Lithium Batteries - Part II

Hellgate said:
If you want to try one check these guys out. Great prices, $90 for an eight cell, I paid about $160 for mine in July.

I ordered a 4 cell for the R6, I'll move the eight cell battery to the FZ1. The 4 cell is all of 15oz.

So far the battery I bought in July is great. I just start the bike every two weeks for about 5 minutes. It's had no issues starting the bike at all.

LiFe Battery - LiFePo4 Lightweight Motorcycle ATV Battery - Alien Motion Purchase
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Thanks Pete! Damn good deal!
 
So besides the obvious weight savings, what kinds of advantages do you get from lithium batteries? What kind of special considerations do you have to make when making the switch?
 
The FAQ was useful, thanks. I am quite intrigued as I have modified my battery box to accommodate my GSX-R shock and now have limited space for a regular battery.

Comparing the specs to the OEM Yuasa, the only obvious difference I can see is a difference in 'capacity'. 2.2 for the AM4 and 9.5 for the Yuasa. I've still not been able to see what kind of effect this has in the real world though
 
Here's a few photos of the new batteries and how I blocked them with foam. On the R6 the seat pan is the "lid" of the battery box.

The funny part is finding the foam. I went to Cycle Gear and asked if they had any packing foam. Nope. Then Best Buy, "Huh, whaaaat?" Then Hobby Lobby, only floral foam. They recommend Jo Anne's Fabrics. Score! Grab block-o-foam head to the cash register. "Did you visit the cutting table? Do you have the yellow ticket?" :wtf: No I just want to pay for this, what do I owe you? "Go to the cutting table." Mean while I'm thinking that the foam can't be more that $.92. Well I find the cutting table and see the sign, "TAKE A NUMBER" 14 and they are on 7 ...faaaaakkkk... The Cutting Table is surrounded by about 10 fat 55 year old women with shopping carts full of fabric rolls...faaaaaakkkkk... I just want to buy the foam, and who the hell is at a fabric shop on a Friday a 6 pm??? Oh, me... After FW chats it up with the two cutting ladies who have to examine the fabric, measure to the millimeter, carefully cut it, neatly fold it, then stack as if it was bars of gold ....faaaaaaaakkkkk... One of the FW is chatting up and say, "Oh this if for the pant suit I'm making for my dog.".....FFFFFAAAAAAAAAKKKKKKKK!!!!! :wtf: Just let me pay for the freaking foam!!! Finally its my turn. "Hi, I'd like to buy this please." How much do you need? "This." As I point to the block of foam. "We sell it in 6 inch lengths." That's great, how much is this??? :wtf: "Well now lets' see, if I turn it this way its five inches, this way is 6 and a half." I'd like the whole thing. "Okay, well where is my scanner???" I've no idea... "Okay, here." Five seventy five??? Whatever, let me out of here... :shame:

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Just wokeup my wife I was laughing so hard. I mean sorry you had so much trouble finding the stuff. Great pics.

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I'm happy to report that the little four cell battery worked great. It cranked the bike right over in both cold start and very hot starts, no fuss, no muss.

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Pete (or anybody else!)

Resurrecting an old thread, since I'm thinking about getting a Lithium battery. How are you liking the Lithium battery you got?

I ride in the winter - temps below freezing on a regular basis. I have heated grips, a heated jacket liner, and charge my phone while riding. Should I be concerned with this setup?
 
Hey Clyde. For winter riding I would NOT recommend one, IF the battery is totally cold.

In Texas I had no problems at all during the winter. In Oklahoma, not so much...

That said it depends on 1) did you buy the correct size, 2) do you ride more than once a week, 3) do you ride more than 15 to 20 minutes per ride?

If you so you are probably okay...unless you are in a really cold place.

Also remember an LiFe battery needs to "warm up." In other words, turn bike on, let sit...crank starter for 5 seconds...stop...turn off...repeat 4 to 8 times. Once the battery has resistance and warms up you're good to go.

In my R6 I've gone back to a lead battery as it sits for a long time between starts. On the Tuono I've kept the Li battery as I ride it once or twice a week.

I've also noticed that Shorai batteries appear to be made much better than Alien or Ballistic. I don't know for sure, just an observation. My XV920R has a Shorai and that thing just cranks! Maybe I'm undersized on the R6 with a 4 cell???

Would I buy them again? Yes. But I would be the recommended size from Shorai. Not the cheapest, but you get what you pay for.

I hope this helps. :tup:
 
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I just wound up springing for a new battery for the YZF. The old one was the one I bought the bike with, so who knows how long it was sitting in there. I always go for Yuasa Batteries for all my bikes. I keep my bike on a tender after each ride and they have always lasted at least 6 years on every bike I've owned. They are a great battery.

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YZFRiderNY said:
I just wound up springing for a new battery for the YZF. The old one was the one I bought the bike with, so who knows how long it was sitting in there. I always go for Yuasa Batteries for all my bikes. I keep my bike on a tender after each ride and they have always lasted at least 6 years on every bike I've owned. They are a great battery.
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I've had great performance from Yuasa batteries, too. The secret is to keep them on a Tender, I put it on as soon as I roll the bike into the garage after a ride. It greatly extends the life of a battery....five or six years is usually the norm. M/C batteries are very small and won't tolerate much drop off from optimum state.
 
I don't put my bike on a tender, but I ride a lot (compared to most of my friends - 10K+ miles per year), including commuting almost daily to work when the weather is cooperative. My 2008 has the original battery in it. The reason for looking at a new battery this Winter is because I've noticed that when I'm riding with my liner and grips turned to high, the bike is having a little bit of trouble keeping my voltage indicator "in the green" - Am I on the wrong track here? I don't remember it having a hard time last Winter.

One thing that bugs me about the Shorai batteries is that they have reproduced the form factor for OEM batteries. I like the manufacturers who go with the smaller form factor and leave it up to the owner/installer to pack foam around the battery. It seems to me that this is space that could be used for other things (PC, Fuse Block, took kit, etc.). I'm sure it's a psychological marketing thing. The batteries are more expensive and for many consumers getting something smaller for more money doesn't compute.

With regard to "warming up" the battery: Would turning on the key, then flipping on my heated grips for a while (few seconds? minutes?) have the same effect as cranking the starter a few times? This seems SO counter intuitive!
 
My bike is an 08 I bring the battery in during the winter and put it on a tender every few weeks. (I cycle a couple batteries on and off). I just replaced the oem one this spring.
5 years is fine by me...
 
I use Shorai 14 on my FZ1. My bike stayed outside last night. Temp dropped to 31. There was ice on the seat this morning. When I hit the starter button the first time, it barely turned over. I then remembered what Shorai said about cold temps. I turned ignition on and left it on for about 3 minutes. Bike started up immediately after that.

So I'd say it's a bit of an inconvenience (have to wait a bit), but it shouldn't leave you stranded. I'm very happy with my purchase (going on about a year now, I think).
 
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