Been looking to get a Lithium battery for most of my bikes.
problem is, Batteries Plus only has a limited selection.
So we are left with Amazon.
in looking for them, you need to check the dimensions of the battery to make sure it fits.
The Lithium's seem to have their own sizing standard.
Also you will find 2 different terminal type ones.
The standard ones which are screw on.
These batteries state the CCA on them and then an AH.
Of course, we do not need a CCA for our kick start bikes.
Most of these type have a Low AH rating
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079V1B82Y/?coliid=I32X2SU3C9GK8D&colid=28WAFIQE2RA1C&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079V1B82Y/?coliid=I32X2SU3C9GK8D&colid=28WAFIQE2RA1C&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it)
The other type has the spade connectors.Does not state the CCA, but has twice the AH rating at 6 AH
These batteries are also considerably cheaper, with BMS system
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09L1C6LCL/?coliid=I3I4MZDJ7WPZLD&colid=28WAFIQE2RA1C&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09L1C6LCL/?coliid=I3I4MZDJ7WPZLD&colid=28WAFIQE2RA1C&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it)
The thing to consider here is the Motorcycle charging this battery, and how it will affect it, since it is Lithium.
M
Get one of those sealed alarm batteries instead. They last for a very long time and you dont take the chance of the lithium going up in flames. Lithium batteries and 50nyear old charging systems dont always play well together.
There was a post a while back of somebody's lithium battery going up in flame while riding.
Ive used lithium batteries in the past. not worth the hassle to me, at all, or the risk, and i have seen one smoke up in person (not mine thankfully). its not pretty. I get between 5-8 years out of an alarm battery. :twocents:
Need to ensure the Lithium's have the BMS on them for protection.
I know when they first came out, they did not have this.
There are SLA's available as well.
Please post some links to the alarm batteries you guys have used.
M
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Lead-Acid-12-Volt-5-0-Ah-Black-Replacement-Battery-B-LA-12V-5-0A/306289896
why add all the complexity of a battery maintenance system etc? again, not worth it. I mean, if it was a boat or something i'd get it.
31 bucks on the high end. done. simple. no fire, no acid spills. smaller than stock so room for spare plugs in the battery box. Jus tmake a sub adapter from bullet to spade to avoid cutting harness on an rd. i usually just make a new ground wire from scratch.
I was a big fan of lithium batteries but do not have any now. Loved the light weight but had a couple start to swell and one got close to a meltdown which could have caused a fire. Now back to AGM batteries all round. IMHO unless you are looking to save a few ounces in weight they are not worth the risk.
for a good lithium ion, and battery maintenance system, you are almost half way cost wise to a new cdi..... that doesn't even need a battery. :twocents: on my lightweight bike i dont even have one in there. :olaf:
When my old Radio Shack batteries finally quit after almost 10 years I ordered a couple of these. Almost the same thing. Compact, durable, and work well. And they plugged right in because I already had pigtail adapters installed with F1 connectors (to avoid modifying the OEM harness).
ML5-12 - 12 Volt 5 AH Rechargeable SLA Battery - Mighty Max Battery Brand Product
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B079ZCJYP3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1
Mighty Max also makes motorcycle-specific SLA and AGM batteries. See their Amazon store for options.
A similar option is Casil brand (https://smile.amazon.com/Casil-CA1240-Genuine-Alarm-Battery/dp/B004QC8WZI/ref=sr_1_3?crid=38KJ6MR1JZJ15&keywords=casil+battery&qid=1655307585&s=electronics&sprefix=casil+battery%2Celectronics%2C750&sr=1-3), which I have also used and seems to be very similar.
I love the light weight of lithium batteries and with a modern regulator/rectifier, they should be safe, but the weight saving in real terms is miniscule. So I use AGM batteries on almost everything now.
Big thumbs up for Mighty Max batteries. Great price and so far reliable.
I use this battery on my RD350. Well, I have an older version that is about 1/3 larger with the same capacity. I am on year 5 with it.
https://hobbyking.com/en_us/turnigy-5200mah-2s-30c-hard-case-car-lipo-pack-roar-approved-1.html?queryID=8d1ab15a19249e971867f5024a7688c5&objectID=76002&indexName=hbk_live_products_analytics
It doesn't have any onboard management, I do have a charger that will balance the cells. I do that like twice a year, but the cells have never been out of balance. I have used a similar style battery that was half the size as well, just don't leave your lights or ignition on for long, especially with an excited field alternator.
In the long run an alarm battery is probably the better solution. As mentioned, the weight savings are marginal and the risks are certainly there with this type of battery. However, it can be done safely. For a while I ran a low voltage cutoff to save the battery from being drawn down too far, which they don't particularly like. However, once I got my charging system all ironed out, carbs in good tune, it works beautifully and it has for years. I made my own regulator, but used the windmill rectifier (solid state) solution that was on the old forum (not sure if that ever got moved here). All is good, the motorcycle will probably kill me before the battery does.
You use a 2S (2 cell, 7v) battery or a similar one with 3S or 4S? I use 4S on my drag bikes because I can use all 14-18 or so volts to drive the ignition and shifter and data collection.
I didn't pay enough attention with that link, that is not the battery I use. I use 12V, well actually 14V. Which may explain the size difference on the pack.
As long as the bike is running the battery is no issue. If I sit there, engine off, with the field excited that's when I get in trouble. My data aqcuisition, lights, etc. will work for a long time on the battery.
I am working on getting the HPI ignition installed, not sure how that will work.
I'm running the same Mighty Max 5ah SLA battery on my RD. It fits perfectly in the tunnel of my tank just in front of the seat pan.
I have run a ton of LiFePO4 batteries and several other metal oxide batteries. Battery Tender has become my go-to on the LiFePO4. Their built-in BMS has a reset option which saves the battery from death. Their prices seem to be the most competitive. I've had the worst luck with the Shorai LiFePO4 batteries. Not saying it's a Shorai problem, but I've killed 4. Take from that what you will. I have killed zero Battery Tender LiFePO4 batteries and one starts a 1977 BMW R100/7 every day. Those bikes basically run off a car battery. I also race 3kW and 5kW electrathon cars. The 3kW car runs on lead acid and the 5kW car runs on Li-ion. The Li-ion holds up really well, and the nature of the racing puts them through a lot.
Battery technology is going through a revolution of sorts. We have to be mindful of our resources for information and we especially have to pay attention to the dates of articles and posts. Most of the information that pops into threads like this is often outdated. Li-ion batteries today are so much more advanced and reliable than even 5 years ago.
aside from weight, what's the benefit over an agm or sla that lasts 8-10 years? (not on a charger either). Im serious, i have never seen that point made.
If you have ever seen a lithium battery burn, then just imagine that happening right below you nuts on a busy highway.
AGM more better.
I will say, the WPS Li battery on my KTM has worked great, but the Ballistic and Antigravity brand Li batteries I've had shorted out and failed in short order.
I won't waste money on another.
We have had some pretty bad luck with the Antigravity batteries in various race cars. One of which resulted in a fire though nothing was particularly damaged asides from the battery itself. Racecars tend to use lightweight starters that barely start the car on a good charge, then you pull massive amperage from the battery especially if the engine is hot and tough to start. You're firing injectors, running a fuel pump, data acquisition, potentially a fan or a compressor for pneumatic shift. It's a recipe for disaster because these modern batteries will deliver huge amperage instantaneously.
Part of the reason I don't mind the LiPo in my RD is that it is kickstart only. If it were electric start I'd go for a traditional battery. As is, there is no opportunity to draw the battery down in a nearly instant fashion, meaning you are pretty unlikely to blow it up. Though failures do happen. Should a short occur I suppose it could be bad, but my wiring harness is in good shape and well sorted.
This thing went off like a Roman Candle on my bench when I charged it at too high a rate.
(https://i.ibb.co/MfXNY0p/batteryburn.jpg)
EDIT: fixed link format
We call them spicy pillows because when the soft packs go they really get spicy.
Having the right tools and practices are definitely required for modern chemistry batteries. They certainly should be treated with respect.