? Lithium Battery Long Term Report ?

[mikeysduck]

Can anyone report on the longevity of lithium moto batteries? How do they hold up after two, three, or more years? Any early adopters with war stories? I'm aware of the advantages of low weight, superior cranking power.

The draw for me is the cranking power, and long storage ability. The disadvantage is they don't like my fancy de-sulfating charger.

I've had great success with the lead acid. The best of these last up to 7 years, thanks Yuasa MF. Typically I get around 5 years, for a bike that mostly sits, and gets a recharge when I remember.

I have a failing Westco, about 3 years old. I don't think it's fair to judge Westco on this example. I had it on the bench for about a year with recharges every 3 to 4 months.

Can any one testify pro or con for the Bikemaster AGM Gel batteries? Longevity?

I did a quick search for an answer and came up empty. If you have a link, great!

[el profe]

I had a Ballistic that unfortunately already crapped out the day after I bought it. My fan temp switch kept my fan running all night outside a hotel in Bozeman and those batteries are supposedly toast after one full discharge. I jumped the bike to get me home, but upon reading of the batteries literally blowing up after being discharged and then recharged, I pulled it.

That was $150 paperweight I ended up with.

The battery was light and small, but I think a battery that can't withstand even one discharge shouldn't even be considered for a bike that you might ride into the middle of nowhere.

[beemerphile]

I had one that died early and one that is still OK after 18 months. Both were Shorai. The one that died pretty well cured me of them for a while. I am back to Odyssey.

[mikeysduck]

I purchased a Shorai yesterday. It was only a $45 difference, compared to the Yuasa, at the dealer. I put it in my FJR this morning. The FJR tends to sit, the draw of the clock may be an issue. Time will tell.

The Shorai's out of the box voltage depends on what VOM I use. My most expensive meter around $80 at Sears 8+ years ago, reads 13.08, the Harbor Freight reads 13.15.

Guess I'll have to ride The FJR more often.

[D.T.]

Shorai small case in my Vstrom. Battery was too small for the SV, but it works perfect in the DL650. About a year old and no issues! If you left the headlight on for an extended period of time that seems to kill em'.

[kubiak]

running a ballistic in my f650gs for the last 6 months and its been great so far. cranks way faster than my gel battery i had in it.

[Sutherngintelmen]

Here is a read on Shoria that is interesting.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=770364

[homeontherange]

I have the recommended size Shorai in my GSA…OK starts when warm, but walk by it with an ice cream cone and it won't turn even turn the bitch over… I reinstall the stock battery for the fall, winter, spring… Yeah, yeah, I've heard all the BS about drawing a load on the Shorai prior to attempting the start…doesn't help.

[dave186]

I have a Turn Tech 2.5ah in my KTM 525. It hates the cold as well. Yes, you can crank it till the battery warms but next time you stop its the same thing. For me the weight savings are worth it cause the bike has a kickstart too. In warm weather no issues at all.

[concours]

You read this, I assume? http://advrider.com/forums/showthrea...757934&page=18 Confirmed what common sense told me. RACING is a good application, the weight savings is key. Not usually in cold temps. The street driven motorcycle is NOT a good application, despite the Ricky Racer wannabees that shave ounces. The negatives FAR outweigh the benefits.

[kubiak]

Originally Posted by kubiak

running a ballistic in my f650gs for the last 6 months and its been great so far. cranks way faster than my gel battery i had in it.

still have my regular gel battery on the shelf ready to put back in if the ballistic battery goes bad.

[rogernm]

Bought two Shorai's in May 2011.

Put one in a F650GS (wifes bike)

Put one in my 1200GS.

The 1200 is ridden almost everyday year round. I use it to commute to work.

The 650 sometimes will sit for two or three weeks.

Both batteries are still working flawlessly. Neither battery has failed to start the bikes on the first crank.

[achtung3]

New Lithium "Speedcell" on my MV almost 8mo, seen to be ok for now but I was warned that it does not like to be kept in cold enviroment and it is better to keep in a warmer enviroment before starting the bike, Odessy for my R1150 suggested by my mechanic because it does not needs a special charger if it goes dead and not many garages have that the higher amp charger, and for the Odessy despite the weight and size it has a deep charge, took it to Ak on a 21 day journey June 2012, not complaints about it it seem to hold on to the charge pretty well.

[herrhelmet]

Originally Posted by el profe

I had a Ballistic that unfortunately already crapped out the day after I bought it. My fan temp switch kept my fan running all night outside a hotel in Bozeman and those batteries are supposedly toast after one full discharge. I jumped the bike to get me home, but upon reading of the batteries literally blowing up after being discharged and then recharged, I pulled it.

That was $150 paperweight I ended up with.

The battery was light and small, but I think a battery that can't withstand even one discharge shouldn't even be considered for a bike that you might ride into the middle of nowhere.

Lot's of misinformation about these batteries. These batteries can be brought back after a full discharge NO PROBLEM.
I've had one in my bike for almost 3 years, so you could say I'm an early adopter...

If you use a LiFeP04 balance charger plugged into the balance port on your battery, or simply contacted a tech person you would have been fine. People have made these pop by putting them on an old school car charger with no auto shut-off. The cells do not catch fire but they release energy by venting. If they are shorted or overcharged they can hiss.

It is new technology but with proper care they perform well. The new generation batteries will have cell balance protection so they won't need any special charge port.

[herrhelmet]

Originally Posted by homeontherange

I have the recommended size Shorai in my GSA…OK starts when warm, but walk by it with an ice cream cone and it won't turn even turn the bitch over… I reinstall the stock battery for the fall, winter, spring… Yeah, yeah, I've heard all the BS about drawing a load on the Shorai prior to attempting the start…doesn't help.

Pretty much all the manufacturers have been recommending undersized batteries and this has caused most of the customer dissatisfaction. When you factor in the high viscosity oil in your engine in cold weather it gets even worse. I'm selling the Earth X brand now which have a much closer spec comparison in terms of amp hours to OEM lead acid.

EDIT: Just to be safe I had a long conversation with my manufacturer. The other two brands mentioned use the chinese cell manufacturers imaginary Amp hour rating as the basis of their claims. Earth X uses SAE testing and is the true OEM replacement LifePO4 battery maker. Not just for racers to save weight. All weather all season.