Lithium Motorcycle Batteries...

[Nick Wilkinson]

This video from Fortnine is very interesting. It is about the different types of battery for motorcycles.

I tried posting it earlier but the link disappeared. It appears that it may have been only invisible to me. It will be a help if the next person says whether the link works or not. Thanks.

 

[DarylCincy]

This video from Fortnine is very interesting. It is about the different types of battery for motorcycles.

I tried posting it earlier but the link disappeared. It appears that it may have been only invisible to me. It will be a help if the next person says whether the link works or not. Thanks.

Works for me.

 

[suvcw04]

Yup

 

[Phil Tarman]

It worked and it kept my interest and taught me some things.

 

[mikesim]

Convinced me to stick with my AGM battery.

 

[DirtFlier]

I agree as I'm perfectly happy with the performance and longevity of the standard Yuasa battery in my NT700V.

 

[silverstrike]

I looked and did not see that the WPS Firepower Lithium Battery has a BMS. This means if you drain it down all the way it will be dead forever! I put a Battery Tender lithium in my DRZ 400 and let it sit for a month or two. Their old batteries did not have a BMS and the battery was killed by the instrument cluster draw! I have since cut that wire and went back to lead.

Another consideration is volts. What is the real voltage of the lithium battery? "12v" lithium batteries can be between like 11.5v and 14.5v depending on chemistry. This can have ramifications on charging with a vehicle which is designed for lead-acid. I have a Battle Born LiFePO house battery in my van. It could be charged with the alternator, but it will only reach like 80% capacity because it needs higher volts to fill up. I have a DC-DC converter in the van which bumps up the voltage to charge the house battery and isolates it from the vehicle electrical system. The converter also limits the charging to 20 amps...even though it can handle over 50 amps! Poor alternator

I just bought a new battery for my NT. Went with the standard Yuasa AGM. I thought about lithium, then decided against because the motorcycles regulator and electrical system was designed for lead. Not worth it to me to mess around. I do have many lithium batteries for ebikes, scooters, flashlights, etc., love them...but not on my motorcycles.

 

[Macka]

This is a print of the most recent test (4 days ago) of the Original battery in my NT. It is now at least 12 1/2 years old and as you can see, it is still capable of supplying 89% of the original CCA rating. That is a very comfortable pass.
Due to covid lockdown restrictions and personal health problems, the bike had not been started since July last year.
One touch of the button and it started perfectly normally.
As I have mentioned previously, it gets a one hour top-up with a tender, once a week. It is not left on "float" all the time.

Macka

 

[silverstrike]

That is incredible! I am on my third Yuasa. 4 years each I do let it sit for up to a month sometimes, my bad.

 

[Macka]

silverstrike, I am guessing that the replacement two were USA made units and not Japanese made.
No disrespect here but from what I have seen on the two forums , the USA made units do not last anywhere near as long as the others.
They are, however, MUCH cheaper, at least here in OZ.
I know that i have been an exception with battery life but my experience as a mechanic has helped a lot in knowing what to do.
The original battery in my Suzuki, not Yuasa, only lasted 1 year.
The replacement GEL (SSB brand) unit is now 7 years old and still going strong.

 

[ST1100Y]

This is a print of the most recent test (4 days ago) of the Original battery in my NT.

Yeah... let's not forget that the factory equipped batteries are always superior to whatever consumers can get their hands at later on... (this is big business after all...)
The original battery in my '96 Toyota lasted 10 years... since then I can get 2 years out of whatever I'm testing... Toyota OptiFit, Banner, EXIDE... doesn't matter, 2 years, that's it...
The original YUASA battery my '92 ST1100 came with back then lasted 6 years... since then also there I'm on the 2 years maximum circle... YUASA, EXIDE, VARTA, SAITO, etc...
YUASA does appear superior though, they keep more punch for the starter motor right till their inevitable quick demise (fine yesterday, this morning not even a "click"...), I could nurse them to a 3rd year though, but it's worrying on longer trips... so I'd rather dump them and throw a new one in once I sense slower cranking...
I'd like to try a HAWKER Enersys, but even their smallest model is still way too big to fit...

The NT battery is smaller, plus the hardwired (head)lights, and other gadgets like EFI and ABS putting additional strain on the carging system...
(my GF has the nasty habit of turning the ignition ON and leaving it there, while fumbling her other glove on... currently trying to retrain her but understand the issue of that always jamming/seized ignition lock the NT features so generiously... )
As the NT's YUASA was completely dead upon pickup at the dealer last year (it did work fine the week before though) I'd installed a pricey gel type battery... that's on it's 2nd season now, so the verdict is still out...

I'm still very unsettled about Li-Io...
Touring in Alpine regions the climate can always surprise with some harsh weather, not uncommon to see temps around freezing and snowfall during April/May or August/September...
What to do? Seek only accommodation with heated indoor parking? Wait till noon so the temps might have risen? Remove that Li-Io thing every evening to carry it up into the room? Install a regulated heater like on the mars rovers...

To make things worse I can't even stock up on YUASA AGM batteries anymore, for some idiotic "cultural and social-political reasons" (don't let me get into this $h!t... ) sales of battery packs with the extra fluid container sitting aside in the box has actually been prohibited over here... the days where I aways had a nice YUASA carton on the shelf I simply unpacked and dropped the acid charge in right on the day I needed to install it, are over...

 

[DirtFlier]

The Yuasa batteries here also come pre-filled/sealed with electrolyte so we have the same conditions. My guess is that shipping electrolyte long ago became cost-prohibitive because of all the environmental and safety concerns.

 

[ST1100Y]

My guess is that shipping electrolyte long ago became cost-prohibitive because of all the environmental and safety concerns.

Nah... that has some religious background... but enough with that...

For the NT700 YUASA only lists the YTZ14-S...
For my ST1100 I can have two versions: YTX14-BS (200 CCA) and a beefed up YTX14H-BS with 240 CCA...
The 14-BS is quite commonly avail, the 14H-BS pretty rare to obtain... (probably lasting too long to make profit...)

Wonder if there also is a beefed up version for the NT?

 

[Macka]

SSB are available on the Web and have a 340 CCA unit available to fit the NT.
An example is below but there are other offers too.

Honda Nt700V Deauville 2006 - 2010 SSB Agm Battery

Honda Nt700V Deauville 2006 - 2010 SSB Agm Battery - SSB

www.firestormmotorcycles.com.au

With the exchange rate, it would be quite cheap for you guys but I don't know about freight.
I have been very happy with the SSB unit in my Suzuki so far.
When my NT needs a battery it will be the SSB unit as they are half the price of the Yuasa and will last longer than I will need it to.
The more CCA you can cram into the battery holder, the better, always.

Macka

 

[ST1100Y]

With the exchange rate, it would be quite cheap for you guys but I don't know about freight.

About € 70,- for shipment... I got an YTZ14-S GEL type battery for slightly over € 50,- up here...

 

[ST1100Y]

Stumbled over them while browsing...
They claim having fixed the cold temp issue and come for a decent price:

NOCO - 500A Lithium Powersport Battery - NLP14

The NLP14 is a lithium powersport battery that delivers 500-amps of starting power for motorcycles, ATVs, UTVs, PWCs, and more.

no.co

Stripped a pretty new YTZ14-S gel-type out my GF's NT700VA cause starter was a bit reluctant, 2~3 klicks till it finally cranked...
The problem: it showed 12,6V right after taking it out the bike... internal resistance issue?
With the AGM type battery (12,8V freshly charged) it cranked right at first blip of the button...

Anyway, the NOCO seems very well made, so I'm tempted...

 

[DarylCincy]

Stumbled over them while browsing...
They claim having fixed the cold temp issue and come for a decent price:

NOCO - 500A Lithium Powersport Battery - NLP14

The NLP14 is a lithium powersport battery that delivers 500-amps of starting power for motorcycles, ATVs, UTVs, PWCs, and more.

no.co

Stripped a pretty new YTZ14-S gel-type out my GF's NT700VA cause starter was a bit reluctant, 2~3 klicks till it finally cranked...
The problem: it showed 12,6V right after taking it out the bike... internal resistance issue?
With the mesh type battery (12,8V freshly charged) it cranked right at first blip of the button...

Anyway, the NOCO seems very well made, so I'm tempted...

Don't know about them but the WPS FirePower I bought about a year ago is working great even in cold weather it runs about 100 US Dollars.

 

[ST1100Y]

With the AGM type battery (12,8V freshly charged) it cranked right at first blip of the button...

After being parked outside at 6°C from Friday till Sunday afternoon the (freshly charged!) AGM showed the same symptom: click-click-click-weeeweeevroom...

First NOCO NLP14 arrived today, looks very well made, weights only 1.2kg, showed 12.4V right out the box, the designated GENIOUS5 charger finalized at 13.4V after only 15~20 minutes, so I will drop this power-pack into the NT tonight...

<edit>
WOW! That thing really packs some punch!
The gel battery showed 12.9V but the starter turned kinda lame... threw the NOCO in and it's really buzzing now...

 

[mikesim]

I have been impressed with what I have seen in the NOCO Lithium batteries. If I were to buy one, I would opt for the NOCO.

Mike

 

[Chucksklrst]

I have been running a Lithium battery in my FJR now for about 4 years. No issues. I do keep it on a Lithium Battery tender when the bike is home in the garage.