Lithium v lead acid batteries

[Brett WilliamsMember]

Seasons greetings! Doing some long overdue maintenance on my bike today and took the battery (Yuasa YT7B-BS) out to clean the airbox properly. The batt looks pretty crappy and has signs of quite severe chaffing from vibration etc, plus I have flattened it a couple of times recently, so am looking at a replacement.
Question is lithium or lead acid again? $80-odd bucks for lead acid, $160-odd for lithium. Looking at the various forums around, lithiums read very well. Two brands seem to be mentioned more often than others – SSB and Shorai. Does anyone have any recent experience? Are there local stockists in Sydney? Sherco doesn’t have a kick start and I rely 100% on the magic button.
Any help or comments appreciated.
Cheers budge

[Adam RodgersMember]

Budge,

I bought a lithium from Hollyhock batteries $110 delivered I think. So far so good, and 1kg lighter. Coastal KTM stocks them now too for similar price.

Adam.

[murph the surfMember]

My bike is now well over two years old.
Will be looking at these Lithium batteries for the future.
They seem the go
Won’t change it till I have to though :whistle:
Cheers
Murph

[Brett WilliamsMember]

What brand Adam? I was reading on an earlier post about the Shorai not being water proof. Are batteries usually water proof?
Cheers

[Matt BakerMember]

I have had SSB lithium bats in 2 non kickstart bikes now (Bergs), they are the shit, light as a feather, fast cranking, hold charge for ages and quick to trickle charge.

Cost me about $120 from a bike shop.

[GregMember]

The KTM 530 I was riding for a while was always troublesome to start. Couldn’t seem to get a battery that would do the job. The standard one failed in the first couple of months. Steve gave me an EarthX lithium battery for it from his shop Adventure Moto ( it was his bike ) and it was a good thing from then on. I have tried one in the tenere and wasn’t impressed it semed to have dramas keeping it charged between rides as the accessories drain the system and the battery failed. It was a Shorai from memory, they did credit it but Some lithium batteries require a special charger (the EarthX doesn’t) read up very carefully from experience. Lefty has one in his 640 that has been going well. I don’t keep my bikes long enough now to worry as the battery that comes in them will do the job :laugh:

https://www.adventuremoto.com.au/index.php?cPath=252_272

If you call them and tell them your a old bull they will look after you

TB

[Alan RootsMember]

I have had a shorai in my 950 for the past 2 years , been fantastic , been submerged in the Macquarie river , survived a dud regulator on an outback trip and still going strong and about one third the weight of the original Yuasa . I’ll not be shopping for any other brand at replacement time .

[MARTIN TWINEMember]

GDay Budge,

Definetly go the Lithium, and as LC has said they are the go.

Ive got a Shorai in my KTM 450,had it 1 year and it cranks quicker,charges quicker, light as, and smaller in physical size.
They suggest a 9 amp hr but i went the 14 amp hr for good measure.

As TB said,some Lithium need a special charger, as do the Shorai ones.I bought this also and everything is apples.

[Adam RodgersMember]

budge wrote:

What brand Adam? I was reading on an earlier post about the Shorai not being water proof. Are batteries usually water proof?
Cheers

I have the SSB Budge.

I got it just after the OB Birthday ride.

Adam.

[Brett WilliamsMember]

Thanks for the feedback. I’ll look into when the bike shops are open again, hopefully next weekend! Cheers Budge

[drewMember]

I’ve had a 7amp hour sealed lead acid battery in my 02 640 since mid 09.

Holds charge for months of sitting. If it doesn’t have enough grunt cold, I wind her over a couple of times with the decompressor in, releas it mid winding and she starts every time and easy there after.

Was around $30-40 from a jaycar stockests.

Only draw back is they don’t have the bolt posts like the bike batteries. They have flat terminals.

There was a bike on evilBay a while back, a dealers demo. They had fitted a cordless drill batt. But I don’t know how they would handle being hooked up to a constant charge system. You are supposed to run them flat before charging.

[Geoff ForshawMember]

I have an SSB on my 640 and no issues at all. Can use std charger too

Cheers,

Lefty

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