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JustForFun
post Jun 20 2025, 06:23 AM

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QUOTE(jaycee1 @ Jun 9 2025, 09:03 AM)
Good batteries are hard to come by nowadays. Most of the cheaper ones dont seem to last long. Even if they do , you'd be lucky to get 2 years of service from hem.

My dominar is on its 3rd battery (ytx 9) the stocker lasted an astounding 4 years and it was still working when I swapped it out as a precaution to protect the rectifier. The green Tokio battery lasted barely 6 months (80). Now running a yuasa battery (130). Hopefully it does better.

On the NK , I just bought a ytx14zt lithium battery as the stock battery is on its last legs, dropping to 9v on startup if left unused over the weekend. Best to have a standby battery.  Got it cheap from 6.6 shopee sale and some coin redemption. Paid 309 for it.

It is comically light though... But I bought it to offset some of the weight from my racks and panniers. My battery is mounted high in the tail so should help with bike balance going with a lighter battery.

If you are considering a lithium battery, bear in mind it does have pros and cons so it may not be suitable for all situations. Glad to explain if you guys want to know why.

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The battery in my Ninja 400 died the other day and not knowing better, I got it swapped with the green Tokiohama, even paid 200 for it because I had someone send and change it without knowing how simple it was to replace myself. Was in the middle of work and didn't have time to check my options. Not sure if it's just a crappy battery or poor installation, but now my bike weirdly has to be in upright position to start normally, otherwise I would have to crank it 3-4 times just to start the bike.

Another astounding bit is that my bike was manufactured in 2019 and registered in 2022, and although it's seen little use, it's miraculous that the battery last 6 years. It's a FTX9-BS made by Furukawa Thailand.
JustForFun
post Jun 20 2025, 07:01 PM

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QUOTE(jaycee1 @ Jun 20 2025, 10:05 AM)
Man...you paid 200 for that green turd. My tokio was 90.

That starting issue is a weird one. Notice if the crank speed is lower than previously? On my ytx9, it cranks slow, then fails to crank at all.  Like not pushing enough amps.
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Yea, after I witnessed how easy it was to replace the battery, I instantly regretted it, and I actually replaced the battery in my EX5 before which was even more difficult to access.

By the way, how difficult is it to DIY a voltmeter / USB charger? I looked around on YouTube and it seemed as if everyone had a different way of doing it, some said there's cable where you can directly access at the handle, others have to source the power from the battery.

Just got myself a 1/2 and 1/4 ratchet set, gonna start working on my bike more.
JustForFun
post Sep 28 2025, 03:53 PM

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QUOTE(JustForFun @ Jun 20 2025, 06:23 AM)
The battery in my Ninja 400 died the other day and not knowing better, I got it swapped with the green Tokiohama, even paid 200 for it because I had someone send and change it without knowing how simple it was to replace myself. Was in the middle of work and didn't have time to check my options. Not sure if it's just a crappy battery or poor installation, but now my bike weirdly has to be in upright position to start normally, otherwise I would have to crank it 3-4 times just to start the bike.

Another astounding bit is that my bike was manufactured in 2019 and registered in 2022, and although it's seen little use, it's miraculous that the battery last 6 years. It's a FTX9-BS made by Furukawa Thailand.
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Update: My bike couldn't start again after I rode a short distance. When I push the starter, I can only hear the fuel pump and relay clicks but no cranking, similar to the symptoms when my stock battery died. I have narrowed it down to the battery because I could push start my bike running down a slope. I would advise everyone to avoid the green Tokiohama batteries widely available on Shopee, it's a big piece of crap. When I was doing my research for batteries to buy, quite a few riders on FB mentioned they swapped to this and the battery died within 5 ~ 6 months. In fact, my bike would intermittently not start if I didn't have rides longer than 15 minutes each time.

Did some research and narrowed it down to a few choices I found on Shopee:

Thai-X (RM150) - A lot of recommendations in FB groups.

Nippon G.R.P. (RM150) - MForce batteries that came with the RT3 scooters. Reviews seem a mix bag though.

Dynavolt (RM188) - Somewhat reputable Chinese battery.

Most likely getting the Thai-X.
JustForFun
post Sep 29 2025, 12:37 PM

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QUOTE(alexei @ Sep 29 2025, 09:43 AM)
JustForFun
this is from manual, 14.5~14.9V. you should try to measure it. if this is the case, the bike cannot use Gel battery, the charging system will over-volt it and kill it within weeks
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I got the E-YT12A-BS, which does not mention anything about whether it's gel or AGM, all it says is it's maintenance free (MF) type.

Checking with the seller though, thanks for the advice.
JustForFun
post Sep 30 2025, 06:50 PM

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Update:

So I swapped the battery and my bike still couldn't start. Apparently someone faced a similar issue in the Ninja 400 forum but no one came up with the solution, and a video of the exactly same scenario was posted:



ChatGPT is saying it's either a weak new battery or a starter on it's way out (which won't start unless the battery is perfectly charged). The latter seems a possibility given my circumstances. I will try to start my bike again and if it still fails, I will push start my bike and bring it to a mechanic.

Edit: Seems like there's a common issue about push starter for Ninja/Z400, where the contact gets rusty and requires cleaning. I might also look into that.

This post has been edited by JustForFun: Sep 30 2025, 07:37 PM
JustForFun
post Oct 1 2025, 10:03 PM

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QUOTE(alexei @ Oct 1 2025, 09:19 AM)
yours have the buzzing sound?
can you locate the source of the buzzing sound?
with the old battery also got buzzing sound?

suggest try troubleshoot the starter relay, maybe knock it a little bit like RoofTopPrince said
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Starts with the fuel pump priming sound as usual, and buzzes when you press the starter without cranking. I thought about doing the relay bypass to see if it really is the relay, but it is not easily reachable. Maybe this coming weekend if I can find the space to work on my bike (sucks to be living in a condo) ... if not I will just send it to the mechanic.

I have so far:
- Cleaned the starter: no use
- Rode the bike 20 minutes on highway to charge up the battery: no use as well

Strangely I managed to start the bike after 5 to 6 attempts this afternoon, and in the evening when I tried again it started without issue.

I will try it again on the weekend, if it still starts on first try, I will try to ride it around to fully charge up the battery and see how it goes. The only fear is actually riding all the way to the mechanic, only for the bike to behave perfectly again.
JustForFun
post Oct 2 2025, 09:22 AM

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I don't have it installed, as it requires removing the fairing, which I am not so comfortable with yet. I have however purchased a multimeter off Shopee which should be arriving tomorrow, then I can test the battery voltage.
JustForFun
post Oct 2 2025, 06:34 PM

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QUOTE(alexei @ Oct 2 2025, 10:37 AM)
I have one, digital voltmeter for bikes, and a few in spares
wired to the headlamp bulb

what I did, was correlate the voltmeter reading, to the actual voltage at the battery, both when switching on, and then with the bike revved to 5k RPM or more
usually, the multimeter at battery will read more, let's say 14.6V, but the voltmeter, being further away, will probably read 14.1V around there

just keep in mind the difference, and live with that
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So my 12v voltmeter arrived and I tested the battery.

Bike off: 12.7
Engine idling: 13.8 ~ 14.2

Bike also started without issue after a full day of idling... strange.

I will monitor further and try to hold off the mechanic visit until it's December, when it's time to do my oil change and minor service, and have everything done altogether.

The little battery voltmeter I got was quite handy, small enough to fit right under the rear passenger seat compartment. It's the ANENG BT-171 for anyone interested.
JustForFun
post Oct 6 2025, 06:26 PM

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QUOTE(WH4CockcooBird @ Oct 5 2025, 10:24 AM)
I installed this 2-way USB charger and use it to charger / tender my battery with a power bank.

Scooter with plenty difficult to remove fairing is pain for DIY therefore gone for this solution.
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Is this connected directly to the battery (not switched off when the bike is off)?

 

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