Honda Spree and Elite 50 Forums

My son is taking the 86 spree to college. He will be keeping it parked outside. I assume as it gets colder it will be harder to start it. What is the battery recommendation for longer cranking power. Thanks in advance.

Chinamart Ever Start ES4L-BS . I bought 4 batteries over a months time , this was by far a more robust starter battery than the others. Not a fan of the "Mart" but I was able to walk in and get one on the spot. It is a $40.00 bat.

Please double check that bat. number , not sure that is correct.

Theft aside (But that should be a concern for this very light scoot...
+2 Battery tender

If it's a 1986 it should have a kick starter and that will probably be the best way to start it in cold temps. Unless you are in Minnesota.....then good luck!! Have him keep it in his dorm

All the batteries that size are pretty much the same. The wally world ones only last a year or two and then they are trash. I'd invest in a kickstarter if you don't already have one, and making sure the bystarter is functional and the carb is very clean. If ridden daily, and reasonably maintained, the battery is not something to lose sleep over.

Agreed, the kickstarter is the best bet. I did not even have a battery on mine, most of the time. Battery tenders are nice. But if parked outside who knows if he will have an outlet for 110VAC for it.

Take the Spree inside. A Spree only weighs about 80lbs and is easy to move around indoors. It's a lot safer than leaving it outside.

My spree battery has lasted for at least 4 years and spent all of its winters in unheated garage and the battery is still going strong and would start the motor in the middle of winter, last Xmas eve it was a little below 0 F and it started fine. I just charge it up every so often just to make sure the battery is at its best. Its been rocking all summer, even with the big bore kit I recommend a cover for that spree, so a battery tender can be hidden under it. Then it will always have juice.

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patthesoundguy wrote:My spree battery has lasted for at least 4 years and spent all of its winters in unheated garage and the battery is still going strong and would start the motor in the middle of winter, last Xmas eve it was a little below 0 F and it started fine. I just charge it up every so often just to make sure the battery is at its best. Its been rocking all summer, even with the big bore kit I recommend a cover for that spree, so a battery tender can be hidden under it. Then it will always have juice.

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Hey Patthesoundguy!!
Sounds like fun taking a Xmas ride, I'm going to try it this year! Just curious...... Is the battery a AGM battery??

Nope just a standard old lead acid battery, I've been lucky with it for sure a battery lasting that long is not likely normal

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Avoid lead acid batteries for a campus bike, it will probably be on its side at some point. AGM with a reputable brand.

Most batteries will be fine with daily use, pull the battery and keep it inside for extended leave like winter break. Research what brands are available near the campus and what each warranty is. For example, walmart will give you a new battery on the spot with your old battery and original purchase receipt within the warranty period. Interstate requires "lab testing" before we can warranty a battery but we have far fewer problems with interstate batteries. Most auto parts stores will have their own store brand.

I went looking for a ES4L-BS yesterday. I went to autozone and they had one for $65. So I walked out muttering about $65 being outrageous and went to Advance Auto. theirs was $25 with a $10 core charge but of course I had a junk battery to give them. So I ended up spending less than half of what autozone wanted.