Motobatt MBTX7U Replacement for KLX250S

Ever since I installed the 331 big bore I felt it didn’t crank over quite as well as with the stock bore. But all in all the battery was fine, and I didn’t want to replace it. I figured when the battery died I would find something with more cranking amps.

A couple years later and that time is here. The OEM battery still has plenty of life, but I managed to break one of the terminals.

I lost the piece of metal inside that the screw mates to. I found a nut that works but I guess over time the torque was slowly breaking the terminal. The whole thing broke in half and now has a tough time staying tight.

I was hoping to find a larger Yuasa battery with dimensions that were close enough to fit–and considering I live in Taiwan you’d think it would be easy–but nothing came up.

A bit more searching led me to the Motobatt MBTX7U.

It’s listed as a direct replacement for the KLX250S but with 15 more cold cranking amps. I don’t know if those extra amps will help but it’s a step in the right direction.

Fitment was close to the original but a tiny bit smaller. After securing the locking bar, the battery doesn’t move.

As you can see, the terminals are different from the Yuasa. In general I like them better. No nut to fall out and two places to screw on your wires, which is great if you wire accessories directly to the battery. Unfortunately they didn’t include extra screws. Just enough to screw down the terminals and for the main power leads.

When screwing down the terminals they wouldn’t sit flush. As you torque them they start to turn. I guess it’s not a big deal but would be nice if they weren’t cockeyed like that .

How does it work?

The initial startup wasn’t too encouraging. It didn’t want to spin up right away. Probably because it was slightly undercharged according to my DMM. Who knows how long it has been sitting on the shelf. After letting the bike run for several minutes I turned it off and restarted and it started immediately. Definitely better than the stock battery. But I’m not sure that says anything at this point. I’m sure a brand new stock battery would spin up pretty quick as well.

So I’ll give her a few rides and report back…