Real world battery recommendation?

[63-Coupe]

Sweet! How much was the battery? I go to school and the bike is in Waterloo, I called CarQuest there and nobody answered. Edit: They're closed on Sundays

This was the $48 battery from XS650 Direct that they no longer have in stock as per Lou Ranger's thread.

 

[Lou Ranger]

Sweet! How much was the battery? ...

The CdnTire was $72 after you get your $7.50 back for the old battery recycle. The box said it was made by Motorcycle Products Co., Reading PA, but the paperwork inside the box said Taiwan. Taiwan makes great stuff - including the best new beginner bike in the world (< $5k brand new; the Kymco Venox 250), so I'd have no reservations at all.
At WallyMart, the same battery (as far as I could see) was $60 I think. Looked like the same sized box and innards - except inside, it said made in Taiwan for Johnston Controls Inc.
If I were you I'd visit each store and if you too think they are the same, and price is critical, buy from Wally.

lol ... And you're recommending against using battery tenders? ...

Not really, I was just repeating what a number of experienced riders told me.
One guy claims to get 5 or 6 yrs from a battery and doesn't believe in tenders - though he does maintain his bike and its charging system very well, and he does take his batteries inside for winter. He believes in charging them if they need it and maintaining the fluid level.
I personally used a 2 amp charger on a weak battery last summer. It was supposed to reduce its charge and shut off automatically. Maybe it malfunctioned, but it boiled the old battery dry. I have a new tender which is 0.75 amp. I will hook it up if the bike sits unused for any length of time but if I am riding every day, I don't think I will.

I imagine that a tender would be particularly useful in 2 cases: if an old electrical system is poorly maintained and allows the battery to slowly discharge while it is supposed to be off; and if one has a "modern bike with electronic systems which draw power 24 hrs a day.
In the first case, the tender will mask your problem and give you an excuse not to fix it. In the 2nd case, if one doesn't use the bike regularly, then I suspect a tender would be necessary to ensure you can turn it over after all the electronics have been maintained for hours/days/weeks ...

OH!! btw, where is the kickstart on the 83 XS400 Maxims? I can't seem to place it on my bike, and no pics on google. Thanks

I wish it wasn't so, but the DOHCs do not have kick-starters. I am envious of 2 of the guys I see regularly. xs650s which start on the first kick every time. Just before I went to CdnTire last week, I had to coast downhill and pop the clutch in 2nd to get home. I did not get a kick out of that (pun intended).