Lead Acid Batteries , Brands and prices .

[neptune]

I am running a second hand Powabyke { about a 2005 model} with lead acid battery . I shall replace the batteries with new ones as soon as the weather becomes more spring like .I was told that the original batteries were 15 amphour , but as these are less common , most people replace them with 12 amphour . Now here is the question . Looking on Ebay we have Rita brand batteries at about £50 for a set of 3 . Then we have Lucas , and Yuasa at around £ 70 a set , and finally , Secura brand at £119 a set . All prices exclude carriage . They say that you get what you pay for , but experience has taught me that this is not always true . A friend swears by secura brand , and has good experience with them , but are they worth an extra fifty quid , I am thinkink of going for the middle ground and payinf about £ 70 . I would like to hear what other people bought , and what results they got . I have not yet opened my battery case to take a look , but will soon .

 

[RoadieRoger]

Yuasa are a good make Neptune .They come as original equipment on lots of Motorcycles and Scooters . A year ago I made a point of going for a YUASA Battery for my Aprilia Leonardo 250 Scooter . The cheaper pattern ones don`t last as long .

 

[banbury frank]

Hi I have been fitting Ritar battery's for 4 years now probably the Best

These are the EV type Electric Vehicle

Ritar : Products


Ritar RT12120EV 12v 12ah - EV battery - Ideal cell for GOLF carts caddies trolly | eBay

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Set-3-RITAR-12V-12Ah-15Ah-Electric-Bikes-Batterys-/180813016927?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2a194baf5f



frank

 

[flash]

I use Ritar on my powabyke they have are reliable and good value.

 

[neptune]

Hi guys and thanks for your recomendations . Many SLA batteries are labelled 12 volt 12-15 AH . What does that mean ? are they 12 or are they 15 AH?

 

[flecc]

The capacity of any battery is not set in stone, it depends on the discharge rate.

12 to 15 Ah indicates that at a low rate of discharge which stresses the cell chemistry least, it will be possible to get 15 Ah. At a high rate of discharge as with powerful e-bike motors, the discharge fights cell internal resistance which stresses the chemistry to it's limit, wasting some of the stored energy as heat. Hence only 12 Ah is obtainable.

 

[neptune]

Hi Flecc . Actually I realise that the AH capacity is dependent on rate of discharge . I seem to remember that years ago some car batteries were marked with their AH rate , and then it specified "at 10 hour rate " or "at 20 hour rate " Thinking about it , an AH figure without specifying the rate is at best , a rough guide . Another thought is this . Suppose that you set out on a journey on an electric bike , and to extend your range , you carry a spare battery as luggage , so you can change batteries when the first one is exhausted . In theory , you would get better range still , if you connected the two batteries in parallel , and discharged both at once , because each battery would then only pass half the current .I say in theory because of the possible problems with discharging batteries in parallel unless both batteries are exactly matched .

 

[Biker44]

I am running a second hand Powabyke { about a 2005 model} with lead acid battery . I shall replace the batteries with new ones as soon as the weather becomes more spring like .I was told that the original batteries were 15 amphour , but as these are less common , most people replace them with 12 amphour . Now here is the question . Looking on Ebay we have Rita brand batteries at about £50 for a set of 3 . Then we have Lucas , and Yuasa at around £ 70 a set , and finally , Secura brand at £119 a set . All prices exclude carriage . They say that you get what you pay for , but experience has taught me that this is not always true . A friend swears by secura brand , and has good experience with them , but are they worth an extra fifty quid , I am thinkink of going for the middle ground and payinf about £ 70 . I would like to hear what other people bought , and what results they got . I have not yet opened my battery case to take a look , but will soon .

Everything that's been said. Yuasa is a good name, but it would seem that Rita is good as well.

Then what's been said about extra capacity and not stressing the battery, that's good.

What I would say is that Lead-acid batteries (as in cars) have a potential life of at least 10 years, whereas it would seem that Li-Ion are good for 2 years or possibly as much as 5 years.

Hence, a lot of big heavy LeadAcid (not stressed very much, don't discharge them too far) might be economical over the longer term, but the same tactic with Li-Ion is not so useful. There is no way to extend Li-Ion battery life as far.

For myself, I'm banking on Li-Ion batteries dropping in price over the next few years, so lightness wins out.

 

[flecc]

In theory , you would get better range still , if you connected the two batteries in parallel , and discharged both at once , because each battery would then only pass half the current .

It does actually work in practice on e-bikes, those doing it get slightly more than double range and slightly better performance, due to the lowered current issuing cell resistance creating less chemical stress. This seems to happen despite the extra weight carried, though probably better with light li-polymer lithium batteries than SLA.

 

[neptune]

I have just noticed something .As I say , there are various brands of battery at various prices . All The brands , with one exception , quote the weight of an individual battery as 4 Kg . The exception is the most expensive brand [£119 for three batteries ] where the weight is quoted at 3.5 Kg . From this , I deduce that there is less lead in these batteries .So Either they have found a way to use this lead more efficiently , or you get less A hours in areal life situation . My first inclination is to think that this is a rip-off . Funny how you get more cynical as you get older .

 

[flecc]

The plates can have an open cellular construction which increases the effective surface area for a given lead volume and plate area. Naturally this makes them more expensive to make but more efficient and lighter in compensation. So that could be a reason, or on the other hand, they may just be chancing a better profit.

Even if they are that best form, at over double the price of the low cost ones others recommend, as ever the law of diminishing returns kicks in, the high tech return being insufficient to be a benefit.

 

[banbury frank]

Hi I have Just looked at the Ritar battery's we imported and sold over 1,200 in the past Direct from Ritar

They also supplied the chargers

We are getting old customers on for replacements The Main problem is the plates get sulphates build up go high resistance an the charger don't switch off and they smell cooked and BULGE looking horrible this also can happen after being in stock after about 2 years

I still recommend Ritar But looking at our old purchase orders we Bought

Ritar RT1212EV with F1 Terminals 6 mm screw post terminals not spade type these are F2

They are Blue top with a whit base as per the link below ( these

are the F2 type spade terminal not so good as the terminals can work lose and burn out ) ask they may have F1 terminals

Ritar RT12120EV - 12 Volt 12ah battery - Cell for Kids electric toy car/ scooter | eBay

The other type off Ritar Battery's are the black type NOT EV Ritar Make 7 types off AGM battery's for Different purposes YOU NEED EV Electric VEHICLE

Ritar : Products

if you look on the link above you will clearly see RT12120 EV 12 volt 12AH

Hope this Helps

Frank

 

[flash]

Frank

Sulphation tends to occur when the batteries are not used. It is the prime cause of early battery failure and is when the sulphur in the sulphuric acid forms sulphur crystals that attach to the lead plates and then act as an "insulation" keeping the battery from accepting a charge. It can be broke down by discharge and charge. The best solution is to use your ebike that has SLAs at least once a month on a fairly long ride and always keep the cells charged.

 

[neptune]

Hi guys . My present batteries have had a history of infrequent use by the previous owner . According to him , these are the original batteries which are 7 years old . He says he charged them once a month . They are still good for about 13 miles without pedalling . I shall replace them when warmer days come , and I feel like making longer trips .I am retired and I still like to get out biking about 10 miles a day , on my pedal bike . I have to admit that when its very cold , I prefer the pedal bike . Yes I know you can pedal on the electric bike , but the faster pace causes greater wind chill .Roll on spring . It was a lot warmer in January than it is now , but the forecast is for slightly warmer weather .

 

[flash]

Neptune - are you me in disguise I too have returned to the pedal cycle and less distance in this cold weather. Roll on the warm weather so we can enjoy our retirement.

 

[neptune]

Hi Flash . I planned to pedal my usual 10 miles this morning . I live near Sustrans Cycle Route One , the M1 of cycling . The path was still under snow so I did some road miles . It is noticeably warmer today and is forecast to warm up a bit more as the week progresses . The trouble is , the winds are coming back ! Spring will be here before we know it .