Motorcycle batteries, Lithium, AGM, Lead, Lithion Ion, nuclear, etc.

[SIR REAL ED]

Time to buy another motorcycle battery or two.  What are your thoughts?

What would you buy?

What type of charger would you use?

What type of lifespan would you expect from each type of battery?

Luckily, several of my bikes all use the same size battery.  Maybe I should get a nuclear battery with some quick connectors....

[AJ Huff]

I always use Odyssey.

-AJ

[rocker59]

Oddessy AGM.  Or, Yuasa AGM.

Good batteries

[Dr. Enzo Toma]

I switch most of my 12v bikes to Lithium Ion batteries once they're due for a battery. Featherweight for an economical brand, Antigravity Batteries for more features. Just recently had a bike parked for 6 months with no battery tender connected, cranked over and started on the first try with electric start off the lithium battery. They're good for that, they're good for shedding weight, there are ones that will cut power shortly after the bike is stopped so the battery cannot be drained by parasitic draw but then turned on again later by pressing a button, and contrary to what you might hear they are great in the cold - with an AGM or lead acid type battery if your bike doesn't electric start on the first crank the following cranks are less likely to start, with a lithium battery you turn the lights on to get the juices flowing and it will crank harder on the 2nd crank than the first.

Only charge a lithium battery with a charger specifically for lithium batteries, I use CTEK or Battery Tender brand ones and charge through an SAE plug. Put a lead acid or AGM charger on it and you risk a battery fire.

Think I got 3 years out of an early Shorai one, the Featherweight and AntiGravity ones have probably been 4-6 years.

[SIR REAL ED]

Good information folks.  I appreciate the input!

I would also be curious to know what life span you guys are getting from your batteries. 

They sure don't make them like they used to.  Typically I get about 5 years out of a lead acid or AGM battery.  That includes putting them on a Battery Tender every month or so, assuming I remember.

Batterysharks.com has AGM batteries that are extremely inexpensive, but tend to have a lifespan a couple years shorter in my experience.

I currently have a bike with a Firepower Lithium battery.  They have some great features including a button you can press to indicate the charge level via lighting up some LED's.  The one I have uses M5 screws instead of the my common M6.

[Perazzimx14]

If I had one bike that was going to stay around for the duration a Lithium Ion battery would be it. With multiple bikes coming and going on the regular basis I typically opt for whatever Batteries Plus has in a SLA with the highest CCA as they are cost effective and work.

On another site people are having good things to say about the Amazon NOCO LION battery. Its inexpensive and seems to be working good. Its only been around for a about a year so time will tell. I imagine that like most batteries if it lasts the 1st couple of months till last the duration. Most of my new battery failures happened shortly after buying them.

As for a charger I bought an Everstart Maxx3 off Amazon that does L/A or LION it was about $20 and works. There are tons of "smart" chargers out there pick one and go with it. They all are built in china and likely have the same internals.

FWIW I am in the camp that batteries are not perpetually connected to battery charger/maintainers when not in use. During inactive months about once every 4 to 6 weeks the battery charger makes it way around the garage and get connected to any L/A batteries for an hour or until it show fully charged then moved to the next battery then put the charger away for 4 to 6 more weeks. During active months the charger rarely sees' the light of day as even riding a bike every month or so is enough to keep the battery fully charged and at the ready.

[SIR REAL ED]

I bought one Shorai battery and was extremely disappointed with it.  Would not start my DR650 below 50 degrees F.  Turning on the lights to warm up the battery did not help.

Several emails and phone calls to Shorai were less than satisfactory.  One email chain from the Shorai rep who was trying to help me included an internal email from one of their technicians who "wanted to punch me in the face" for asking questions on how to test the battery to see if it was functioning properly.

I ended up sending it back for a refund.

It kinda left a bad taste in my mouth for both Lithium Ion batteries and Shorai even though I know a lot of people have been happy with both.

[SIR REAL ED]

If I had one bike that was going to stay around for the duration a Lithium Ion battery would be it. With multiple bikes coming and going on the regular basis I typically opt for whatever Batteries Plus has in a SLA with the highest CCA as they are cost effective and work.

On another site people are having good things to say about the Amazon NOCO LION battery. Its inexpensive and seems to be working good. Its only been around for a about a year so time will tell. I imagine that like most batteries if it lasts the 1st couple of months till last the duration. Most of my new battery failures happened shortly after buying them.

As for a charger I bought an Everstart Maxx3 off Amazon that does L/A or LION it was about $20 and works. There are tons of "smart" chargers out there pick one and go with it. They all are built in china and likely have the same internals.

FWIW I am in the camp that batteries are not perpetually connected to battery charger/maintainers when not in use. During inactive months about once every 4 to 6 weeks the battery charger makes it way around the garage and get connected to any L/A batteries for an hour or until it show fully charged then moved to the next battery then put the charger away for 4 to 6 more weeks. During active months the charger rarely sees' the light of day as even riding a bike every month or so is enough to keep the battery fully charged and at the ready.

Perazzimx14,

What is SLA?

thanks!

[Chuck in Indiana]

I would also be curious to know what life span you guys are getting from your batteries. 

10-12 years on an AGM. Maybe more, but I was wondering if it would suddenly die at that age. "Sudden death syndrome" is a real thing with an AGM.
I have a small Lithium battery for weight savings in my little homebuilt airplane. From when I bought it to first start of the radial engine was 2 years without being on a charger.

[PeteS]

10-12 years on an AGM. Maybe more, but I was wondering if it would suddenly die at that age. "Sudden death syndrome" is a real thing with an AGM.
I have a small Lithium battery for weight savings in my little homebuilt airplane. From when I bought it to first start of the radial engine was 2 years without being on a charger.

It is real and why I stick with sealed lead acid. Had one in my EV and Honda Ridgeline. I don’t trust them.

Pete

[blackcat]

The Odyssey PC545 in my Daytona is 10 years old going on 11. Using the hand held load tester it shows the battery to be "weak" so it's getting to be time for a change.

[rocker59]

Good information folks.  I appreciate the input!

I would also be curious to know what life span you guys are getting from your batteries. 

 

The pair of Yuasa batteries in my Sport 1100 carb lasted eight years.  Originals, plus two replacements over 23 years.  No reason to change, with that track record.

On my Californias, Quota, and V11 LeMans, I used Odyssey AGM and never had to replace them, but only owned those bikes a few years after installing the new Odyssey batteries.  No trouboles.

I'm not sold on Lithium batteries.  Enough stories of fires for me to remain with AGM.

[chuck peterson]

10 yrs to the month on an AGM, died immediately w no warning…

Well, not quite…a few days before i thought about how old the battery was and couldn’t remember. So there, was that a warning?…

Used more frequently around town, charged 2-3x over the 3 month lite winter

[Kildareman]

Eight years on the original battery in my Tiger 800. Swapped it for a Lithium Ion, Shido I think it was. Went from 5.2Kg to less than 1Kg with added space for extra tools!! It span the starter so fast, even in the winter.  No charger needed. When I need to replace the battery in the Centenario it'll be Lithium I turn to.

[Perazzimx14]

Perazzimx14,

What is SLA?

thanks!

Sealed less acid.

Will not leak like traditional lead acid batteries with a vent hose if turned on their side.

[SIR REAL ED]

10 yrs to the month on an AGM, died immediately w no warning…

Well, not quite…a few days before i thought about how old the battery was and couldn’t remember. So there, was that a warning?…

Used more frequently around town, charged 2-3x over the 3 month lite winter

Always trust your psychic intuitions.  Especially about people!

Not sure about other types of batteries, but the lead acid types can fail like a light switch being turned off.  I gave a mechanic friend a ride to a car dealer.  Pulled in, turned off the truck, five minutes later, tried to start, nothing. Dead as a doornail.  He laughed and said "Your battery just died.  A couple of cells got shorted out by sulfate."

One of the best tips I've heard for long term storage of a bike is to hook it up to a battery charger, and wire the charger outlet to a garage door opener.  Each time the door is opened or closed, the battery gets a 30 seconds or so of charge time.

[LowRyter]

https://www.amazon.com/Antigravity-Performance-Motorcycle-Powersport-Starting/dp/B07DNH5DQD/ref=asc_df_B07DNH5DQD/?linkCode=df0&hvadid=309760520871&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=458143219998646697&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032591&hvtargid=pla-570202516749&psc=1

for $120 I'm going to try one of these next.  With jumper remote. 

https://www.amazon.com/Antigravity-Batteries-RE-START-Powersport-AG-RRS-1/dp/B0B729H4QX/ref=asc_df_B0B729H4QX/?linkCode=df0&hvadid=598284158131&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3772462848139068577&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032591&hvtargid=pla-1722808441348&psc=1

[ridingron]

Recently I bought a used bike. It had a Anti-gravity battery in, about a month old. It died flat dead while I was in a store for 15 minutes. Got it jumped and made it home. Long story short, it's gone and I won't have any business dealings with those folks again. Not sure what so anti-gravity about it. It hit the trash heap (from 10 feet) with the rest of them. I'll be giving a call to the guy down the street tomorrow, he collects and recycles all kind of stuff. Also, I see no reason to buy another battery charger for a battery.

I went back to the "good old first one I can find at auto parts/walmart/battery store". Worked for years. I've never really used/needed a tender since I live in Florida and ride several times a week. My batteries tend to last 6-8 years.

[Bulldog9]

I generally stick with AGM. If I had one bike, I might try a lithium, but AGM Yuasa works for me. The Convert has a massive Panasonic AGM put in by the Prior owner over 10 years. I put it on the trickle charger 1-2 times over the winter and showed fully charged in 2-3 minutes. I get 8-10 years normally, but for whatever reason the Griso has eaten 2 batteries in the 8 years I've owned it.

[johnwesley]

When I switched from lead acid to the odyssey I went from 4 years to….. well I’ve never replaced one. The longest I had one was 10 years and sold the bike. After a few years they called me to see if I wanted to buy it back. I asked if the battery was replaced and it was not. That was 13 years. I put one in a harley and even though it was less CCA than the stock battery and the bike was built with high compression, it lasted 5 years when I sold the bike. It’s now been 8 years and the battery is still going strong.  I recently put one in the Cali and expect a good 10 plus years out of it. I don’t use battery tenders unless the bikes, mainly the wife’s, haven’t been ridden in months. Then I’ll put it on a change over night.

[Gliderjohn]

Snapping the red Guzzi suspenders it is hard to beat the T-3 using the everyday typical lawn and garden battery. Cheap (under $50) and can be bought about anywhere, Downside big and bulky but not really an issue in a T-3 but not so good on a sport bike.
GliderJohn

[steven c]

Yup, I get 5 or 6 years out of a tractor battery.

[Guzzistajohn]

Just got a new Odyssey for the LMIII Sunday.

I bought it 10 years ago in Springfield Ill. during the races. That would be 10 years this Memorial day. 

[Petrus Rocks]

Be nice if an electrician could explain how a motorcycle charging system is fine for a LION battery but not a conventional charger.  I am currently using three out of six LION batteries, the other AGM.  One AGM has been in my Buell for at least three years. 

[Craig in Alabama]

Petrus Rocks,

Thanks for asking this! I've been wondering the same thing.

Cheers!
Craig

[acguzzi]

depends on the charger, and the lithium battery, they have particular charging requirements, some lead acid chargers will climb too high when the charge current drops to near zero, that causes damage to a lithium battery over time. Float voltage is also typically lower for an Li battery. So it may be OK if you don't leave it on charge.

[SIR REAL ED]

Be nice if an electrician could explain how a motorcycle charging system is fine for a LION battery but not a conventional charger.  I am currently using three out of six LION batteries, the other AGM.  One AGM has been in my Buell for at least three years.

I don't really know, but I would suspect that a LION battery (as opposed to a TIGER battery  ) is much less tolerant of variation in charging voltage.  I have read warnings from the LION battery manufacturers, that the LION battery should be removed from the vehicle before getting hooked up to a charger to avoid the potential of catching fire.

I have also read warning from the LION battery manufacturer that the LION battery should not be used with any vehicle that does not have a modern ignition system, ie:  CDI or TEI.

In other words like all modern electonics, it just might take less variation in energy to make them go poof!

As soon as the DiLithium Crystal batteries hit the market, I'm in!

[Dr. Enzo Toma]

Conventional battery chargers usually have a equalisation mode (purposefully overcharging the battery) or desulfate mode (frequency or voltage pulsing), that's the issue. If it's a very simple constant current/constant voltage charger it would be fine with a lithium ion battery.

[Craig in Alabama]

That makes sense.
Thanks!
Craig

[MGrego]

I've had 2 Odyssey batteries in a row leak acid on my V11, I'm skeptical of laying them on their side now.......  Yes, I use and Odyssey brand battery tender.