Lithium batteries

C

coyo

Well-known member
Site Supporter
A combination of being 4 years old and insurance requirements of having an alarm installed (which due to my forgetting to plug the bike in a few times, killed the battery at least twice last year) have resulted in a very weak battery in my Superduke.

The OEM Yuasa YTZ14S is anywhere from $150-190 depending on where it's listed.
A Powersonic replacement from GNB Systems (aka ACME Battery... no, I'm not making that up) in Hamilton is $99

But then I wonder about the lithium batteries available. There seems to be quite a mixed bag of reviews on them and the cost is substantial, especially if you factor in the cost of a charger as my Optimate (which desulphates) is apparently not able to be used.

Any opinions from those that use them or who are in the know?
 
Just bought a brand new yuasa battery from saskbattery. They offer free shipping in Canada and they were $40 cheaper than anyone else. Just google their name and it will come up.
 
Pete's Superbike has Yuasa batteries at pretty good prices too. Lithium won't help you much if the alarm is going to drain the battery, it's still going to die. Whether or not it can be recovered has been the subject of debate. Certainly it reduces the life span, and "deep cycling" like that is not good for a lithium battery.
 
skapan said:
Pete's Superbike has Yuasa batteries at pretty good prices too. Lithium won't help you much if the alarm is going to drain the battery, it's still going to die. Whether or not it can be recovered has been the subject of debate. Certainly it reduces the life span, and "deep cycling" like that is not good for a lithium battery.
Click to expand...

One of my concerns is what happens when I forget to plug the bike in. I've read of big problems if lithium goes below a certain charge.
 
coyo said:
One of my concerns is what happens when I forget to plug the bike in. I've read of big problems if lithium goes below a certain charge.
Click to expand...
I have a friend that parks underground in a condo with no power outlet available and uses a Shorai lithium battery and it runs his alarm for a long time. He did a runtime test and after 5 weeks their alarm lost power, turn the key on the bike, nothing, completely dead. Plugged it into his battery tender Jr, charged it up, works perfect still. I'm not sure if they have some type of deep discharge protection built into the batteries but I would have to assume so. Talk to Glen at Flying Squirrel for the best deal on Shorai.

They are a little funny in the cold.

-Jamie M.
 
If you discharge a LiFePo battery below a certain threshold, you will "brick" it.

Not good in an application with a constant load that could drain it down (alarm systems are notorious). But in an application that does not have constant loads like that - digital clocks etc draw so little current that they don't count - the whole idea is that you will not need a dedicated charger because they are much better at holding a charge (the self-discharge rate is very low).

Also, make sure the charging system in your bike charges at 14.4 volts or very close to it. Older charging systems designed for flooded lead acid often have a lower charging voltage (13-low-something) that is insufficient to maintain charge on a LiFePo battery - and it will "brick". Been there ...

I have a Shorai battery in my track bike. I retrofitted a modern voltage regulator that gives a sufficient charging voltage to replace the POS OEM regulator that's designed for flooded lead acid. I just bought a Ballistic battery for my ZX10R, which already has a modern regulator.
 
Thanks for all of the input. I'm not sold on the increased cost of the lithium, a new charger (mine is an Optimate that desulphates) and the risks of bricking it.

The weight savings is substantial, however not as critical for me as the battery is located directly behind the front wheel on my bike; it couldn't be lower unless it was IN the wheel.

That said, I've not made my decision yet but I'm leaning towards the $99 Powersonic.
 
Who in the GTA has the best prices on Shorai and chargers ?
 
pfbmgd said:
Who in the GTA has the best prices on Shorai and chargers ?
Click to expand...
Glen at Flying Squirrel. Sometimes Royal has the battery tender Jr. on sale if you're looking for the generic charger for them.

-Jamie M.
 
coyo said:
That said, I've not made my decision yet but I'm leaning towards the $99 Powersonic.
Click to expand...

And... the Powersonic is not happening; 145 CCA vs the 230 CCA of the Yuasa. Not good for turning over a litre twin. Either time to fall off my wallet for the Yuasa or dive off my wallet into the world of lithium, sigh.




EDIT:
Decision made; staying with old reliable. Was just about to hit SUBMIT on Pete's site as he had the best price around for the Yuasa YTZ14S and remembered that Bluestreak Racing doesn't have all of their products on their site so I made a quick phone call and without me telling him Pete's price, he was $9 cheaper. Ordered. Should be here ~Tuesday.

Again, thanks for the above input.
 
Last edited:
coyo said:
and remembered that Bluestreak Racing doesn't have all of their products on their site
Click to expand...
His site sucks donkey balls, especially the search feature. Often I forget to call him before I click the "submit" button. Last time I sent him an e-mail and he was a little late getting back to me, so I had ordered the products elsewhere (what I THOUGHT was a good deal :(). Bluestreak rocks.

-Jamie M.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom