Most members will have noted that I now have an SP2. They are fitted as standard with a Lithium battery. For battery maintenance, I cannot (obviously) use my Oximiser and Optimate. I have found a couple of possible products and seek members help/feedback as to what you're using for these batteries. https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/248878 https://www.thebatteryshop.co.uk/exide-li-ion-lithium-motorcycle-battery-charger-12v-2a-15112-p.asp I tend to favour the Optimate because of brand loyalty and a worthy product. Cheers guys, and gal.
Hi, The easiest option if you all ready have a charger, no matter what type of battery it is made for, is to put it on a plug in timer so it comes on say once a week for 4 hours, If you have to manually reset the charger to work then just get a 24h timer set to run for 4 hours and do it once a week, the only difference between chargers is the cut off voltage there is no magic inside them to charge differently, same as if your bike was charging it, they will not know it is lithium. main thing is don't over charge lithium's by leaving on charge all the time, unless it is a designed charger
Ah, Jez. So you have got 'wisdom'. Makes complete sense now that I think about it. It's not as if the Lithium is going to take a 'different' type of electricity! Cheers!!
I have lithium on mine, with a home made solar charger set at 13.1 v this keeps the alarm sorted and the battery good, They dont like to be stored over charged, this reduces the life
Li batteries have very small Ah capacity so you can quickly drain the battery if you have any current draw when the bike if off. In addition if they are down to 12.8v they have reached a state of deep discharge You can use an classic charger (not intelligent) without desulfation cycle but you will have to disconnect it once you reach the full charge state (13.8~14.4v) If you want a fully compatible charger, Ctek then optimate would be on my list followed by battery tender and noco. What jez mentioned is very good policy for lead acid and Cteck is the only charger which has a 10 day rest period (in addition to voltage drop monitoring), for Li batteries, I don't know
Cheers guys. I've bit the bullet. I got a good price on an Oxford product, but just this morning ordered the Optimate from SportsBikeShop. They have a very good offer at the moment: https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/248878
be careful with a classic charger as most will have an open circuit voltage of about 17volts, a lead acid when it gets to 14v will stop taking a charge, your lithium will still try to take a charge until it cooks. so you will have to manually check it is not over charging as bonjo said keep on or below 14v. mine at a constant 13.1 is fine as it is stored between oct and april, then starts ok
Turns out there's a feature Lithium batteries on page 27 of April's O2W (On Two Wheels) paper free from dealers. Interesting feature that states Lithium need a sustained low current charge as opposed to the lead battery's requirement of a high current charge. Full credit to Jez for his solar charger. Won't be my scene; I can't even get my damn solar garden lights to work properly.
I will most probably swicth to Li battery when it is time to replace my lead one, by which time I hope prices of charger & bat have come down and better selections available. jez: very good point about charge open voltage as 15V & above will fry the Li battery (or damage according to the manufacturers!) I wonder if what li battery will become a new what oil or what tyre lengthy discussion
Probably will as there's not a lot of info around for Li batteries. We all know they save weight but then, like any product, there will be good ones and crap. Some might think the same sort of questions become boring and routine, however, especially with newly developed tyres every year, the questions will always be here. As far as oils, I think for general road use, it's best to just follow manufacturers' recommendations. Since you've raised the 'what' topic, we haven't seen a 'what do I lube my chain with' thread for a while!!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00Y38X8WW/ref=sspa_dk_detail_5?psc=1 I got one of these connectors too to go with the Lithium charger, but was 17 quid not 22.
I have done a drawing of the solar charger I use, it is not hard to make if you have basic electrical skills.I just thought if anyone was interested, with this you can leave it connected all the time To set the output voltage put the panel in the sun. Do not connect to the bike then check input volts are above 15v. put the test meter after the diode and turn the pot until you get the required output, the voltage reg lm317t loses about 1v so when testing input must be at least 1v higher than the output. When it is up and running on your bike it may need tweeking slightly as it changes between set without a load and having a load. This will only be slight The diode on the output is to stop back feeding when dark, this will drain your battery if not fitted. Any diode will do If you have a lead acid battery you can buy an LM317 rated at 15v fixed output. This will mean you do not need the pot. When you have fitted the output diode this will drop 0.7v to give a max output charge of 14.3v. LM317 voltage regs come in either adjustable or fixed output. The fixed ones will give you its voltage in the description. Solar panel 5.5 w Ebay £9.99 LM317T voltage reg adjustable – Ebay £1 to £2 Diode 1N4001 -- Ebay 10 for 99p 1k Pot Ebay 99p 2,1mm DC plug and socket Ebay £2.00
My experience with Li-on battery was not good. Have used the Ballistic EVO 8 Cell . Street setup bike with basic mods like exhaust and fueling commanders. These batteries cant take load and I could just start the bike only first time in the morning cold start that too with a long cranking. Ride it for 30 mins , stop and try to start again and it would not take load. Changed back to normal battery and everything worked normal.
That's almost the opposite to my experience with my Ballistic EVO-8 bateries. I use it on my race bike that is kept for long periods without running (and no maintenance charge) and it starts OK after a long while. I also use an EVO-8 on my commuting bike, which has powercommander, PIIA horns, lights etc and never had any trouble with it. I do think I need to look into a charger though...
See my earlier post re: https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/248878 Good product and good price. Have been using it for a couple of weeks now. Obviously not enough time to give a good appraisal, but neither the battery nor the Optimate have exploded - AND it doesn't have to rely on the elusive sun for its performance! (Woops, sorry Jez)
I think this is where the danger lies: how do you use your bike? real world biking: all year round + accessories and the unknown or.... controlled predictable race environment what works in one doesn't nessesarily work in the other
Huh? 'Real world biking'? Am I not in the 'real world' if I choose to not ride 'all-year-round' but prefer to enjoy my bikes in good weather only? I understand your point, Bonjo, but I don't think it's relevant to the capacity of a charger to maintain a battery. In the absence of other information, I suspect that Yogeshsodah (who complains of Li-ion problems) MIGHT have had a problem elsewhere within his circuitry rather than a problem with the batter itself - unless a flawed battery might have been supplied ex-factory/retailer.
fair enough pal, maybe I should have mentioned " all conditions" instead such as like you ride and stay with friends for a couple of nights during which the temperatures drop by 10 deg or more (as they do in this country); after which you have probelms getting the bike going. This is when you get caught out. If you only use you bike in specific enviroment ( like fair weather) then it is controlled as you are the master of the play and call the shots. My comment related to the two members differing experience of their battery performance and not the charger as you rightly commented
