YTZ10S Battery Equivalents and Replacements

YTZ10S batteries are starting type of batteries typically used in motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles, power generators, and similar applications that require compact 12V battery that is able to crank smaller gas and even diesel engines.

Most YTZ10S batteries are sealed lead-acid batteries, but with the advancements in technology, more and more manufacturers offer lithium YTZ10S batteries with higher CCA ratings, lower weight, and a few more features that are not available on lead-acid batteries.

Published: May 7, 2022.

YTZ10S Battery Features and Specifications

YTZ10S battery features physical dimensions of (L x W x H) 5.875 x 3.4375 x 3.6875 inches (150 x 87 x 93 mm) with the positive terminal being on the left side of the battery, when the battery is being viewed from the front.

However, some manufacturers, especially manufacturers of lithium batteries offer their models with four (4) terminals (two positive, two negative), helping the users with the battery positioning.

Similar to other motorcycle and Powersports batteries, YTZ10S batteries are also known as YTZ10S-BS (most commonly "Battery Sealed"), BTZ10S, ETZ10, CTZ10S, BTZ10S-BS, ETZ10-BZ, CTZ10S-BZ, TZ10S, TZ10S-BS, etc.

Wet/flooded YTZ10S batteries have been almost completely phased out in the favor of sealed lead-acid (SLA) and lithium batteries.

Sealed lead-acid YTZ10S batteries are Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) and Gel-Cell starting batteries which can be mounted in almost any position (except upside-down) and feature increased resilience against vibrations and mechanical impacts, which is very important for Powersports, motorcycles, and similar applications.

Lithium YTZ10S batteries are lighter and feature better CCA ratings, although some manufacturers provide CA ratings of their batteries and claim that rating as CCA rating.

Nonetheless, lithium batteries generally offer better cranking power, while weight saving can help improve performances of the motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles, and other vehicles - weight savings are not significant, but when every pound counts, weight savings of 4-5 pounds can be very important.

One of the very interesting features that can be found on some lithium batteries is so-called Restart Technology - every lithium battery must be protected by its internal Battery Management System (BMS) which monitors the battery parameters and if required protects the battery from overcharge, over-discharge, low and high temperatures, overcurrent and similar.

Some lithium YTZ10S batteries, for example, Antigravity ATZ-10 feature Restart Technology - when BMS detects that the battery is becoming discharged, it shuts off the battery from the rest of the electric circuit while the battery still has some charge left. This allows the user to restart the battery and crank the engine, preventing issues with a completely dead battery - personally, this can be a lifesaver in many situations.

YTZ10S batteries are offered by many brands and are available from local hardware and automotive shops and online stores. The following comparison chart lists some of the most popular YTZ10S batteries on the market with their most important features and specifications:

As one can see, lead-acid YTZ10S batteries feature a 10h capacity of 8-8.6 Ah, a CCA rating of 120-190 Amps and they weigh 5.5-7.3 pounds.

Lithium YTZ10S batteries feature a 10h capacity in the 6-8Ah range, but they are able to provide currents up to 360 Amps. Also, they weigh just 2-2.6 pounds, allowing the users to save up to 4-5 pounds when replacing lead-acid batteries with lithium batteries.

Note: Although lithium batteries do offer many advantages, they may be sensitive to charging conditions and very low and very high temperatures.

How To Charge YTZ10S Batteries

When being used as starting batteries in motorcycles and other vehicles, YTZ10S batteries are being recharged via the built-in charging system (mostly alternator + charge controller combinations), with no need to be recharged using dedicated battery chargers.

However, when the batteries are being stored for a longer period of time, or the batteries were discharged by some parasite load or something similar and need to be recharged on the workshop bench, for example, it is highly recommended to use advanced battery chargers with temperature probe and dedicated AGM, Gel and/or lithium battery charging modes.

Note: Never recharge lithium batteries with AGM and similar battery chargers since they may try to desulfate the battery by sending high voltage pulses to the battery which can even damage the batteries' BMS.

Most YTZ10S batteries can be safely recharged using 0.75-1.0 Amps currents using proper battery charging mode.

Most advanced battery chargers after recharging the battery automatically switch to the maintenance mode, keeping the batteries charged over longer periods of time, helping with the storage.

YTZ10S Batteries as Deep Cycle Batteries

YTZ10S batteries are designed as starting/cranking batteries and they should be used as such.

However, modern AGM and Gel-Cell lead-acid and especially lithium batteries tolerate deep cycle applications much better than the older YTZ10S batteries and when not being deeply discharged (down to 80-100% DoD), they may tolerate much more cycles than the older batteries.

Note: this is highly specific for each battery!

But, they are not designed for such use.

If You need lead-acid and/or lithium batteries of similar dimensions to YTZ10S batteries, consider 12V 12Ah Deep Cycle Batteries which feature physical dimensions of (L x W x H) ~5.94 x 3.86 x 3.74 inches (~151 x 98 x 95 mm) and support hundreds (lead-acid batteries) and even thousands (lithium batteries) cycles down to 80-100% DoD.

Long Story Short: YTZ10S batteries can crank surprisingly large diesel and especially gas engines - despite their size, they can provide up to 190 CCA (lead-acid batteries) and up to 360+ CCA (lithium batteries).

When looking for the new YTZ10S battery, always go for the batteries with many positive reviews from reputable brands - these batteries have already been tested by countless users in many real-life situations.