[Smiley]

I seem to remember a time when lead-acid bike batteries were doing good to last two years.

A friend had an old Low Rider that shook so badly it destroyed a battery every year. Expensive ride.

 

[voyajer73]

Dumb question, but since a lithium battery specific charger is required, what effect does the motorcycle's charging system, which is designed for a lead acid type have on the battery? What makes the stator compatible but not my standard trickle charger?

I am also interested in this question. After all, the charging mode of LiIon and LiPo batteries is very different from the charging mode of classic (lead-acid) batteries. And the incorrect mode can cause the destruction of the battery. In addition, LiIon/LiPo batteries are highly flammable!
Or maybe it's a LiFePO4 type battery?

 

[Artvarck]

Worth a read: Lithium Motorcycle Batteries: Myths VS Realities - Updated | Motorcycle.com

 

[PaddyD]

I am also interested in this question. After all, the charging mode of LiIon and LiPo batteries is very different from the charging mode of classic (lead-acid) batteries. And the incorrect mode can cause the destruction of the battery. In addition, LiIon/LiPo batteries are highly flammable!
Or maybe it's a LiFePO4 type battery?

From what I've been told, as long as your charger does not have a desulfation pulse mode it is ok.

 

[jaaklucas]

Coming from years of Ebikes Im surprised that there is any L-ion battery that does not have a built in BMS. Cheap simple circuit that manages all the limits of the cell pack.

 

[PaddyD]

A friend had an old Low Rider that shook so badly it destroyed a battery every year. Expensive ride.

I had a sportster that did that. Shook the plates loose and shorted cells inside. Junk

 

[onewizard]

I am also interested in this question. After all, the charging mode of LiIon and LiPo batteries is very different from the charging mode of classic (lead-acid) batteries. And the incorrect mode can cause the destruction of the battery. In addition, LiIon/LiPo batteries are highly flammable!
Or maybe it's a LiFePO4 type battery?

I just replaced my AGM glass matt battery with another Yuasa OEM. I live in Ontario Canada, my garage never goes below freezing unless the garage door was left open accidently.
So the cost and possible charging issues has steered me away from lithium. Here are several posts by me, be aware, the biggest issue is TIME TO CHARGE, your stator may output 21 amp, your lithium battery controls the rate of charge.

Battery Recharge issues

I posted about having issues with my spark plugs, but now that I'm confident that problem is solved, onto my bikes other issue. Should probably be noted, because of the two wrecks stated below, I decided to streetfighter my Versys since I wanted to preserve the remaining OEM parts, and...

www.kawasakiversys.com

Lithium Ion Batteries

These things keep getting cheaper. Has anyone tried one on their Versys? The appeal of 66% less weight, especially weight up high is appealing. Advantages/disadvantages? My main area of concern is do I need to buy a new battery charger or will my old lead/acid trickle charger work OK? Lithium...

www.kawasakiversys.com

LiIon battery

Hello everyone! I know there was already several threads about this topic, but they are quite old and I didn't find any covering one more question, but lets do it step by step. Please keep it constructive 0:) First of all - what is overall opinion about LiIon mostly LiPo batteries, now in...

www.kawasakiversys.com

 

[fasteddiecopeman]

When I was flying for a living, I read articles about "thermal-runaways" where the Li battery would start burning, and just get hotter. Thus = "thermal-runaways".

I've NEVER wanted anything like that on stuff I own...!

 

[onewizard]

A short explanation why AGM (
What is an AGM battery ? AGM means absorbent glass mat_) is superior to lithium strictly on gas powered motorcycles. My lithium Dewalt batteries are simply awesome!

Consider being in stop and go traffic, Kawasaki recommends turning the bike off during extended idling. First at 1500 RPM with the FAN running, the stator / regulator is not able to keep up, depending if you have LED headlights or not, you could be around 12.9 VDC or less with regular 55 watt headlights at idle. I have been in stop and go traffic, when possible I have shut the bike down and coasted where possible, even bump started while coasting to save power.
Many lithium batteries have a amp hour rating and cold cranking amp rating that claims to be much greater than AGM--detailed testing by others proves lithium, in many cases, less than OEM specs.
Our OEM battery ;
YTX12-BS AGM YUASA BATTERY Rated@ 10AH and 180A CCA -First be aware our starter draws roughly 50 amp at 11.2 to 11.9 VDC -the battery has a rating 3 times to what is actually needed to start the bike.
One distinct advantage of lithium, is they output full voltage to the very end of amp hour rating , AGM really only gives say 6 AH, out of the 10 amp hour rating at a usefull voltage, roughly above 8 VDC! ( Polaris series regulator requires roughly 7 to 8 VDC to fire the SCR's, anything less and no DC output at any RPM)
So what is the difference? AGM batteries will accept a charge rate in excess of 15 amp, Lithium batteries have a charge controller and are much lower charge current.
Several things to note when comparing power tool batteries, note if you used a high current tool and it just died, placing the battery in a charger, typically the charger will indicate the battery is too hot to charge.
Consider our motor is directly below the battery,producing heat-which could affect charge current allowed on a lithium battery. A lithium battery may output the same starter current needed, but repeated starts may leave you without enough power to restart ( amp hour rating--note below about the shorai at Fortnine rated at 19 AH-almost double the AGM), boosting may start the bike, but it may take over a hour or more, to be possible to have enough charge to restart.
A AGM battery generally will have enough power to restart in about 20 minutes( provided your charging system is working)

So if you have money and do long distance riding, buy a lithium battery, you may be disappointed when it fails and can't be recharged, look closely at the fine print about warranty.
I just checked
Shorai LFX Lithium Battery
LFX19A4-BS12 listed as 19AH $286 Canadian fitting the Versys, more than double what a new AGM battery just cost me!




Batteries/ TESTING USING STARTER / Life related Shunt...

 

[fasteddiecopeman]

Thanks for that informative 'lecture', Glen.

 

[jaaklucas]

I agree that its overkill maybe to use a L-ion battery for an ICE motor at twice the cost. But I think the fact that they last twice as long as a lead-acid will make them the norm in the future.

 

[TowerMan]

 

[onewizard]

I love Fortnine- the fact that he showed the lithium as the one taking the longest time to recharge and also the fact that Amp Hour on the example used was actually 3 AH. In my post #29 above I missed the prime reason for not using in ICE engines. Consider a cell phone, no matter if your USB outlet has a 2 amp; 3amp or greater capacity, when you plug your phone in, it gives exact time required to recharge. However we all know that while on the phone we can always plug it in to talk- the internal battery will output maximum power if demanded, it is the charge time, also for myself, a concern about charging when the temperature goes below 0'C , as stated in the video above, a longer time to charge.
One last fact, the battery is only there for two purposes, to start the ICE motor and to supplement power when the stator output is below demand. Which is why the regulator DC output, is connected to the main fuse/ DC fusing and not directly to the battery, as what some do, incorrectly, when converting to different regulators.

Note, I listed the Shori battery in post #29, out of stock at Fortnine and the only recommended/ approved lithium battery for the Versys 650.
LFX19A4-BS12 listed as 19AH $286 Canadian fitting the Versys

 

[onewizard]

I agree that its overkill maybe to use a L-ion battery for an ICE motor at twice the cost. But I think the fact that they last twice as long as a lead-acid will make them the norm in the future.

Another big issue is disposal / recycling-presently not much available in Ontario-I can take it to hazardous waste-
No question, if the price was closer to $170 I would consider it. My AGM battery for my 2015 Versys, this is my first replacement- YES I should have replaced it in 2022, but added distilled water-so 7 plus years! This OEM maintains at 12.7VDC, however capacity is about 55% to 60% AH, I also suspect I may have broken plates.