If you are the sort of bloke who likes making stuff and can operate a soldering iron you can make your own. I bought some lithium iron phosphate cells from an EV supplier, soldered them together and wrapped them up in a protective cover. A year on it's still going fine.
What size was that AGM battery they quoted you on? I bought another AGM from MikesXS, & so far so good [one year], as long that voltmeter stays in the green! found after having an AGM, the lead acid just doesn't cut it for cranking the old XS' over with 'electric leg', I know - they sound like grandad's old valiant but beats the shit out of kicking Cheers Baza
I've got an idea for a new-style battery I thought I'd run past you blokes, see what you think. 1. It's really heavy, about 4 times more than it needs to be. 2. It contains a really toxic chemical, will peel your skin off, burn out your eyes in seconds, and will turn your local creek into a dead-zone within seconds. 3. When in use it vents extremely volatile gasses........directly over high-amp electrical switches and spark sources. 4. It needs constant re-charging if left un-used for over a month or two. 5. If re-charged (see above......) in an enclosed space it can then cause a big boom.......unless you don't let the gasses vent by leaving the caps on, then it just explodes by itself. 6. It will need replacing every 2 or 3 years, with yet more really toxic chemicals. All sounds pretty good to me. I rekn I'm on a winner..........
What's changed sounds like your standard battery, does it come in fluro green, that could be a winner.
Next we'll start to think that sitting in front of over 10litres of highly volatile explosive is a bad idea. I've had some experience with lifepo4 and found that although lots come with dodgy packaging like shrink wrap, they need to be treated with the same amount of respect. Sure they can't catch fire or explode in our use, and they look like a large set of AA's doesn't mean they can be flung around like em. This thread has some invaluable info so if you want to go down this route its a good idea to read it. One brand doesn't produce the same result than the other. Bit of a summary though. Waterproofing is important which cuts a lot of them out. They don't need balancing chargers if you can supply them, with over 14v charging current. They actually like small amounts of discharge/ load when not in use. It extends their lifespan. Think charging your camera overnight, brilliant for adventure riding. http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=770364
I bought a Shorai Lithium battery from OS , there was no aussie dealer then , had it a a year or so , it has spent most of that time in the shed . still starts the SE better than anything else has . Next battery purchase I will buy another Shorai , no thought needed . It weighs about 1/3 of the std battery and cost is about the same as a quality lead acid battery ( Yuasa ) . cheers Alan
Apologies as this does not concern Lithium batts. I bought a Motobatt to replace the Yuasa originally supplied with my KTM 690. The Yuasa lasted almost 2 years before being considered cactus. Once taken off the shelf and given a chance to take a decent charge , the new Motobatt cranks like a demon . Far better than the OEM battery. :d $85
+1 on the Motobatt - they are a sealed battery, hold a lot of power, and still work perfectly in everything I have fitted them to. My local dealer stocks nothing else, and claims never to have had a warranty claim on one. They dont claim huge CCAs, 20% more than a Yuasa, but they deliver it at a full 12.6 volts, and keep on delivering it for a lot of attempts.There are a few good comparison test out there, but the beat the Oddesy hands down at less than half the price. The small BMW size, the 51314 ? starts all my 1000cc bikes perfectly, and is around half the weight of the larger OEM battery fitted to most airheads. There can be problems fitting L ion batteries to older bikes. Euromotoelectrics in the USA notes in his item descriptions if he has had them fail when used in conjunction with L ion batteries, and quite a few have.
Looking very closely at this: eBay Antigravity Lithium Battery. Supplier is in Minto, Sydney. Not cheap, but nothing ever good is... From my limited research Antigravity appears to be one of the better Li batteries Just working out some details like warranty etc viz
Have a look at that thread I linked before on the test result of that brand in particular and tell me if you still would.
I've tested mine myself , don't really care what someone else thinks or doesn't think , It has survived a dunking in the Maquarie river ( fully submerged ) and a couple of -3 or -4 degree starts on consecetive mornings after being left out in the frost all night . So yes I'd buy another .
Brother has put Shorai in VFR400 I have put Ballistic in VFR800 Both seen ok, bought out of the USA under 10 days delivery. Ballistic has better terminal /stronger connection. My Ballistic failed within several weeks. I emailed the company and they replaced it. Service was very good. Bought around September last year so early days yet, But I would buy again as the bike just cranks over so quickly and fires right up. :)
There's a shorai dealer in Oz , they are cheaper to buy of them than out of the US. And you get warranty
Quick search found this http://www.shoraipower.com/t-shorai-dealers.aspx Or his actual site http://www.shoraipower.com.au/ This is the bloke I got mine from about 12 months ago. I am very happy with mine so far but still early days though
Good site, but $365- for the battery and another $110- for the charger ( to replace my Optimate) is a expensive way to save around three pounds, compared to the $110- Motobatt 51914.
There is an interesting thread about Lithium batteries here http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=770364 Some one with real knowledge and doing some good testing. He doesn't like the shorai and thinks their marketing contains a fair bit of bullshit. Educational if you want to learn about batteries.