Bosch and Varta are both Johnson Controls brands & many are made in the Far East now - don't think you are automatically getting "German Quality" from the brand name.

Same batteries in many cases are available with both Bosch and Varta stickers, but one brand can be significantly cheaper than the other - shop around !

Gave up on Varta wet batteries on Mrs B's BMW R65LS after life dropped drastically over recent years - used to reliably get 6 years from one but recently dead after 2 (she has owned the bike 40 years next year, so been through plenty of batteries in that time to get a "feel" for how it uses them)). A "No-Name" Chinese gel battery from Ebay is currently into it's 3rd year on the bike & it was cheaper than a wet Varta from Tayna.

Used to use Yuasa commercial vehicle spec. wet batteries on the diesel generators when I was working. Not the cheapest but long lived, reliable & gave plenty of warning they were declining rather than just randomly dying.

Buy from a retailer with a fast turnover to get the freshest stock you can - should have a manufacturing date somehwere on the case - as batteries start to deteriorate from the date they are made whether they are being used or are in storage. Try to find the weight of the battery & compare it with other brands equivalents of the same size - cheaper can mean lighter due to less active material content (thinner lead grids & less plate material).

Nigel B.