the other day I tried to start the 3TJ. Well I would have done but when I turned the key there was nothing not even a neural light. I checked the fuses and they were fine so I suspected the battery and took it home for a charge up.
next day I connected it and .... well very little actually.

So I needed a new battery.

I'd seen those new fangled Race Batteries at the shows, they're really small so I rang up a stockist and had a chat. The standard 3TJ is a YTX9-BS with 120 cold cranking but I was recomended to go for a 150 to cope. Thing is this battery was working out at .... £175 ... so I've decided to pass on that (at least for the 3TJ).
I wnet to MDS website and had a look at the standard YTX9-BS http://www.mdsbattery.co.uk/shop/produc ... roupid=976 and noted the sizes (152 x 88 x 106mm) and then had a look at a GSX-R750 / Hyabusa YT12A-BS which is similar but puts out 175, although it's a bit heavier http://www.mdsbattery.co.uk/shop/produc ... oupID=2047
Lastly I went to the bay and got it for £43 ... a little under the MDS price.

YT12 on my race bikes, always hold a good charge. thinkt early R1 is same fitment.

i got a YTX9-BS gel battery from MDS for about the same price early last year £37.99 + postage never given me a problem, even after being left for a month or so over the winter

I've been using Bosch batteries for the last five years or so. I could leave the Thunderace parked up, alarmed (META) and no charger plugged in for months without the battery draining more than about 1v.

In fact it got left, unintentionally, parked up for seven months without so much as turning the ignition on while I was working abroad. Came back and it fired up first time