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66 Posts
What size and for what bike?
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Just installed the Shorai....wow!
The bike starts so fast it is unbelievable....
It actually cranks so fast that you can't tell from the sound that it has started ...until the combustion goes "boom!"
It actually cranks so fast that you can't tell from the sound that it has started ...until the combustion goes "boom!"
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352 Posts
I have installed last week the shorai LFX18A1 on my 1198 and I am quite happy with the battery. There's not a lot of gain in starting power, but I can see a little improvement.
On the other side, damn, this battery is light, about the same weight like my laptop battery
I can't speak about the life of this battery, but if 4 years from now it is still cranking my bike up then it makes all the money.
On the other side, damn, this battery is light, about the same weight like my laptop battery
I can't speak about the life of this battery, but if 4 years from now it is still cranking my bike up then it makes all the money.
I've got Cycle Cat frame sliders on my 1997 Ducati 916 requiring a smaller battery than recommended: LFX14L2-BS12
However, the smaller than stock conventional battery that it replaced had like 100 CCA...barely enough to dependably start the bike (especially when cold). This lithium battery has more than double the CCA!
I have heard mixed reports but finally pulled the trigger because of the much higher CCA capacity for the size (due to the frame sliders the available space was fixed and limited).
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1,269 Posts
I read that these lithium batteries are not good with bikes that have parasitic draws. I assume that security systems qualify as parasitic, any thoughts on this?
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18 amp hours is 18 amp hours no matter what time frame you put on it.
Lithium batteries hold charge much better than lead acid ones.
Never had mine on a charger yet except for when I gave it a 10 minute boost at 10 amps when it went flat because of regulator failure on the bike on a run.
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Lithium batteries hold charge much better than lead acid ones.
Never had mine on a charger yet except for when I gave it a 10 minute boost at 10 amps when it went flat because of regulator failure on the bike on a run.
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66 Posts
Thanks for the info duc995
"not good" isn't really accurate- parasitic draw (like the immobilizer on my 749) negates the minimal self-discharge rate benefit over substantial periods of time when the bike is just sitting.
Even if you write that benefit off and pickup a charger, the lithium iron batteries generally weigh at least 10lbs less than a lead acid battery and will start the bike faster and more consistently (assuming you aren't storing the bike in cold weather). For me, it was a no brainer and I've been very happy with the performance of my Alien Motion 8 cell battery thus far...the above mentioned caveats mean that these batteries might not be for absolutely everybody.
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2,070 Posts
Have had problems with my Shorai - the 18AH variety. I got it because my 999s was a hard starter. Shorai did not indicate that the battery required a specific starting regimen in the cold, and I got it last November. Over the winter, it would not start the 999 right off, much worse than the Yuasa to be sure. Most of the time, it didn't start it at all. There were other issues with the bike, all of which have been solved, and I have had the Shorai on its proprietary charger the entire time, so that is not an issue. When the weather got warm, it started correctly, but I don't have any respect for a manufacturer that appears to obscure intentionally the deficits of its products.
For my part, I still don't really trust the battery. I've had it not start my bike too many times. It seems to work well in warmer weather, but when the cold sets in, it's basically a liability. I know others have had a different experience, but having spent about $270 for the battery and charger, it either should work as advertised or it is a bunch of junk. On the fence right now. We'll see this winter. But out of all the egregious number of dollars I've spent on Ducati parts, the Shorai has been undoubtedly the greatest disappointment.
Ron
For my part, I still don't really trust the battery. I've had it not start my bike too many times. It seems to work well in warmer weather, but when the cold sets in, it's basically a liability. I know others have had a different experience, but having spent about $270 for the battery and charger, it either should work as advertised or it is a bunch of junk. On the fence right now. We'll see this winter. But out of all the egregious number of dollars I've spent on Ducati parts, the Shorai has been undoubtedly the greatest disappointment.
Ron
I feel your pain...and I'm hoping for better luck. I have had problems with the small lead-acid battery in the cold - and I've read reports like yours about the poor tolerance of the new lithium batteries in the cold - but I've become desperate due to the need for use of a smaller than OEM battery with the frame sliders; nothing else that fits in the available space has turned the bike over like this!
With cold starts lithium will always be sluggish until it warms up a bit. We always recommend going up one cell configuration if you live in a cold weather area. For example for a customer with a 750cc bike who lives in Florida I would recommend one of our 8 cell batteries. But for a customer with that same exact set up who lives in New York I would tell them to bump up to the 12 cell. Because of its larger size it has more capacity and higher CCA for more start attempts. We have customers in Canada that run our batteries in -10 weather. They turn on their lights while they are gearing up and thats enough to get that battery warmed up.
Antigravity Batteries Online Store
Antigravity Batteries Online Store
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4 Posts
Ditto. Amazing crank even in the cold!
I own and ride two-wheeled, Italian thoroughbreds. Yes, you are jealous.
I own and ride two-wheeled, Italian thoroughbreds. Yes, you are jealous.
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546 Posts
My shoria would start my track 749 perfectly every time and i was very happy with it. I think I have the mid size one...not the 18. anyways i went to a track this fall and in the morning when the temp was just around 5C or 40F the bike wouldnt turn over on the first few attempts...I wasnt too excited to see that but I guess the three or four attempts heated the thing up and then it started...I'll be ready next time for this as I wasn't really aware of the cold being such a problem. Prob plug the tender in for a bit to warm it up before starting...
You can drop 10 lbs of body weight in 2 weeks if you tried......FREE. I had issues with the Shorai LFX18. It kept shutting itself down, some sort of stress sensor was triggered. They sent me a second one which had this internal protection circuit removed but it still would occasionally shut the electrical system down. I would have to reset my clock.
Plus even w/ my 1038cc HC piston kit I really didn't notice a diff. over the YUASA in starting.
But Shoria was super about refunding me for the battery and charger. I was disappointed because I hoped it would help start my kitted engine more efficiently. Maybe I'll try another some day....
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