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[papasmurf]

I should have added, if the voltage regulator on your motorcycle ever fails you are riding on a bomb. (Seriously.)

[macg4]

Thanks ,all good stuff. However picture this scenario. I buy a battery from our host ( 125 pounds plus VAT plus carriage). It fails in service, returned under warranty. The first question asked will be " has this battery been maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions". Er, no- its been on the end of a 1940s era charging system for six months..You see my dilemma?

[Scalyback]

Good question.

Litty batts are about a third the weight
They have a lot more power for their size compared to acid batts
they stay charged on the shelf (and in an unused bike) for years and therefore don't need top up charges
with a normal charger, you can recharge the battery to at least 90% in about 6 and a half minutes...
they dont need topping up
there is no acid to leak out if your bike were to fall over
They are full of salts and stuff, so when the battery finally dies, you can open it up and use as fertilizer in your garden (So i was told)

ONE important point as revband said, DON'T use de-sulphating chargers.

[Scalyback]

Well you get the one specifically for a motorcycle, and reply, "Motorcycle battery in a motorcycle charged by a motorcycle." That should cover it. When you shove one in a camera you don't expect a question like that?

They are expensive, but I would rather not have a potential acid bath in the middle of my RE's, especially with the rarity of some of Kevin's parts!

[Presto]

Haggis raised a good point. Why would a ‘special’ charger be needed when the bike charging system is the same? I believe the answer is that no bike charging system include a de-sulfation facility – which is not to be used with Lithium Ion batteries.


Scalyback’s listed the advantages of these batteries – the ONLY negative (!) in my mind is the price.

[papasmurf]

The ONLY negative?

[Presto]

Yes - the ONLY negative - unless we include happenings that occur about once in every 1,000,000 instances! A bit like Scalyback's 'acid bath' beneath the seat! Let's keep to reality and not get diverted by some sort of 'chaos theory'.

[papasmurf]

I have had the "acid bath beneath seat" with a split lead acid battery. (It was a 20 year old original fitment on the BMW K75S which is as large as some car batteries.)
Other than a somewhat hectic five minutes neutralising the leaking acid there were no serious problems.

[Scalyback]

Bike regulator fail? Well, I wouldn't worry about that. These moto ones are lithium-phosphate batteries LiFePO4 which have a built in regulator and BMS charging system (Not like lithium cobalt oxide LiCoO2 which are the fussy chargers that go bang). I can't get either Kevin or Tornado's ammeters to go anywhere near the positive reading that they used to with lead acid, you know, when you just get home , turn the headlights off and give a little rev. Without going out to try, I guess they read about half an amp max for charging.

You can put them anyway up as well, sideways, upside down, no problems.

This makes interesting reading...


"Most Lithium battery manufacturers recommend that if their Lithium battery does not have a built in BMS circuitry that you also purchase an external BMS charger when you purchase their Lithium batteries and that you use this to regularly charge your Lithium battery from 230V wall outlet. This plan works well if your using it on a race bike use in a total loss system to save weight (No alternator or regulator on the bike) and just recharge your bike between races with the external BMS system.

A built-in BMS systems eliminates the need for an external BMS system and can provide full protection while the battery is being used on the bike and being charged by the bikes standard charging system.



On-board BMS systems provide:



1. Cell balancing and over voltage protection: You can charge the battery safely with the bikes alternator and you will never need to balance the cells with an external BMS system.



2. Complete discharge protection: You never have to worry about the battery bricking (getting so flat that it is impossible to re charge it.)



3. Short protection: Over current protection.



With an inbuilt BMS system you are assured of much higher safety while actually riding the bike and charging from the bikes alternator, not just when you are charging it at home with a 230V with an external battery BMS charger."


source:- Kiwibiker - LiPo batteries

[Scalyback]

Many years ago, my mate had parked his bike on some hard ground in a field, whilst he went hiking. It rained and when he came backt two days later, the mud had softened and bike on it's side. the damage from the acid was annoying.



Anyway, that vid is very misleading. this is a test to destruction and it says nothing about the voltage used or whether the battery had the charging system in it (early ones didn't). These aren't the early lithium ion batteries that were tried, we are discussing the modern ones which just got stuck with the name, they are actually lithium phosphate. they are full of salts.

It's reckoned that when the costs come down, they will be the norm (unless they get overtaken by newer discoveries say, lithium - fried egg).