Battery chargers

azb

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I have been keeping a standard Battery Tender Jr plugged in on my Beta’s lithium battery since 2012. No issue whatsoever. Now it’s plugged into my Super Tenere’s lithium. I have my Beta plugged into a lithium Jr now.
There is no need to leave them plugged in. They can sit for years with very little self discharge. I bought a lion battery for my Tenere 2 years ago at a great price thinking I'd replace my lead acid battery soon enough. The lead acid battery finally failed to start, so I checked the voltage of the lion battery after sitting for 2 years and it was 13.2 volts. Started the bike with more alacrity and certainty than the lead acid ever did with no time on the charger.

Its different tech and requires a different mindset.
 

scott123007

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Can someone give me some advise? I’m about to drop $200 for A Shorai Lithium Battery LFX19A4-BS12 unless someone can tell me different. It seems to be the best value I can find for my 12 S10
Hey Kevin, I keep a bike up at a friends house in Ellijay that only gets ridden about 3 times a year. I installed the same Shorai you are asking about over 6 years ago and the bike still starts like I put it in yesterday. It is not kept on a battery tender between rides, but it will get "charged" the day before I am going to ride the bike, even though it only takes about 15 minutes for the charger to go into maintenance mode. If you shop on Ebay, you can get that battery for around $160 with free shipping.
 

Checkswrecks

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The opposite of lead acid, keeping a lithium battery on a tender is bad for it. Charge it, disconnect it to stop the parasitic drains of clocks and devices with memory, and it'll last all winter.

On a related and fwiw note, cell phones can be made to last a LOT longer than most peoples' do. Use a lower amp charger or wireless one to slow the charge rate and don't just let it charge all night every night. Stop the charge at around 90% and don't be afraid to let the charge get low. Never put your phone on the dash in the heat of the sun too.

. . . a YTZ14 is really a great bang for the buck. Just don't expect it to last much more than 4 or 5 years. Less if you are banging around off road.
https://earthxbatteries.com/shop/etx36c
The AGMs are lasting 5+ years and if buying a re-labeled 14 then they are about $60-$70. That's longer than most people keep a motorcycle and even if you own it 10 years that's still less than a lithium.
 

azb

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The opposite of lead acid, keeping a lithium battery on a tender is bad for it. Charge it, disconnect it to stop the parasitic drains of clocks and devices with memory, and it'll last all winter.

On a related and fwiw note, cell phones can be made to last a LOT longer than most peoples' do. Use a lower amp charger or wireless one to slow the charge rate and don't just let it charge all night every night. Stop the charge at around 90% and don't be afraid to let the charge get low. Never put your phone on the dash in the heat of the sun too.



The AGMs are lasting 5+ years and if buying a re-labeled 14 then they are about $60-$70. That's longer than most people keep a motorcycle and even if you own it 10 years that's still less than a lithium.
Two of my bikes are 20 and 30 years old. My newest bike is the 2012 S10, and I can imagine keeping it until I retire from riding. While the agm batteries are fine batteries, and are cheaper, there are other significant advantages to lion other than cost. Many of us would spend hundreds to lose 10 lbs of weight, for example. ( I meant 10 lbs off the bike, but yeah, it goes for the belly fat too.)

I have been using agm batteries for over 20 years, so I was an early adopter. I heard many of the same arguments about cost/value comparing them to "wet" batteries back then. But owning many bikes, it was worth it to have the slower discharge rate, higher cca, and no maintenance. Not to mention longer duty cycles. I typically got 7 years out of expensive Odyssey batteries, while lead acid in the same bike were doing well to last 3-4.

So it's worth the expense to me. Everyone has different needs and wants.
 
B

ballisticexchris

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There is no need to leave them plugged in. They can sit for years with very little self discharge. I bought a lion battery for my Tenere 2 years ago at a great price thinking I'd replace my lead acid battery soon enough. The lead acid battery finally failed to start, so I checked the voltage of the lion battery after sitting for 2 years and it was 13.2 volts. Started the bike with more alacrity and certainty than the lead acid ever did with no time on the charger.

Its different tech and requires a different mindset.
I too have left my bike unplugged for a really long time. I figured since I have a tender why not use it.

The opposite of lead acid, keeping a lithium battery on a tender is bad for it. Charge it, disconnect it to stop the parasitic drains of clocks and devices with memory, and it'll last all winter.

On a related and fwiw note, cell phones can be made to last a LOT longer than most peoples' do. Use a lower amp charger or wireless one to slow the charge rate and don't just let it charge all night every night. Stop the charge at around 90% and don't be afraid to let the charge get low. Never put your phone on the dash in the heat of the sun too.



The AGMs are lasting 5+ years and if buying a re-labeled 14 then they are about $60-$70. That's longer than most people keep a motorcycle and even if you own it 10 years that's still less than a lithium.
Pretty interesting info. I have not had the pleasure of a power sport lead acid/AGM battery last much more than a few years. All the vibration and pounding takes a toll on them until the lead plates crack or separate. Just bad luck I guess. As far as leaving the tender on, the EarthX has both overcharge and discharge circuits. It's really a slick battery. I'm all about function and reliability. But yes it comes at a price. It was a hard pill to swallow when I got this battery. I was really tempted to get the TTZ14. The price is an amazing value for what you get.

As far as chargers I have been a fan of the Battery Tender brand for over 20 years. Just recently I purchased a solar powered battery maintainer. This thing is really slick. It keeps my truck battery at 12.6 volts. Just stick it to the window facing south and plug it into the lighter socket.

Go to the reviews and filter to the most recent for my take on it:
https://www.amazon.com/POWOXI-Portable-Waterproof-Maintainer-Amorphous/dp/B07F9RNM1D/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=527KD0JQTPD&keywords=powoxi+solar+battery+charger&qid=1579707815&sprefix=powoxi,aps,206&sr=8-1-spons&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzNEZIQUZZSkVBSFBXJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzY4MjM5V0paQURNNDJCUkRJJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA1MzE1NzhVSzc4OTRUQk9WQ1omd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl&th=1
 

Sierra1

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Odyssey batteries are very good batteries, but they are also very expensive batteries. "Regular" AGM batteries will last 3-4 years at about a third of the cost. I don't think I ever got a lead acid to last more than two years. I don't know who the vendor for Yamaha batteries is, but my son's '14 FJR is still on the original battery....without a 'tender. It does stay in a garage, and he does ride often, but, that is the sign of a good battery.
 

Cycledude

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Rib lake wi
Yuasa AGM batteries have been excellent for me, the first AGM battery in my wing was still working perfectly at 206,000 miles but a load test said it was time to replace it so that’s what I did. If I ever see a good reason to switch to lithium-ion i might switch but the slight weight difference is no reason for me to switch.
 
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kevinsmithga

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Atlanta
Hey Kevin, I keep a bike up at a friends house in Ellijay that only gets ridden about 3 times a year. I installed the same Shorai you are asking about over 6 years ago and the bike still starts like I put it in yesterday. It is not kept on a battery tender between rides, but it will get "charged" the day before I am going to ride the bike, even though it only takes about 15 minutes for the charger to go into maintenance mode. If you shop on Ebay, you can get that battery for around $160 with free shipping.
Thanks Scott for the info. This will be my second Shorai battery. I’m very with the first.
 
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