Author Topic: Lithium Battery (Read 2265 times)

The Doctor 46 · « **on:** January 08, 2021, 19:39:33 »

My battery seemed to be losing power so I gave it a 24 hour charge. it was then left overnight until I used the bike the next day. The bike started perfectly and I rode about a mile before parking and leaving it for 20 minutes. Again, it started perfectly. I then rode about 6 miles and parked again for about 3 hours but the bike wouldn't start afterwards. With a short push, it started with a bump.

This seams a bit strange to me? Anyway, I want to change to lithium. I've looked online at different brands, different amps and vastly different prices. What would you experts suggest please and is the lithium going to be better than lead acid?

Thank you in advance

Ianmc · « **Reply #1 on:** January 08, 2021, 19:54:49 »

Personally I wouldn’t bother with lithium,too expensive without any major gains and you only save a few pounds in weight loss,plus you need a special battery charger.Have a look at Tayna Batteries website,great prices,great cranking amps on their own brand and the service and delivery are outstanding.I had one on my K9 for 5 yrs.and it was still starting easy as pie any weather when I sold it just before Christmas.Plus if your battery is original from 2012 you have done well on an OE item.

Mr Nick · « **Reply #2 on:** January 08, 2021, 20:30:39 »

I wouldn't go with lithium on a charging system designed for lead acid: seen too many 'issues' with lithium with dedicated charging hardware, never mind old Suzuki electrics. Benefits don't outweigh that side for me.
Happy to recommend Tayna as well so far as service & price go: haven't bought their own brand batteries yet so can't comment on them.

Ianmc · « **Reply #3 on:** January 08, 2021, 20:47:16 »

What impressed me with Tayna’s own brand is that the cranking amps are MUCH better than the more expensive competitors and on a V-twin you need a lot more breakaway current that an in line 4.

Dark-Strom · « **Reply #4 on:** January 08, 2021, 22:00:39 »

So far as I know mine's on it's original battery too - funny as I was thinking of changing it this year to be safe. I was considering going down the gel / glass matting route - not that more than old lead acid?
Someone I know has a SV650 and replaces his battery every year, even though he uses an optimisier, whereas I charge mine with a car charger that I have fitted a 12v plug on, fitting into the 12v socket I have fitted. No problems for best part of 5 years...go figure eh?
My last Triumph was 18 months if you were lucky with a battery, but then that had an alarm.

mr_diver · « **Reply #5 on:** January 08, 2021, 22:38:55 »

The whole gel battery is misleading.

The YTX and YTZ model batteries or at least the GS, Yuasa, Varta and other main brands ones are AGM. Not your standard lead acid sloshing around jobbies.

AGM stands for Absorbed Glass Matt.
Basically you fill the battery with the acid pack (YTZ are seal in factory) allow to stand for 24+ hours and the glass matt swells and absorb the acid forming a gel core - which is all the "gel" batteries are.
This gel heats up, can't "bubble away nicely" like a liquid acid battery - when you use a car charger the 'gel' overheats and swells the whole battery possibly to the point of fracture. Acid in your eyes and over your bike isn't good and I've seen it on owner charged bikes in the workshop the the owner claims have been on charge all winter and come March fail to start - yeah all the acid in on the floor and trashed the bike on the way down.

These gel or AGM batteries are designed to be tilted or turned on the end/side and function normally.
An old fashioned unsealed battery would spill or vent the liquid acid out or at the very least the acid will not cover the whole plates and cause a lower than desired output.

I've got a motobatt on her bike as it was the cheapest branded battery I could get locally (M&P's is 10 mins away) and it's been fine the last 4 years.
The Yuasa on my Varadero is showing signs of age and is only 3 years old. Not holding a high charge and will be replaced with a Motobatt as the Yuasa has been discontinued and the alternate fitment is £140

Lets also say that even Yuasa don't make them like they used to and only offer a 1 year warranty and that's only if dealer filled.

The 1400cc engine turns over just fine, but I've used jump leaded from the good motobatt on the GSX (engine not running) and it struggles to turn over the Varadero.
It's and about volumetric compression. A V-Twin will require a healthier, stronger battery to turn it over than an inline 4 of equivalent or even greater size.
So if your v-strom battery is starting to go, it'll fail to start the bike quite soon.

Ianmc · « **Reply #6 on:** January 08, 2021, 23:22:45 »

I assumed(wrongly)that AGM batteries were pretty well universal now,I haven’t seen a normal lead acid one on a bike for years.
Never assume, it makes an a.s.s-out of -u and -me. (where does the donkey fit in here ?)

RoadWarrior1978 · « **Reply #7 on:** January 08, 2021, 23:32:40 »

Lithium batteries are a bad idea on a system designed for Lead Acid. Why? well all is good and gravy until the point the battery protection circuit housed within the battery itself decides for whatever reason there's a problem, what happens then is the battery is effectively disconnected from the entire electrical system and the result is the voltage spikes often destroying ECU's, Regulator rectifiers etc pretty much instantly.

Should a failure happen when a VRLA/AGM/GEL "types of Lead Acid" battery is installed, the battery will sink the majority of any excess voltage/power probably incurring damage within and blowing a couple of bulbs but most likely saving the expensive stuff. chances are for less the £100 you'll be back on the road.

Mr Nick · « **Reply #8 on:** January 09, 2021, 00:31:23 »

The Yuasa on the KTM started playing up the other year: voltage dropping to sub 9V cranking. Don't know the age for sure, but I have a suspicion that it was replaced with the reg/rec in '14.
Tayna supplied the Motobatt I have in her now & everything is peachy. I already had one in the V50 so had a CTEK charger to suit the AGM specific needs.
Interestingly, Tayna specify the 11.2Ah MBTZ14S for her, but Wemoto say use the cheaper 10.5Ah MBTX9U. Manual states 11.2Ah so nice duff info Wemoto... Whatever route you choose, make sure the battery recommended by a site matches what the bike needs.

The Doctor 46 · « **Reply #9 on:** January 09, 2021, 19:39:00 »

I decided to buy a motobatt today from a local supplier. So, at about 2pm I went out to the car, but for some reason I decided to give the bike a quick try (knowing it wouldn't start). It started on the button like a new battery?

I think yesterday I might have pressed the start just before the immobilizer light went out and that caused the problem. Anyway, I'm going out on the bike tomorrow (shopping for me and a friend) and will take a jump pack with me but, touching wood, I think it's okay. Thanks for all the input especially about lithium, I'll definitely give that a miss when I do need to replace. I have a good charger that's okay for lithium but I had forgot about the bikes charging system. Cheers men.

vstroman · « **Reply #10 on:** January 09, 2021, 19:54:11 »

My bike is still on the original battery after 8 years, top up with the optimate for a few days every month or so during Winter.

mr_diver · « **Reply #11 on:** January 10, 2021, 08:09:30 »

You've just jinxed yourself

paulo · « **Reply #12 on:** January 10, 2021, 12:09:39 »

Another AL2 here, original battery, NEVER been on charge - 2012 must have been a good year!
Jinxed now I expect

oslin · « **Reply #13 on:** January 10, 2021, 12:27:46 »

I leave the optimate on full time for the last few years on both bikes and I have never had a problem.

Ianmc · « **Reply #14 on:** January 10, 2021, 14:09:23 »

“My bike is still on the original battery after 8 years, top up with the optimate for a few days every month or so during Winter.”

Is there any ID of any sort on your battery, not sure if mine is original, there are only a few numbers stamped on the top that do not appear to be a date code that I can decipher.

Dark-Strom · « **Reply #15 on:** January 10, 2021, 14:31:26 »

Mines got the numbers 31052A as below?

Ianmc · « **Reply #16 on:** January 10, 2021, 14:43:27 »

Mine has 06081A stamped in the same place.
Anyone on this forum know how to decode these ?

kwackboy · « **Reply #17 on:** January 10, 2021, 19:06:45 »

I might be wrong here but I think the numbers / letters are batch numbers to identify age/origin

Dark-Strom · « **Reply #18 on:** January 10, 2021, 20:15:58 »

Yes Kwackboy,
hit it on the head as usual

.
From a few different sites and making sense of the numbers,
the first two are the DAY, the second two are the MONTH and the last one the YEAR.
Note for the year it is a single number recurring - so....
Ian's battery is the 6th of August 2011
Mine is 31st May 2012, which ties up with being registered on the 30/09/2012.
God hope this lockdown ends soon

Ianmc · « **Reply #19 on:** January 10, 2021, 20:21:35 »

Thanks for that, good post.I knew it would be a date code, just didn’t know how to decode it, some are like your driving licence number, all over the place. This ties up with mine being registered in January 2012.👍