Adventure Bike Rider Forum

i think they are ...i use em and also carry a spare on longer trips ..ive one now thats 8 years old has never ever seen a tender and holds 13.4 for waht seems like forever me spare i carry never seems to discharge at all i test it now and again and can leave it a year between and the voltmeter always is above 13..its 2014 since i las bought alead battery ....i like the lithiums

dibbs wrote: ↑Wed May 19, 2021 8:49 am

dave h wrote: ↑Wed May 19, 2021 7:22 am remember there's a difference between lithium ion and lithium iron,

dave.

You cant just leave it there Dave!!!! prey tell us more....

I was curious also--so this is from Googly "Lithium-ion has a higher energy density at 150/200 Wh/kg versus lithium iron phosphate at 90/120 Wh/kg. So, lithium-ion is normally the go-to source for power hungry electronics that drain batteries at a high rate. On the other hand, the discharge rate for lithium iron phosphate outmatches lithium-ion."

Lithium Iron is safer too.

One well-documented problem is the lithium batteries get 'sleepy' at low temperatures...and appear to be flat.

You have to 'excite' them with a small load for a while to restore their full cranking power.

I ain't no expert but I bought a lithium ion as they were cheaper, it lasted about a month not sure if I broke it overcharging or it just failed,
I then read a few forums and a few complaints showed up with recommendations towards lithium iron,
There not cheap my current one was £200,
But has never failed starts my 604 Armstrong no problem,
The only downside is low capacity if the bike won't start for some reason you can't keep cranking it over forever like a normal battery,
Note you can't use an optimate charger on these it will damage it.
I have this,
Dave.

Please explain "damaging it" with a normal charger?--my point is that the bike's charging system doesn't know what battery is fitted and typically pumps out a little over 14V. I have a CTEK charger (intelligent with about 6 modes through the charging process)--it copes with Lithium Ion ok and doesn't go into de-sulphate mode like some cheaper chargers (although its not specifically designed for this type of battery). I think the problem is that they need a higher charging voltage than AGMs. You certainly need a well regulated charger that will not overcharge them. Step up the experts? with reference to the above battery it states 14Ah equivalent which is a pretty good capacity, and also has good cranking amps.

I think my optimate 4 does the de Sulfate thing,
That's why I can't use it,
I charge it when needed with a 4 amp regular charger and check the battery volts with a meter

Dave.

I would say that Lithium is slightly less reliable than lead acid. But high quality battery of either type that is treated correctly should be able to last for a long time.
The main reason for getting Lithium would be weight reduction. The main reason for getting lead acid would be price.

dave h wrote: ↑Wed May 19, 2021 6:14 pm I think my optimate 4 does the de Sulfate thing,
That's why I can't use it,
I charge it when needed with a 4 amp regular charger and check the battery volts with a meter

Dave.

I agree--without being too negative the earlier Optimates and similar chargers can't cope with the slightly higher terminal voltage of Lithium based batteries--hence going into desulphate mode. My CTEK charger goes through a series of modes before finally doing a voltage stability check, and only then pronouncing that the battery is good and fully charged. they are not cheap but you get what you pay for. A bike's system typically pumps out enough voltage to charge a lithium, and its a sort of irony that their systems are so simple that they don't know when to quit!

Ryan F9 did a good battery type comparison:




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