, for example 12N5, 12N9 etc. Do these seem like reasonable replacements?

Eeerm.... stuck, not sick.

The YTZ is a sealed maintenance free battery whilst the 12N are conventional lead acid with a breather tube. The number after the 12N indicates the amp hour capacity.

The YTZ12S is 11Amp-hour capacity so a 12N11 would be a direct replacement power wise. However there is always some margin so assuming you are not in a really cold climate a 12N9 would probably be OK.

The more important thing when choosing the battery is the need to make sure that the terminals are in the right place for your leads to reach and it actually fits in your battery box (add packing if necessary to stop it moving).

Bottom line - the bike won't care which type you have, more important is it has the right power to turn over your engine and doesn't bounce around in the box.

Hope this helps - and good luck.

Battery choice
 

Something I came across recently when choosing a replacement battery for both my V-Strom and my KLE500.
The maintenance free batteries have the acid added and sealed in the factory before it is shipped out into the supply chain. I don't know how to tell at what date this was done. Therefore I must believe that the life of the battery has started ticking down for an unknown period before you purchase it. The battery could have already used up part of it's natural life even before your supplier has received it into his stock. Maybe this explains in part why some batteries don't seem to last as long as others.
Where as with the battery you buy in kit form where you add the acid yourself, the life of the battery will begin at this point.

Well that is how I understand how it works.

Southern Cross

Most sealed batteries are stamped with a date of manufacture - just like tyres

If there's any chance of dropping the bike - I'd go for a sealed battery every time

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