Boxerworks.com

I've checked out search/old threads on battery alternatives and wondering if some of you guys using non lead acid batts long term have any feed back.

Been using Odessy 925L's for years, and generally happy. But at 26.5 pounds---pretty heavy. And, thinking with Lithium tech prices getting a bit cheeper, may be someone's got feed back on a lighter lead acid alternative that'll fit for my R90S cafe project that's coming along.

Thanks for any feedback in advance.

Cheers,

p2

Over on ADV Rider there is a lot of info on alternative battery installations. Check this link on LiFePo4 batteries for Airheads:

http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/l ... ds.878908/

If it were me, I'd just try to lose 10 pounds by cutting back on the burgers!

Kurt in S.A.

Kurt in S.A. wrote:If it were me, I'd just try to lose 10 pounds by cutting back on the burgers!

If it were up to me I'd cut back on the battery weight. Much easier than cutting back on the burgers.
Ken

You don't necessarily need to go to LiFePo4 to keep eating burgers.

A 20AH AGM battery with good cranking power only weighs 12lbs.

The PC-680 weighs 15.4. I have one in my 81 R100RT and 03 R1150RT.

Ken in Oklahoma wrote:

Kurt in S.A. wrote:If it were me, I'd just try to lose 10 pounds by cutting back on the burgers!

If it were up to me I'd cut back on the battery weight. Much easier than cutting back on the burgers.
Ken

Yea that's what we need: high red meat fats and refined carbs.

Zombie Master wrote:

Ken in Oklahoma wrote:

Kurt in S.A. wrote:If it were me, I'd just try to lose 10 pounds by cutting back on the burgers!

If it were up to me I'd cut back on the battery weight. Much easier than cutting back on the burgers.
Ken

Yea that's what we need: high red meat fats and refined carbs.

Right---and Dell'Ortos are very refined carbs . . .

p2squared wrote:... may be someone's got feed back on a lighter lead acid alternative that'll fit for my R90S cafe project that's coming along.

Thanks for any feedback in advance.

Cheers,

p2

Small and light LiFePO4 batteries are great. The best reviewed brands appear to be:

Antigravity - http://antigravitybatteries.com

Shorai - http://shoraipower.com

Alien Motion - http://www.alienmotion.com

The Alien Motion appears to be the least expensive and Antigravity is the only brand that offers cool battery boxes.

I have one suggestion based on experience... match your OEM Amp-Hours and CCA as close as you can. I went with a smaller Shorai model based on recommendation by salesperson at Cyclegear and it worked fine unless you hat to hit the start button a 3rd time. Then it didn't have enough amps to turn the engine over.

If you are going to hide the battery under the seat or rear cowling and need to go with a really small battery you will need to run 2 batteries in parallel so you don't run into the problem I did. When connecting in Parallel you are doubling the capacity (amp hours) of the battery while maintaining the voltage of one of the individual batteries:

http://www.zbattery.com/Connecting-Batt ... r-Parallel

Also NEVER jump start a LiFePO4 battery, it ruins it. Ask me how I know LoL.

Went with Shorai LFX21L6-BS12. 94 W/Hr, 21 A/Hr, 315 CCA, AND was able to shed 23+ lbs. of lead acid battery weight. From 26.5 lbs. on the old Odessey 925, to just 3 lbs. on the new one.

Much smaller than the battery box and old style, so fabbed up an aluminum bottom for batt. box, used some foam that came with new batt to raise it up 12mm or so to where the top cross piece keeps it firmly in place and done.

Performance wise, can't tell any difference ---cranks just fine.

Bottom line---happy-ness. Achieved what I was after. Didn't give up beer or burgers.

p2