Lithium Batteries For 8th Gen?

Discussion in 'Mechanics Garage' started by Bubba Utah, Jan 28, 2022.

  1. Bubba Utah

    Bubba Utah Member

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    Yes or no?

    Thanks
     
  2. NorcalBoy

    NorcalBoy Member

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    There are a lot of myths and misconceptions out there about lithium batteries. Battery fires, not good in the cold, etc. Just went through a situation recently with a LiFePO4 battery, can't say it was the fault of the battery, or the charging system. I did a little research, talked to some folks...some were positive, some were quite negative. Didn't take the time to try and diagnose the issue, just went ahead and went with a full charging system replacement.

    What I do know is that something electrical transpired and the bottom of the battery showed noticeable bulging. I was kinda unsettled by it, due to the potential for lithium to catch fire and burn the bike to the ground, which has happened. That being said, most of the "higher end" lithium moto batteries have built in battery management systems (BMS) that are supposed to shut down the battery when an unsafe condition exists, which I suspect is what left me stranded. I won't name the battery here, as I don't know what caused the issue and that would be a little unfair. These batteries are very voltage sensitive. They don't like to be discharged and most recommend not letting the resting voltage drop below 13 volts. They also don't do well if the charging voltage exceeds 14.4 to 14.8 volts, depending on the maufacturer. They are a whole lot lighter. AGM is more forgiving, but it comes at a price....weight.

    I wanted the lithium battery, due to the weight reduction, so I went with a battery that is not a household name outside of racing paddocks, Speedcell. They came highly recommended by some folks that I trust. They aren't cheap, but they are very safe. Probably the safest lithium battery on the market. The one downside is the requirement for a special harness to connect the battery (Speedcell supplies a ring terminal harness with each battery) and that you can't hook other wires onto the battery itself, unless you have the harness made with accessory output leads, which Speedcell can do to your specs. There are no positive and negative posts on the battery. You can check it out here: https://shopspeedcell.com/

    If that hasn't confused you enough. I don't know what will. There is no easy answer. AGM is more forgiving, but you sacrifice weight, LiFePo4 is much lighter, but is sensitive to voltage. They also require a special charger. I'm also a little leery of the potential for fire, but if you read the press from Shorai and Anti-Gravity, they claim that fear is unfounded. When it came down to it, the only people that seemed to shoot straight about it was Speedcell. The way I figured it, if it is good enough for factory race bikes that cost north of 6 figures, and they trusted them, then they were good enough for me. All it took was one bulged battery to open my eyes.

    Now you get to choose.
     
  3. squirrelman

    squirrelman Member

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    even a fire extinguisher won't help if it goes flamey.
     
  4. NorcalBoy

    NorcalBoy Member

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    Hence the Speedcell, with their encapsulate, guaranteed to put itself out within 10 seconds.
     
  5. squirrelman

    squirrelman Member

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    ^^ please excuse my ignorance..................again.
     
  6. NorcalBoy

    NorcalBoy Member

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    It's all good. It's a true statement with lithium fires. The other batteries on the market, not sure I trust them 100%.
     
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