Motorcycle Batteries Blog

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

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 of profits and to serve the mighty dollar. We serve the

We get asked this question a lot. I wish it were as simple as some of the pundits seem to imply with their Top 10 Best Lists. But perhaps the question would be better asked this way, “What is the best motorcycle battery for me and my situation?” I think that is really what the consumer wants to know.

I believe this form of the question to be better and the most appropriate based on two thoughts. As I recall conversations with our customers, I often hear the question disguised and asked this way, “If you were me, which battery would you buy?” They obviously value my opinion and want to trust my judgment and knowledge concerning the selected options. But they are also asking me to weigh in the balance their current financial standing, what others with similar machines have purchased and their previous experience with batteries. Sometimes there is more to the story than knowing the name on a product, the price on a sticker or reported Cold Cranking Amps (CCA). What’s perfect for one customer

How do you complete a warranty for a motorcycle battery purchased over the internet? Two humorous thoughts stand out as to why it would be highly inconvenient and next to impossible to ride your motorcycle over and let us look at it. A) Apparently the battery is not working. B) You may not be able to get the 6 days off work, nor have the funds to ride 2200 miles from California to Kentucky. But don’t you worry, we have come up with a series of questions and tests that allow us to evaluate and process your motorcycle battery for warranty despite the distance between us.

This is part three of a three part segment on motorcycle battery testing and warranties. Consider reading segment #1 on the importance of testing as well as the second segment on parallel charging.

Not All Warranties Are Created Equal

Most all motorcycle battery manufacturers do not handle warranty issues directly. They rely on merchants and distributors to fulfill this obligation. Each manufacturer has their own warranty

Warranties can be the bane of consumers and merchants alike, especially motorcycle battery warranties. For the merchant or manufacturer it is a necessary evil that requires time and resources for seemingly no commercial gain—looking only from the vantage point of the warranted transaction. The consumer dreads the idea of having to prove the case, possibly being transferred to multiple people, having to send the item back for inspection and then on top of all that pay for shipping both ways! There are horror stories of companies reneging on their obligation to replace or repair defective merchandise. Or they make the process so cumbersome and time consuming people just give up. But there are also consumers that expect the world to bow at their every demand, have outlandish expectations or are the undisputed battery expert with zero years’ experience. Of course these examples are the extreme and not the rule. So what can merchants and consumers do to meet somewhere in the middle?

When considering