ATV battery ?

Looking for a new battery for my 2001 Polaris Sportsman 500.

Has anyone had experience with Apex batteries?

They seem to have a great deal for $35.99 for an AGM battery.

THX

Will be interested in what you find. That would be a very good price if they any good.

Grouse

Have you looked for any Polaris forum sites? My buddy is a avid deer hunter and was discussing with me the fact that Polaris’ are notorious for having undersized batteries. This topic might be a common conversation on a Polaris forum. I can ask my buddy if he knows what the aftermarket upgrade battery is.

How about not having the battery’s die every bleeping year, grrr.

I’m running an Odyssey PC545 and PC925 in my SXS and a PC680 in my ATV. I have found nothing better than Odyssey batteries for my utility vehicles.

Must be lead/acid batteries. Pay the extra for AGM batteries. They last much longer. They only lose 1-3% of charge per month just sitting around. Can handle a deep discharge without wrecking the battery. Mine last for 5 years plus without paying much attention to them.

Totally agree on this so far.

I’ve run lead acid for many years in an older ATV. 18 months ago I purchased a newer ATV and at that time put in a Moose AGM that has worked out real well so far.

I think the key to extending the life of the old lead acid is to keep it charged when not in use and make sure the cells are full of water.

The only way I ever had a lead acid battery last 3 years was because it fit both my snowmobile and motorcycle. With an AGM you can let it sit the whole summer and it will still be at 90% charge. You let a lead acid battey sit a summer and you will be buying a new one. Basicly lead acid batteries like to be used everyday. With infrequent use AGM is the only wat to go. On my AtV it may sit for months in the summer. I hook up a battery tender to it and it will be at full charge in 10 minutes. My other smowmobile battery that gets to sit most of the year I see it and hook up the batter tender to top it of and most of the time in just minutes it shows fully charged.

Polaris mechanic told my friend that the showroom models have the lowest cranking amps and amp hours allowable. Furthermore, the drain of the accessories can be greater than the charge rate of the alternator. When you replace your battery just make sure you go higher than what was indicated on the stock battery for cranking amps and amp hours.

Out of everything I own that has a starting battery the only thing that outlasts my ATVs’ is my autos and not by far. My Kawi’s must have one heck of a charging system because the batts on those last for longer than I can ever remember. 6 years minimum and more. I just pleasure ride them a lot and store them all winter.
My cat is not so lucky but that one serves winter duty with plowing so 1 batt a year or two is about right.

I think the common denominator here is the Polaris product are hard on batteries.

Fleetfarm Agm!

Francis K wrote:

I think the common denominator here is the Polaris product are hard on batteries.

I think the common denominator is the Polaris owner is hard on batteries…. I used to be until I got a Battery Tender and use it. Haven’t bought a battery in 2 seasons.. a record ! I get my batteries off AMAZON.

I’ve got a solar charger in the window of the shed at my hunting property and that really helps keep the battery on my Polaris charged. Even an el cheapo lead acid from Fleet seems fine after over a year and it sat out there in the machine all last winter.

I’ll definitely replace the battery when it’s time with an AGM, but for me the solar maintainer is well worth the $15. On any sunny day that’s got to be producing more than the battery would have drained off even in the middle of the winter.

Grouse

One thing I did that I would absolutely recommend is investing in one of the small battery jumper packs (I own a NOCO Genius Boost, can find online for about $100) You can then buy a separate wire harness that stays connected to your ATV battery (like a trickle charger quick plug-in) and then connect it to the jump pack to start the battery in the event that it’s dead while out on the ice for example.

It stays in my car/atv so it’s always there if I need it. Good insurance policy on the ice/trails

Good idea. I found out the hard way when my original battery died that you can get into a situation where the stator doesn’t generate enough power to keep the fuel pump going to keep the machine alive if the battery totally dies. Having an extra battery plugged in would certainly help.

Grouse

I have been looking at this too. Last year, during deer hunting, I came back to a dead ATV. Not sure how. hasn’t happened again. My ATV does not have a pull start option. A jump was a phone call away. Good thing my battery was an AGM. Still works well today. For a lead acid battery of this size being run completly dead is usually the kiss of death. You can loose half of it’s capisity.