Lightweight Batteries!

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Mina

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Does anybody have any experience with these!?
The battery on my 05 600RR kept dying, no matter how long I left it running for or how much I rode it.
It constantly needed a bump start/boost.

Any recommendation is greatly appreciated, thanks!
 
Are you sure it's a battery problem? Sounds like regulator/rectifier/stator?

I have the Shorai, got it from Flying Squirrel. Starts my R1 like a champ as long as it's not under 8 degrees C outside. If it's going to be a cold night and I know I'm going to be riding in the morning I bring the battery inside for the night. Started my bike like a champ, even when it was -26c outside (don't ever recommend riding in that though :( ).

I didn't buy the balancing charger, just used my battery tender Jr. to top it up twice during winter storage and if I had been doing a lot of work on the bike/stop/start/fans etc (when replacing the radiator, was worried I would run the battery down so just plugged it in to be safe).
 
Got my Shorai from Glen #1. Had a problem with it, faulty unit died. Shorai in the States wanted me to ship to them at my cost. also had a problem with shipping a Lithium battery through Ups or Fed-Ex. do not remember who.
Problem solved very easy. Called Glen and he said forget shipping, etc . Took it back to him instant swop.
Battery is now as good as Gold. Never a problem starting.
 
got ballistic from pete, no problem at all, less than 2lbs,
"No trickle charger required, loses only 10% of charge over a year of static use"
 
Have the Ballistic also....a nice way to drop 5.5-6 lbs without dieting. The only thing that somewhat annoys me about it is the requirement to jury rig the mounting arrangement since the case is so much smaller. Something about stuffing foam in the mounting area rubs me the wrong way. I do like not needing to put it on a trickle over the winter though.
 
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+1 for the Ballistic, been using one since last winter in my V-Strom after having trouble starting in cooler weather with my old battery.

Even in -25C, the battery would (eventually) crank; takes a few tries but that's the intended behaviour. It's a good idea to get one size larger than required for your bike, especially if you ride in cold weather as I do. i.e. I have the 12-cell but only really need the 8-cell, and it still only takes up about 2/3 the space and a fraction of the weight of the stock battery.

A guy was parked at L&L a few weeks back with a custom cruiser, blasting music from a crazy sound system he'd rigged up (I seem to recall him saying it used dual amps, subs in the hardbags etc) and was running the whole thing off a single Ballistic battery. That was quite impressive.
 
Is it ok to lay these batteries on their side when mounting them? Might need to (custom application)
 
silverbullet132 said:
Is it ok to lay these batteries on their side when mounting them? Might need to (custom application)
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Yes, there is no liquid. Although they can get warm, make sure not to put them in the line of heat.

Shorai is now selling trickle chargers for lithiums. It is best to keep them fully charged.
 
I've got a Shorai as well. Started my FZ1 fine in cold weather 3-5ish degrees. I left it in the bike all winter un-tended and it fired up just fine come spring.
 
Shorai in my CBR - love it. Rode on some pretty cold days right up until Christmas, then a few days in January. I think February was the only month I didn't ride. Still no charging required to start it again in March. Comes well packaged, lots of cool adhesive foam bits to line your battery box.
 
Having tried both Shorai and Ballistic (I have one each, in different bikes), I think the Shorai is the better battery. The Shorai destined for (and sized for) my FZR400 race bike started my ZX10R last year no problem. The 8-cell Ballistic that I bought for the ZX10R after sorting out the FZR's charging system is just barely adequate despite being physically larger, and does not like even moderately cool weather. Granted, stuff happened inside that engine in the meantime (more compression) - but I'm planning to buy the Shorai sized for the ZX10R to replace the Ballistic and using the Ballistic in another bike that shouldn't need as much cranking current.
 
Ahhhh that explains why my experience with these batteries is so much worse than others, it was a Ballistic. Good to know, good to know.
 
Two years so far with a Ballistic 8-Cell in my ZX-10R race bike.

It is a little sluggish when it's cold but on the 2nd or 3rd start attempt (after the battery warms itself up a bit by cranking the motor) it will start normally.
 
Does anybody have any opinion on how the Yuasa batteries cope? Riderschoice seems to sell them.
 
e90 said:
Does anybody have any opinion on how the Yuasa batteries cope? Riderschoice seems to sell them.
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Those are basically OEM replacement lead-acid batteries.

They're good but they won't give you any weight savings.
 
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