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Question on Batteries...

10K views 10 replies 10 participants last post by  Bonaventure 
#1 ·
So yesterday I took my 2015 in for her first service and had a nice long chat with the Service Manager... (Very Nice lady) BTW, so we start talking about my bike, and she tells me that Ducati's don't work well with aftermarket parts, Specifically K&N oil filters, Batteries... And then goes on to say that aftermarket batteries, can damage the bikes electronics and ECU, she specifically mentioned "Shorai" and a couple of others to avoid. My question is have any of you guy's ever had problems with the electronics and was able to link it back to the aftermarket battery?

I've owned and used "Shorai" in every Honda that i've owned and have never had an issue.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Ducati doesn't make batteries so I'm not sure what she's talking about when she says "aftermarket batteries."

Stick with the lead/acid batteries and you'll be fine. Doesn't matter who makes it, just make sure it is rated the same as what Ducati recommends. I was talking with the head mechanic at my local Ducati dealer and he said he wouldn't recommend a lithium battery for the Multistrada because there is always a slight drain on battery because of the bikes electronics and those lithium batteries don't like that constant drain.

I think my Multistrada came with a Yuasa battery.
 
#7 ·
Lithium Batteries

I fly radio controlled helicopters and all five of mine use lithium ion batteries. I've spent a ton of money on batteries, special chargers and charge management electronics to keep them up. I've also spent some time learning about the technology. In a small flying craft weight demands a highly efficient power package. Frankly, I don't want lithium highly charged up sitting near my seat if you catch my drift. While all the hover board hurrah is really about crap quality, lithium ion as a power storage medium carries way more risk than our good old lead acid batteries. Unless you are spending thousands to shave off a few pounds for the track, I don't get the risk/reward equation. While I don't always agree with everything a manufacturer says, our battery specs are safe, functional and reliable. Wish the rest of my riding was too.
 
#9 ·
I personally hated the Shorai i bought for my Multi. As it was mentioned before the little current draw that the multi has gave this battery fits. Especially when the temps dipped below 40 at night. The battery would go totally flat over night, when i say flat i'm not talking about the battery needed the "warmup" procedure before it would start, i mean it would not even light the dash kind of flat even if plugged into a tender.

I have a shorai in my TW200 and it works perfect for that but that bike has no current draw and also has a kick start just in case...

funny she mentioned K&N oil filters, mine works just fine with them and they are what my dealer installs at my request when they do the annual service on the bike.
 
#10 ·
On the surface I would have to agree with the comment about getting a job at the Gap. Depending on your goal, there are stock bits that arguably should be replaced, some that probably should not, and some for which it won't make much difference. Depends on the item, and how you use the bike. Your desire for Max horsepower, torque, durability, aesthetics, comfort, etc., are what drive that equation, whereas stock parts are about profitability, emissions, and that sort of thing.

But there is the goofy stuff we consumers sometimes buy and slap on the bikes, and when the bike goes in for service at a dealer, they are stuck trying to figure out the source (smoking gun) for a problem the bike may have, which can obviously be complicated with the addition of non-stock parts. They, the dealer, can't be responsible for every little mod and non-stock item that comes along and how it effects the bike, so many dealers just steer you away from them.

All that said, I've had fine success with K&N oil filters on multiple Ducatis over the last 20+ years, including my current 1200 Multi. Are they better or worse? I'm not touching that, but they are at least ok, and of course lower cost if purchased smartly, versus an OEM Ducati filter from the dealer.
My (AGM) non-lithium battery has not given me any issues (knock on wood), so i leave it be. The idea of the lithium battery is appealing, but the reality isn't appealing enough for me just yet.... too little gain for the number of potential issues. But that's just me, and lots of folks have had great success with Lithium batt's.
 
#11 ·
I wouldn't use a K&N oil filter on a DVT. Mainly because the Desmodromic Variable Timing relies on the oiling system, specifically, if I understand it correctly, the variable valve timing actuator relies on specific oil pressure parameters. Just me, but I would want only OEM parts in the oil system of a DVT for that reason. The K&N is a re-labeled Hiflo Filtro HF-153:

http://www.ducati.ms/forums/120-oil...o-filtro-similarities-beyond-coincidence.html

This is not a bad thing for the quality of the K&N oil filter, I am just saying that on 2015, 2016 Multi I personally would stick with the Ducati OEM oil filter due to how the variable valve timing system works. Mainly because we don't know the pressure rating of the bypass valve inside the Ducati OEM oil filter vs. the bypass valve inside the K&N (HiFlo Filtro) 153. Does the HiFlo/K&N have the same opening psi threshold as the Ducati OEM filter? We don't know. Does the filter going into bypass even matter to the variable valve timing apparatus of the DVT? We don't know. So, I would stick with OEM because we don't know.
 
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