Batteries
-
August 26, 2021
The big V-twin bikes always seem to have battery complaints ranging from not enough power to premature and sudden battery death. Lithium batteries were supposed to solve the lack of power concerns. However, they have been found wanting due to high failure rates and inflated prices. But, after nearly 2 years of IMPACT real-world testing, we believe we found the best Harley Davidson battery. If you’re in the market for a new motorcycle battery, you need to read this article.
-
June 26, 2021
Accomplished angler Dustin Wilks fishes’ various bass fishing locations and teaches how to find and catch more fish on the wildly popular TV series Catching Bass with Dustin Wilks found on The Sportsman Channel.
An often-overlooked component to an angler’s success and subsequent enjoyment is having a reliable power source. Yes, the battery.
-
June 04, 2021
Question: What's the difference between the all gray Power Wheels 12 volt battery and the gray with orange top 12V battery?
Question: Can I use the 12V orange top battery if my toy came with the all gray one?
It is questions like these that are commonly asked by parents and grandparents wanting to replace a dead or dying Fisher Price Power Wheels battery in the their beloved ride-on-toy. Forum users at ModifiedPowerWheels.com actually offered a simplistic answer to this question back in 2008, but for those of you that do not enjoy reading through forum style text that may or may not be correct you should just scroll down
-
February 20, 2019
Electric vehicles are becoming more and more of a common sight on the freeways and in our parking lots as they are more affordable than ever before. Not only are the prices becoming comparable to the traditional gas-powered vehicles, but they are also competing in terms of performance. Electric vehicles can drive further and faster thanks to the big jumps made in battery technology in recent years, so buying an EV is no longer a sacrifice made only by the environmentally conscious. If you’re in the market for an EV, you’ll want to be sure the model you choose is able to suit your lifestyle, and one of the biggest factors to consider is the EV battery.
Types of EV Battery
The most common type of battery found on modern EVs today is the Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery: which uses a compound called lithium-cobalt oxide. The older Lead Acid battery is cheaper as it uses lead and sulfuric acid. These batteries are cheaper than Lithium-Ion
-
January 12, 2019
I was doing some research the other day and came across an article that sounded promising. The blog article “Make Your Battery Last” dealt with proper maintenance for motive batteries installed in lift trucks, forklifts, and electric pallet jacks.
However, as I got deeper into the writing, I began to suspect the article was written by a paid guest; an outsider to the industry. It started to have a regurgitating-freshly-learned-information feel, rather than one that came from an experience-based authority on the subject. I grew uneasy when I read: “each charge costs a cycle” in a section talking about opportunity charging.
-
August 12, 2017
The Kawasaki Vulcan motorcycle series has a rich tradition spanning four decades. We thought it would be interesting to highlight how the Vulcan battery has changed with the bike as we explore the history of this iconic name. Continue reading to learn something about these Kawasaki bikes or to discover which battery you should buy next. Each Vulcan series is listed in order of when it was first introduced.
1985 to 2006 Vulcan 750 Series
It all started in 1984/85 when Kawasaki launched the Vulcan VN700A as its first cruiser sold worldwide. To avoid American tariffs placed on Japanese motorcycles over 700cc Kawasaki actually introduced this bike as a 699cc. The tariff was lifted in 1986 and they increased the engine capacity to 750cc. The Kawasaki VN750 remained virtually unchanged throughout its 22-year production run.
The original battery was the Yuasa YB14L-A2 conventional style lead acid with the annoying acid drip tube. If you are tired of dealing with acid you can always upgrade to a sealed AGM by Moto Classic (YTX14AHL), East Penn Deka (ETX15L) or MotoBatt (MBTX14AU).
1985 to 1990 Vulcan 400 Series
There were two series versions to the Vulcan 400 bikes. The first series was a belt driven liquid-cooled twin engine. The second series used a V-twin chain driven system produced in both the Classic and Drifter variations. The EN450 known better as the 454 LTD is considered by some as the forerunner to the Kawasaki Vulcan.
Interestingly enough the VN400 Vulcan motorcycle does not appear in the Yuasa battery application catalogue. From what we can determine from a national sales store it may use the YTX12-BS battery. That battery originally boasted 10Ah and 180CCA.
The Kawasaki 454 LTD called for the YB12A-A conventional battery. It is a 12Ah 165CCA battery.
1990 to 2010 Vulcan 500 Series
The Vulcan 500 had a 20 year production run. It was the successor to the 454 LTD and boasted an engine nearly identical to the Kawasaki Ninja 500R. The 500 series had two production runs. The EN500-A was produced between 1990 and 1996. The EN500-C or perhaps better known as the Vulcan 500 LTD ran from 1996 thru 2010.
Like many bike manufactures, Kawasaki thought it necessary to tweak the battery polarity between production runs. Yep, instead of leaving the polarity as a left side positive they flipped to left side negative for the 500 LTD. The EN500-A uses the YB12A-A. The EN500-C uses the YB12AL-A2. Of course you can avoid worrying about polarity and leaking acid altogether by purchasing MotoBatt’s MB12U sealed AGM. It was four terminals guaranteeing the correct polarity.
1987 to 2008 Vulcan 1500 series
The Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 was a beast of a machine when first introduced in 1987. The 1500 series had a 22 year production run spanning several versions. To read more about the 1500 check out MotorcycleCruiser.com and their article titled Big Twin Rumble: Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Classic.
To help simplify what battery you need for your Vulcan 1500 we have created the chart below.
VN1500 Vulcan 88, SE 1987 - 1998 Y50-N18L-A VN1500-C -
May 08, 2017
On May 16, 1986, the iconic movie Top Gun was released. Part way through the best-on-best flight school training Maverick turns to Goose and says (with Goose joining in to finish the line) “I feel the need—the need for speed!” This immortalized string of words seems to personify American thinking. Our insatiable need to go faster, work faster, be faster is intertwined into our DNA. The underpinning of this mindset brings us to an often-asked question, how fast can I charge my battery?
Yikes! That sounds like a simple question, right? But there is so much more wrapped into those eight words that makes answering harder than one may think! Not harder in the sense of complicated, but harder in the sense that you need to understand what type of battery you actually have before connecting the Godzilla of chargers to your car. A basic understanding of battery type and chemistry will go a long way to help prevent catastrophic battery failure.
Safe Rule
-
February 22, 2017
I have to admit, I have been very hesitant to write this article and have delayed doing so for several years. My deferment in writing was essentially a giant rationalization to ‘protect’ this motorcycle battery brand (and I guess us as well) from unnecessary blow-back. Compromising thoughts like “it’s not really hurting anyone since the battery is actually pretty good” or “it’s not my place to shake the apple cart” or “so many high profile racing teams use their batteries so that has to speak for something” kept me from raising my concern sooner. In all honesty, what we are about to share regarding this certain battery brand may impact our sales negatively and sour our relationship with the manufacturer. Nonetheless, we feel the questions raised have not been satisfactorily answered. Believe me when I tell you, it is not easy sticking your neck out. Frankly, it is down right uncomfortable. But I refuse to be beholden to the allure
-
February 04, 2017
The Skull Crusher Project, which Impact Battery sponsors, is heading to Louisville, KY February 24-26 to participate in the 2017 Carl Casper’s Auto Show. As I read through the exhibitors section outlining this year’s attractions, something caught my eye: The Low Rider Hopping Nationals. I have never seen a low rider competition in person before. And if I were to be completely honest, I really have no idea how the competition is judged. But aside from the intrigue of seeing what these guys can create from essentially nothing, a question jumped into my head. Which batteries are the best for lower riders? And with that, it was decided. My boys and I will be driving north in a few weeks to check out some incredible cars and see firsthand what batteries are being used at the Hopping Nationals. More importantly I want to discover why these folks selected the brand of battery strapped in the trunk. What drove them to make that decision?
-
December 27, 2016
Polaris Industries has a rich history of manufacturing powersport vehicles and now military, commercial and industrial vehicles via their purchase of Taylor-Dunn. It was 1945, during the height of World War II when two brothers, Edgar and Allen Hetteen along with their good friend David Johnson formed Hetteen Hoist & Derrick. Fast forward to 1955, in tiny Roseau Minnesota, the trio took their skill at repairing farm machinery and created a motorized winter vehicle that helped them haul gear to remote isolated customers stranded by deep drifting snow. History now refers to these men as the fathers of the snowmobile.
Corporate Overview
As a fledgling industry, snowmobile makers in the 1960’s and early 70’s were filled with excitement and expectation. The late 1970’s and 1980’s were filled with tumult as the snowmobile industry suffered from extreme competition followed by a sudden and dramatic decrease in sales. In 1968, during the height of enthusiasm,