Shorai LFX18A1-BS12 and Water Exposure?

I just installed a Shorai LFX18A1-BS12 ultra lightweight high performance battery in my 990 Adventure R and it's working fine, but I just learned that this battery is not waterproof and I do 2-3 week rides through tons of mud, dirt and sand including deep water crossings. I'm concerned that this battery is going to shit the bed on me in the middle of nowhere hundreds of miles from the nearest motorcycle shop. Is there any way to waterproof this thing by sealing it with silicone or has anyone else used this battery on their adventure and beat the snot out of it through many water crossings? I'm thinking of putting the OEM Yuasa battery back in and selling this. Any thoughts?

J,
You may want to give Craig from CJ a call for his exp. He's had one in his for 2yrs or so and sure he doesn't shy away from water up there.

Also maybe give Shorai a call, they've always been helpful with questions.

If water enters the battery you will have problems.


The best solution is to buy a battery which doesn't have
such a vulnerability. Rather than suggest a particular brand
( this might imply bias on my part ) I will just say that if you
are riding off the beaten path you owe it to yourself to use a
different battery which is not going to be damaged if you
submerge it in water.


And then there is the issue of Shorai batteries not having
internal electronics which allow for balanced charging via
the bike's charging system. This is a design deficiency of the
first order. Other batteries have better designs.


I bought one Shorai but I'll never buy another, for the reasons I
outlined above. Shorai is ( like the BMW GS ) a triumph of
marketing BS over substance, but sooner or later the truth
comes out. And that is why some of us ride a KTM and some
of us use a battery which is not a Shorai.


.

Yeah, those two sources could not possibly be biased
or have an agenda which has something to do with selling
Shorai batteries. Surely they will give you only accurate
info on whether a Shorai is going to be reliable, after all
they don't have anything to lose by telling you that a Shorai
will have problems, right ?






.

Where did you hear that Shorai batteries aren't waterproof? Just wondering. I have used a shorai battery in my dirt bike for over a year. Rain, mud, dust, whatever.... I've never had an issue.

Thanks guys. I'm going to put the factory Yuasa YTZ14S battery back in the bike as I can't afford to get stranded on a long adventure ride in BFE and ruin a trip over a battery that is susceptible to water damage. My fault for not doing the research first. I do like the idea of saving 7 lbs. and I would run this battery in a sportbike all day long, but not feeling optimistic about it on the 990, especially where the battery sits down low behind the front tire. I read in a few forum threads that it is not waterproof and you can tell just by looking at it that it won't keep water out. there's an electronic interface on the side to plug in the Shorai charger which I cannot imagine is waterproof. Will post the battery and charger up for sale soon. Thanks.

Ive never heard of one failing due to water intrusion. Have You?

Not firsthand, but I don't want to find out the hard way. Maybe I'll ask Craig to see what he thinks. I could seal the thing with silicone, but then the warranty would be void. Decisions...

Bias? Please point us to the technical information that illustrates the design deficiencies you are describing. I'm interested to learn more.

I pulled the Shorai battery out of the 990 tonight and sealed all of the seams with clear silicone including around the terminals and interface connector port. It should be essentially water tight now. I didn't want to sacrifice the weight savings. Will see how long it lasts...

Aren't only LiPo-Batteries, not LiFe-s.thing like the Shorai vulnerable. I have two in my 250EXc and my 990 and never (1 year) experienced any problems, the 990 surely got water in the box (River crossing), while the 250 only got wet from sprayed water.

The Shorai just won't start my 950 in the cold. Period. For a long time, it would work on the third try, but that became harder and harder over time. Now the battery won't take a charge, so it's done. I was planning on charging the Shorai and carrying it in luggage as a backup because they are supposed to hold a charge forever. But now, it's headed for the landfill. I'm going to try the Interstate battery for a change, and I don't think I'll go down this path again until the technology is better.

Darkryder,

I had my Shorai in when we went across deep water crossing in Wyoming (remember forever west 2011) with no issues. Was in torrential downpours in Pacific Northwest when we thought the bikes were going to float away.
Battery has been completely soaked or underwater (since it sits so low on the 950) many times with no issues so far.

MZ

I have a pair of them and have never had an issue with them at all. There is the quirk about not liking the cold after they have been sitting but after powering the headlight or the starter for 20 seconds they come to life. I am a believer in them

I have one as well and have had no issues. Actually, I killed one by leaving the key on all night then charging it with the wrong charger. I spoke to Shoria and told them what I did and they sent me a new and improved model free as long as I sent the bad battery back in the per paid box they sent. Outstanding service. Do actual research instead of spreading rumors on the Internet.

Was this directed at me? I've done my research and I'm not spreading any rumors, I was simply asking if others had experience with submerging these batteries. The fact is the Shorai batteries are not watertight and there are several areas around the case where water can penetrate. I sealed my Shorai with silicone and we'll see how it does. I'm hoping to get at least a couple of years of hard adventure riding out of it. Loving the weight savings and it cranks the 990 with authority.

This is what I was waiting to hear...

Yes, I was addressing your statements. Too many times I read statements like this on forums. Did the battery fail on you because it wasn't waterproof or do you "imagine" by looking at it it will fail? Did you come to these findings by getting information from someone first hand that had a failure or did you have this failure yourself?

I am not trying to start an argument with you just making my own statement.

I would like to know as well if others are having problems with water getting in these. I have had one of mine completely submerged many times during one trip, once for as long as 20 minutes going up a stream and didn't have any problems. Maybe I was lucky but I did have the option of a kick starter. On my 800XC I don't have that luxury and would be concerned if I was told of first hand experiences about failures. I bought my first Shorai from ELS in Phoenix. The owner did extensive testing on the issue of cold starting. Froze batteries while taking voltage readings, a control bike for starting tests ect.

From my own first hand experience, I have had no issues with water and Shorai batteries. I have had no issues with cold starting in temps as low as 4 degrees. I do not like how quickly the battery will go from full volts to flat with out much warning. I was setting up my camp site and needed my motorcycle headlight, it lasted about 20 minutes. I was expecting to start my bike to charge the battery when I saw the headlight dimming but it went from full brightness to out within seconds and the bike would not start but luckily my Beemer friend had some built in jumpers on his bike.

I would like to hear about more actual experiences with these batteries. I often choose to spend my money based on others experiences and not manufacturers claims or someone's hearsay opinions. This place can be a wonderful resource networking a huge amount of information but the flip side can pass along in accurate info, I guess reader beware...Mike

No, the battery is brand new and has never failed on me. I was looking for first hand experience from others who have taken their Shorai batteries through water crossings. I'm not as concerned with the battery now that it's sealed with silicone, but only time will tell if it can withstand mud, water, vibration, temperatures, and heavy amp draw from the big 990 with accessories. Based on your and Zeegman's feedback, I'm confident the Shorai should be OK long-term. If I can get 3 years of abuse out of it, that will be acceptable to me.

IMO, Shorai should release a sealed "ruggedized" version of their batteries for powersports applications. Maybe they will in the next few years...

DARKRYDER, you seem to be certain in your opinion that Shorai batteries aren't sealed at all. Where did you find your conclusive, solid information proving that this is true, other than eyeballing it from the outside? I tend to agree with Mikehusa here that you are claiming things that have not been proven and are unfounded. I did a a fairly extensive Google search just now and could not find any reputable source stating that Shorai batteries are not sealed and/or are susceptible to water penetration. You can't just eyeball a battery from the outside and say "nope it's not sealed" or "water will penetrate it". It doesn't work like that. There could easily be rubber o-ring or silicone sealing from the factory that is hidden from the naked eye, even around the charging plug. As I've said before, I've trudged my Shorai through water, rain, mud, dust, vibration, etc, etc, etc.... no issues whatsoever. Not to be a d*%#, but please stop spreading misinformation. Thanks.