Dependable Power with ODYSSEY Batteries
Words: Matthew McNulty
Photos: Provided by ODYSSEY Batteries
When it comes to powersports, people can neglect some important aspects of their vehicle in favor of flashier upgrades. Let’s face it, new wheels and tires always look cooler than a new battery that you can’t even see. However, having a truly dependable vehicle that you will be taking far from civilization is extremely valuable, and a good battery is an important part of that reliability.
ODYSSEY isn’t a new player when it comes to automotive and powersports batteries. They’ve been building batteries for over 100 years. Their selling point, as they describe it in the powersports market, is providing batteries which are made from lead rather than a more typical alloy, providing more power out of a similar sized battery.
Owing to a few more design features, specifically using Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) technology, ODYSSEY states these batteries are safe to be installed in more unique orientations than a car battery would allow.
Since there is no liquid acid to leak out, you don’t have to keep them perfectly upright as with typical “flooded” powersports batteries, enabling you to lie them on their side if that’s how it fits best in your vehicle.
This gives you more options for how to place it in the vehicle, particularly if you are doing a more radical alteration to the electrical system. This also means the batteries are more rugged than what you would typically find in comparable products, as well as smaller and more lightweight.
AGM batteries are virtually maintenance free, without a need to add water or another electrolyte, which also lets the battery be a sealed unit. With a safe temperature range of -40 to 176 degrees Fahrenheit, you can expect them to work reliably wherever you may be going. These ODYSSEY batteries also provide more power than conventional lead acid batteries, up to 3,125 amps for five seconds. This also means that the engine will crank over a bit faster in more difficult conditions.
Being from Arizona, I look for a battery that will handle the high-temperature environment we live in, and one that will work for longer. Having some more punching power out of the battery itself isn’t something I have needed in my life, but if you are someone who lives in a climate that experiences more extreme cold, such as northern climates or higher elevations, it could very well make a difference between starting the engine or being stuck where you are thanks to a dead battery.
While a new battery may not be the next flashy upgrade you have in mind for your SXS, it may well be what you need. The reliability benefit you can get from a new battery can provide some peace of mind. A tougher battery that can stand up to the kind of abuse that your SXS is built to take lets you stretch your legs a bit and explore more rugged areas than ordinary batteries can handle.