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Thoughts on batteries, AGM vs Lithium, etc.

14K views 19 replies 18 participants last post by  Islandheli 
#1 ·
So, are the newer lithium batteries worth the extra money? I see the stock Yuasa for about $60-$70 while some lithium batteries are down to the $70-$80 price range. I live in SoCal so harsh winters aren't an issue and I've never really had any issues with conventional batteries but the marketing blather claims longer service life for Lithium batteries (more cycles).

Thoughts? Real work experience? Knowledgeless blather?
 
#2 ·
Two words:
Lead
Acid

You know it works.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Pluses and minuses. I use mainly Lithium batteries so I will go to one if the LA fails. It weighs over 5 lbs. less and is smaller. The latest Li do have to be "woke up" in very cold climates. No big deal once you understand them. They do need to add a safeguard to prevent over-discharging the Li (and causing permanent damage) if they have not yet. Very little discharge sitting over time.

 
#5 ·
Got my 011 650 new in 012 for the DeadHorse trip.It sat for seven months with a bad hub but did start it around every two weeks.It has over 55,000 now.Worse thing was sator going out but was near the dealer and made it to front door but not enough juice to even make a racket.It blew a fuse from a bad wire to a added plug in another time and ran flat but battery came back and never failed other than those two power draws.Even in single temps as I ride all year.The only other bike with more miles was my 01 1500 Nomad that had the factory one at over 82,000 miles with o times not starting even with more single temps starts from a unheated barn on it all so.But this was in less than four years were as the 650 is a 011 with same one still on it.My Harleys went through more and my big RoadStars seem about the same as three years about it.
Most all my bikes will not set over two days even when I have four up and going. I think no use is the hard thing .Have never bought a tender and never jumped the 650 or the Nomad .I think they are getting better and in a few years we may see them half the size and even longer life I hope .
 
#6 ·
Lithium for me in the tropics ...I used to go through a lead acid every year.
But LA in Ontario - I get 4 year or more from a $80 battery ....
Shorai has a 3 year warranty the cranking is amazing but the price is high and you can destroy them.
 
#7 ·
I fitted a (SSB) Lithium into my MT09/FZ09, here in OZ a AGM would have cost half the price.

The LI had 12 months warranty and it lasted 16 months :furious:

But the worst part was when the battery failed the bike would not run properly, it coughed and spluttered and would continually stall, I ended up having to trailer the bike home.

The battery is like a big sponge and it absorbs electrical spikes so ridding with a bad battery is never a good idea but when my LI failed it was unable to absorb anything, a lead battery would have done a better job of getting me home so no LI's for me anymore. :fineprint:

PS; I have a LI in my WR450f that is 14 months old and works well at this point in time.
 
#8 ·
I'm still running the original battery in my 2010 DL650 but lately there is usually a hesitation when I first push the button. My very old meter showed 16 volts which I doubt. I think I should throw it away.

Best to change the battery before it lets me down so do you think I should just buy another Yuasa YTX12-BS or try one of these new lithium's? I'm thinking of longer life in a hot environment. Surely a 12 volt battery is a 12 volt battery and any 12 volt motorcycle battery that fits in the existing box will work - so why are there so many of the damn things? I've also found that for some reason the original battery often lasts longer than any replacement.
 
#9 ·
I just got a new battery from Auto Zone to replace the 7 year old Wal Mart Everstart. Wally World is a lot less expensive now that I checked it. I got the battery and them pulled the old one.
I always do things backassward.
I had run that battery flat several times but it always seemed to recover and continue to work.
I'm hoping to get similar life from the new one...Hah!
The Old Wally battery was still working but beginning to show signs of impending failure.
The Wally batt may be older than 7 years too. It was in the bike when I bought it.
 
#10 ·
The PO of my 2013 650 installed a lithium battery. I rode with it for about a year before I even noticed it.

The only reason I did finally realize that it was a Li battery was because when it finally got "cold" here in the Bay Area (probably about mid 40's to 50 deg F) the bike seemed to crank slow. I replaced it with a new Yuasa AGM and the cranking speed was back to normal.

Yes the Li battery was crazy lightweight compared to the AGM, but the only time I noticed it was removing and installing. The few pounds of weight savings is imperceptible to the ride, especially considering all of the other crap I have on the bike. Like most farkles, I think there's a large placebo effect.

I will say that being able to notice the difference in cranking speed at such a mild "cool" temperature between the batteries convinced me to stick with lead/AGM.

For what it's worth, they both metered at good voltages at rest, I don't remember what the exact figures were, but I remember​ checking and not having any voltage difference between the two batteries and being surprised by that, considering the difference in cranking speed.
 
#12 ·
For what it's worth, they both metered at good voltages at rest, I don't remember what the exact figures were, but I remember​ checking and not having any voltage difference between the two batteries and being surprised by that, considering the difference in cranking speed.
The difference in cranking speed is due to the difference in cold cranking amps. The link below will take you to a diagram of Ohm's Law, and all the variations for using it. At the 10 o'clock position you will see that Amps = Volts / Resistance in Ohms. The internal resistance of the two batteries is different, so even though the voltage is the same, the amperage is different.

This is most likely the reason why the cranking performance of a lithium battery degrades in cold temperatures; the internal resistance of the material is not as stable as that of lead-acid.

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgur...ved=0ahUKEwiXr7edr5HcAhUD44MKHW-6BzoQ9QEILzAA
 
#11 ·
After a couple of worrying "2nd goes" even when warm I decided that a new battery was in order. I had checked the terminals for good contact a month ago. Price and a comment on how lithium do not like to be allowed to go flat tipped me back to AGM batteries.

In the end I decided on an SSB RTX12-BS which I saw on EBay at half the price of a Yuasa and delivered free to my door. They say is rated 265 cold cranking amps compared to the Yuasa's 180. It may not make any difference now but hopefully it will later in its life. The new battery weighs a pound heavier than the original.
 
#13 ·
Nothing but Yuasa AGM batteries for me. 6-8 years across 2 bikes for me, the Vstrom came with a new battery, but when its time is up, it'll get the same brand and type. My 3 sit on their own dedicated Battery Tender Pluses when parked in the garage. Even my old CB750 has a Yuasa AGM. No venting tube, lasts 6-8 years.
 
#15 ·
What you want for the bike is a LiFePO4, or Lithium Phosphate battery. They're more tolerant to overcharging than other types of lithium batteries when it comes to the "burn down everything nearby" risk. The ones I've seen use four 3.2V cells to make a 12.8V battery. The big issue with LiFePO4 in a vehicle is that you'll shorten the life of the battery if you keep the voltage on there once it's fully charged, although not as severely as other types of lithium batteries. They have a slightly higher self-discharge rate than other types of lithium batteries, and slightly less energy density. You still lose capacity when cold, just like any other battery.

Some of those issues are mitigated by getting a battery with some kind of protection circuit or battery management system built in. I would not run any lithium battery in a bike if it didn't have a protection circuit. With the wide range of voltage a battery can see on a motorcycle, you're sitting on a thermal runaway time bomb without one. If the battery has one, it should be clear in the specs... manufacturers know it's a desirable feature.

There's a risk of thermal runaway as well if the battery gets damaged in a wreck. Worst-case thermal runaway involves the battery venting flames, so it's something to keep in mind for a battery between your legs. Lead-acid batteries don't have that problem.

If weight or space savings is what you're after they're great. You're not likely to burn your bike down as long as you're buying from a reputable brand. As others have mentioned, they have issues with cold as well. I don't plan on making the switch because the benefits aren't worth the price to me.

I think a lot of the problems that folks see with traditional lead-acid batteries are due to not maintaining them properly when the bike is in storage. Or even when the bike sits for a few weeks. Keeping them charged with a charger with float mode and temperature compensation makes a big difference. Avoiding heating and cooling cycles is another, so keeping the bike in a garage helps too. I got 8 years out of my last car battery, and the battery in my last bike was still going strong after four years when I sold it.

Source: Worked a lot with lead-acid batteries in school. Also I'm a battery nerd.
 
#16 ·
Data shows useful lithium ion battery charging efficiency, reliability, and life decreases sharply below freezing and above 100 F.

AGM battery life degrades above 120F and they are sensitive to overcharging. Standard lead acid batteries have a better chance of making it past 4 years.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
 
#17 ·
Love the weight savings Li batteries offer. Shorai now offers 5 year warranty. I've had it on 2 bikes and it worked very well.
There was one time when the bike stayed outside and the temps dropped into low 20's over night. It wouldn't crank over at all on the 1st try. This was my track bike, so it was difficult to put a load on battery, which is what you need to do with Li batteries on cold days.
With Vee, it would be very easy, since headlight turns on as soon as you turn the key. Even if it's well below freezing outside, turn the key on and let it sit for 5 minutes. Should start right up.
Having said that.. if you ride in cold weather, do you want to wait 5 minutes every time?
 
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