Lithium Batteries

[Paris_imp]

I did a search, but the last posts on this subject were several years old, and lithium batteries have probably evolved since then.

My 2017 YUASA battery is giving up the ghost, and I am thinking about a lithium replacement. Cost is not a factor in my decision, but from earlier posts I gather that there is some concern over reliability. Unlike a led-acid or glass mat battery, lithium batteries tend to fail suddenly and without warning. OTHO, they are lighter and are resistant to self-discharging, unlike lead-acid batteries.

Does anyone have recent experience with a lithium battery, or an opinion?

 

[Lord Popgun]

You’ll get real life info about the lithiums from members that use them, but I can tell you that the AGM batteries also tend to fail with very little to no warning.

FWIW, I use OEM Yuasa batteries.

 

[flynrider]

Agree with Popgun. All of the AGM batteries I've had died suddenly and without warning. In fact the stock Yuasa on the CB11 started up fine for a trip to the post office, and wouldn't give a single crank once I headed home.

I replaced it with an MMG lithium ion I bought on Amazon. I have a running post about it that's been updated yearly. Long story short, it's now 5 1/2 years old and has outlasted (by years) any motorcycle battery I've owned. Here in the desert, heat kills lead acid batteries in about 3 years. You can see the thread here :

http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=5457&highlight=mmg

 

[Paris_imp]

Agree with Popgun. All of the AGM batteries I've had died suddenly and without warning. In fact the stock Yuasa on the CB11 started up fine for a trip to the post office, and wouldn't give a single crank once I headed home.

I replaced it with an MMG lithium ion I bought on Amazon. I have a running post about it that's been updated yearly. Long story short, it's now 5 1/2 years old and has outlasted (by years) any motorcycle battery I've owned. Here in the desert, heat kills lead acid batteries in about 3 years. You can see the thread here :

http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=5457&highlight=mmg

Thanks! Based on your recommendation and experience, I just ordered one from Amazon. I bought a NOCO Genius5 charger while I was at it.

The sudden failure of the AGM or lead/acid batteries you describe sounds like a shorted cell.

BTW, the heat in Arizona would kill me in far less than three years. I was at the Petrified Forest two summers ago and decided to take a trail loop to see the Crystal Forest. I got about 400 yards from the car and realized I was dying of thirst - seriously. It may be lush to the point of being a emerald colored malarial swamp here in Virginia sometimes, but I have never felt the water being sucked out of me with every breath like in the Arizona desert. My hat's off to you.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

My Honda comes standard with a LiFePO4 and they are indeed lighter, smaller, and somewhat more expensive for the "brand name" ones. They have very long shelf life and do not need trickle charging over winter provided that your bike has no parasitic electrical loads when ignition is off.

So far no problems, but it is still early days for the battery. Static voltage tends to be in the range of 13.5 to 14.0 V. They require a lithium battery charger.

One thing to note: If you ride in cold weather (e.g. freezing or lower), consider at first stone cold start-up to leave the ignition on, but don't crank the starter motor until maybe at least 30 to 60 seconds have passed. The current draw from the headlight will pre-warm the lithium battery internals and help improve cold weather start-up behaviour.

 

[ampm7_imp]

I had one on my 2016 Moto Guzzi Eldorado (a "Featherweight") and it was very small and lightweight a matter of fact you have to stuff the battery box to keep the battery from moving. But it kept its charge a lot longer than AGM and had more volts, usually 13.2 vs. 12.7 after a week of not riding. I would not hesitate to buy another.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

My LiFePO4 powers up typically at 13.8V, sometimes 14.0V. On a freezing day (0C) I watch the voltage briefly droop down to 10.8V during a cold engine start. Sometimes I am surprised the battery protection circuitry doesn't kick in.

 

[suryamp_imp]

My Honda comes standard with a LiFePO4 and they are indeed lighter, smaller, and somewhat more expensive for the "brand name" ones. They have very long shelf life and do not need trickle charging over winter provided that your bike has no parasitic electrical loads when ignition is off.

So far no problems, but it is still early days for the battery. Static voltage tends to be in the range of 13.5 to 14.0 V. They require a lithium battery charger.

One thing to note: If you ride in cold weather (e.g. freezing or lower), consider at first stone cold start-up to leave the ignition on, but don't crank the starter motor until maybe at least 30 to 60 seconds have passed. The current draw from the headlight will pre-warm the lithium battery internals and help improve cold weather start-up behaviour.

Which Honda do you have?

 

[j3gq_imp]

I think I've posted this before in the forum, but anyway, please consider reading up some details on battery technology under the following link, I think it's worth your time and effort
[url=https://www.bmwmoa.org/news/3...news/375306/Battery-Technology-AGM-vs-LFP.htm

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

My Honda comes standard with a LiFePO4 and they are indeed lighter, smaller, and somewhat more expensive for the "brand name" ones. They have very long shelf life and do not need trickle charging over winter provided that your bike has no parasitic electrical loads when ignition is off.

So far no problems, but it is still early days for the battery. Static voltage tends to be in the range of 13.5 to 14.0 V. They require a lithium battery charger.

One thing to note: If you ride in cold weather (e.g. freezing or lower), consider at first stone cold start-up to leave the ignition on, but don't crank the starter motor until maybe at least 30 to 60 seconds have passed. The current draw from the headlight will pre-warm the lithium battery internals and help improve cold weather start-up behaviour.

Which Honda do you have?

2019 Honda CRF1000L.

I recently had a 2014 Honda CB1100A.