Small battery options?

[rodneya]

I charged it at too high a rate for just a few minutes and got the crap scared out of me. The flames, smoke, and fumes were just crazy, like fireworks.

Even crazier if it was to go thermonuclear right under you nuts.
Ill stick to my 3ah (2.8lb) alarm battery.

[snorkelfork]

I'm pretty sure that Ballistic Batteries are/were not LiFePO4, maybe NiCad, way more volatile. A cascading meltdown in a LiFePO4 will smolder but shouldn't catch fire. I presume this is in part why Ballistic folded, that coupled with no campaign to educate the public about charge tollerances.

[m in sc]

they had extensive directions with them, i had run a few in the past on other bikes. Just really not worth the potential of mayhem or, in some cases, cost, to save a lb or 2. There's other ways to achieve that weight savings especially on a vintage bike. Heck, some of the ducatis and triumphs would get a 'no start' from li-ion batteries , known issue due to the wave form not being recognized by the ecu. Saw that 1st hand 2x. IF i were to run one, it would be on a modern bike with a more stable charging system. even then... meh.

[snorkelfork]

The only reason at all that I see for a Li battery is if you are using one of the Antigravity small case or something similar in a situation where you absolutely have to have the smallest battery with the most CCA possible.

And on a kickstart the only bike, I see little benefit at all.

[sav0r]

For my bike it fits in the space that I had where an alarm battery wouldn't. Nice!

In race cars we've be able to reduce the battery weight by some 20lbs using a modern chemistry batteries. That's absolutely huge in racing terms. On bikes, yes it's a much smaller reduction, but it's also a dirt cheap weight reduction. I paid close to same for my battery as everybody else pays for their alarm batteries (actually it's $5 cheaper than the alarm battery in my wifes RD125), but my battery is 2lbs lighter. Try that with carbon fiber or Ti. To save 2lbs with either of those options would cost hundreds if not thousands. Wheels, brakes, pipes? All of those pound for pound of savings are likely more expensive too.

So in summary, you old codgers can codger, i'll be over here trying to blow my nuts off. I've been promising my wife a vasectomy anyways.

[1976RD400C]

Having a body weight of 145 rather than 210 helps when it comes to racing too.   

[m in sc]

old codger here. 243 lbs street legal, no battery. 

burned bikes dont run well. just saying. 

[quocle603]

I had one of those ballistic batteries, I even bought a special charger (Authentic Skymax) for it. Thing was junk in the matter of a month. Wasted 50 dollars.

[rodneya]

Just make your motor put out more power, then the extra 2lb battery, or even 243lb rider wont matter.

[m in sc]

i'm not 243 lbs just to be clear!  (the bike is). 

[SoCal250]

i'm not 243 lbs just to be clear!

LOL, thought you have suffered a lockdown weight gain

[quocle603]

Just found out this morning the small 12v 8ah alarm battery fits inside the battery slot perfectly for a Suzuki T500 and it also has room for storage on top of the battery if you were to put a small partition in there. It's a cheaper option than getting a stock battery size.

[m in sc]

just pick up some of the smaller blade terminals.