i have a Shorai Lithium battery in my Repsol CBR 1000RR that’s over 2 yrs now and I have only charged it up 1 time and it was hardly drained and that was November of 2022 so it’s been over a year now since I last charged it, plus on top of that I didn’t ride the bike for the last 10 weeks until yesterday and it started up instantly, I was very impressed! Talk about low maintenance, Best battery I ever owned and ran in a bike. i hope this helps with your decision…FTG

 

I have been using a shorai lithium battery on my Bonneville for 4 years now and it's still working fine. I also upgraded the voltage regulator/ rectifier to a MOSFET shindengen unit. You should also be aware that as long as the charge rate of the voltage reg/rec does not exceed 14.8v the lithium battery will be ok.
I am in the UK so normal average temperatures for the seasons can vary from around -5⁰c in winter to around 30⁰c in the summer without any problems with the lithium battery, but it should be pointed out that lithium batteries dont like very cold temperatures (so I have purchased a NOCO genius g1100 battery charger that has a setting for charging lithium batteries as well as lead acid AGM batteries as a precaution)

 

I have lithium batteries on all my bikes and would buy nothing else. All current generation ones have battery management so overcharging seems to be a thing of the past (they don't like to be overcharged and once that happens won't recover).

On cold days some bikes won't start on the first one or two tries as the battery has to 'wake up' before it delivers full amperage. It's not that they don't like cold, they have no feelings one way or the other

By the third try they have always started my bikes, including big beasts like the Buell 1250r.

I don't use a trickle charger ever. I don't even think about batteries any more.

 

I have a Shorai that is just hitting 10 years old. It was in my CRF450 Honda originally for the first 4 years. Moving back to my home town where it is colder it would not turn the 450 over if below 50°F to 55°F, so I moved it to my Majesty scooter where it still has enough umph to crank it over.
Was it worth the money ? I will not be buying another one. I never really trusted it since cold effects it and they are just too expensive. Second thing is that I have since seen first hand what happens when and Li goes up in flames.
I'm sticking to Gel or AGM batteries in all my rides. Third thing is that now that I do not live in Hell anymore, regular batteries last a long, long time.
My Scooter that I put the Shorai in had the original OEM sealed Yuasa battery that was from 2006 !! **** you not! It is still in my shop holding a good charge, I just could not trust it being so old. But it was still going strong.
Just my 2 cents.

 

I don't quite hit your three year threshold, but for what it's worth...

Durability has not been the only reason to buy one, in my case. I like not only how long they hold a charge, but how the voltage is constant regardless of the state of charge. These bikes' ECUs are fussy about startup voltage, and this has improved my bike.

Cold weather has not been an issue. Below a certain temperature, this type of battery simply needs a light load to 'wake it up' before asking it to crank an engine. A few seconds with the headlight on does the trick.

Much of the concern you will see online about lithium batteries stems from one or both of two things: cheap, off brand batteries, or older lithium ion batteries rather than the now more common lithium iron phosphate (LiFePo), especially where either is old enough not to have a battery management system. LiFePo batteries also last a very long time, which was not generally as true for lithium ion... again, peoples' impressions of lithium batteries are heavily influenced by where in the development curve they had one.

In my case, my lithium battery would have to last 2.5 times as long as an AGM (for my bike, that would be close to ten years) to pay for itself. It's the other benefits that make it worth it. I would call it a luxury rather than an investment.

One guy, one bike, YMMV.

 

Durability has not been the only reason to buy one, in my case. I like not only how long they hold a charge, but how the voltage is constant regardless of the state of charge. These bikes' ECUs are fussy about startup voltage, and this has improved my bike.

Lithium is, I think/hope/reckon the answer to the dreaded click. As Scrammy was posted "the voltage is constant."

That is, a battery such as the Shorai LFX18L1-BS12 Lithium-Iron Powersport Battery ... Which FITS JUST FINE in the small space of my 2011 America model with the ECU next to the battery .... never tells the ECU that the voltage is too low. It has four 3.3-volt cells. And, like your phone battery, it doesn't get weaker then not have the 11.9 volts or so giving the ECU the big OK.

OK, that is why TODDAY I bought the above, $192. I can only hope it is true. I accidentally and foolishly let my bike sit too long outdoors in the weather. I tell myself I don't, then discover, oh heck, I did. And it damages the battery. I charge, it works fine if I ride every two days, then if I ride Sunday but not again til Saturday... rrr click then nothing. So, I believe this will fix me. PLUS, they supposedly, pound of pound and inch for inch are more powerful for the space they take. thus the teeny battery of a 2011 America gets a same size battery that is more powerful. I hope.
The following excerpt from an engineer at Shoria battery company that makes Lithium IRON battery that fits my bike explains more clearly than me:

Another benefit of lithium batteries is that, unlike lead-acid ones, they deliver full power output until they completely discharge. By full power, we mean over 13 volts. So, lithium will deliver current over 13 volts until the bitter end. We’re all familiar with the tired sounding, progressively slower starter crank of a low lead-acid battery that is near the end of its charge. At this point, you’re running at 9 or 10 volts, and with modern motorcycles, the ECU, injectors, fuel pump, and spark plugs need at least 12 volts, meaning they’re not operating at full capacity, either. Most frequently, we encounter this issue after a lead-acid battery has spent an extended time without being charged. Lithium batteries handle long-term storage much better, self-discharging only about 1% over the course of about 45 days – regardless of the temperature. (Remember, a lead-acid battery can lose as much as 1% per day in hot weather.)

 

Like others here, I've had the same experience with a Shorai (and like Mike-TT, did the mosfet upgrade a few years ago).

Originally bought the Shorai in March 2016. One winter, it went totally dead, dead. I used a solar trickle in the garage, but some dips**t kid I let work the two acres here while I was overseas covered the only window with a solar panel in it with a few sheets of plywood (stacked up outside said window). Came back to ALL batts completely dead. Since then I now do 110v trickle along with the solar panel.

Anyway, brought the Shorai back from absolute zero with a "dumb" charger (an old craftsman that doesn't care about s**t, if you ask it to charge a wooden fence post, it says, "Sir, yes SIR!")

I do keep the Triumph on the trickle when it's in the garage, but so far, no issues with starting at all, 7-years on (8 in March 2024). So for the price, it was cheaper than the classic 3-years for lead-acid, outlasted 2-1/2 of those so far. If you're gonna keep your bike forever, then def do the Shorai. When I buy/trade for anything, I plan to maintain it and keep it for life, not toss and burn every few years. Well..., except for relationships with women. Not great at maintaining or keeping those. At all.

PS. For me the seller was the weight. It took about 7-lbs off the bike. Cheapest weight loss of all. Oh, and no acid leaking all over the frame, etc.

 

PS. For me the seller was the weight. It took about 7-lbs off the bike. Cheapest weight loss of all.

Also forgot to mention this! I know people say it's cheaper to cut back on pizza and beer. But aside from the obvious problem with that, I do experience weight under me differently than weight on me...

 

Oh yeh that’s one thing I did forgot to mention that other members said above is the great weight savings besides performance.
My Shorai lithium for my CBR only weighs 1.52 lbs.. For example A Yuasa agm battery for my TTR is 9.2 lbs and Shorai lithium for my TTR is 2.12 lbs that’s a 7.8 lbs reduction, that’s awesome, a little lighter means going a little faster….FTG

 

First time I ordered a lithium battery when it was delivered I thought I'd gotten an empty box. The small ones are that light.

Another plus is that since the storage medium is solid it doesn't care what orientation you mount it: upside down or right side up it doesn't care.

 

I had one of the original battery tender LiFePO4's fail at 6 1/2 years. It did not have a battery management device in it, the replacement does.
Compared to the OEM Yausa battery that failed in just 2 years, it's worth the money to me.
I live in a hot desert, so lead acid batteries don't last long here.
On cold days (now) they do crank slowly, but soon warm up.

 

I realized As I ordered that the difference between LFX18A1-BS12 and the LFX18L1-BS12 is that letter L which is a model with the Negative pole on the LEFT whereas the letter A indicates Negative pole on the right..

 

A friend has HD "Frankenstein" with a private label Lithium-Ion Battery with almost 9 years on it. That bike starts first time every time and sits for months at a time. This convinced me that Lithium was the future. I updated my Triumph first and my HD with Antigravity Batteries recently. 1/3 the weight, 3x CCA with battery management and restart technology. I just hooked a friend up with one for his Softail. I will admit these are expensive. Some times its nice to be dealer.

 

One caveat I've always heard is to not let them go to zero, no getting them back (though I did get mine back after just such an event).

If a person wants them to last in an EFI or later Triumph, keep them on a trickle. My Thrux draws enough daily that it'll drain a battery down over a winter if not on a solar or Battery Tender trickle.

 

What was the model of the one you put in the Softie? I would not mind having a higher CCA than my battery in the HD. Takes some real muscle to roll that engine over.

 

ATX20 Lithium Motorsports Battery

Hi-Power lightweight ATX20-RS lithium motorcycle/powersports battery with RE-START Technology (built-in jump-starting). Replace YTX-20, more. 680 CA.

antigravitybatteries.com

 

An Antigravity Battery has battery management and restart technology. The battery will only discharge so far and then it goes to sleep. Press the button on the battery and the bike will fire right up

 

Duly noted. And good to know. The Shorai I have in mine was discharged to nothing when the solar panel that was trickle charging it failed to see the light of day for a few months!

 

I'm a 'no' on lithium MC batteries. I had one in my R9T and honestly never saw the benefit and in my lengthy and often very cold northeast climate there was always the worry of freezing it. Plus it required a special charger, etc. With a good quality standard battery, properly maintained, I couldn't tell you the difference.

 

With a good quality standard battery, properly maintained, I couldn't tell you the difference.

I certainly don't doubt that this has been true for you. But I can assure you that the succession of AGM batteries I've had in my Triumph were top quality, and impeccably commissioned and maintained, and it didn't work out that way for me. My other four bikes, yes, I couldn't make a case for lithium on a bet, even on the one with more electronics than the space shuttle. I, too, would not be able to tell the difference. But not my Triumph.

 

I've had the smallest Antigravity available in my 900 for over 2 years plus however long the PO had it in there. Almost 8 lbs lighter than the OEM.

 

Great. Looks like "Battery Tender" has stopped selling batteries on their website. Deltran says they are all out of stock.
I was going to say I liked their 4 post tops, which means you can put the battery in anyway around to suit the cables... but...

I think other makers are doing this now

 

4 post tops, which means you can put the battery in any way around to suit the cables... but...

Ya know, it makes me chuckle to think how very simple this idea is and yet never have I seen it before.
I wonder if it WILL catch on.

 

Sure is nice for people that have accessories. Good idea that I had never seen before either.

 

I've just been to the Shorai website to look up which battery fits my '03 T100 but it looks like they don't offer anything for pre-2011 Bonnies. Revzilla says the Shorai LFX18A1-BS12 both DOES and DOES NOT fit the '03 T100 which would be annoying if it weren't out of stock. Can anyone say for sure which model(s) fit the 2001-2005 T100's? Thanks. -Tim

 

Isn't your stock battery a YTX12-BS (150mm x 87mm x 130mm)? You'll need to shim up and out the Shorai to fit. I think they come with foam in different thicknesses.

 

why bother when a typical AGM lasts a long time IF kept charged!! my 13 Vic Hammer has the OE battery as do my 18 + 19 triumphs + my CTek 4.3 keeps them healthy along with my garage queen 2001 TT roadster + my DD 2011 Fronty!! IMO most basic batteries last a long time if driven a LOT or charged when not used much. being in Pa my bikes are retired for the season + get charged regularly with the CTek + the cheep battery tender i had did not keep the batteries properly charged IMO!! Most riders would do better loosing a few lbs than messing with a lightweight battery unless racing professionally!!

 

why bother when a typical AGM lasts a long time IF kept charged!!

Point taken.
However, for some of us, it is a pain in the butt to keep a charge on it because bike is stored outdoors 30 feet away from an outlet.

 

As a side doubt, I have been checking and while regular voltage level and discharge power uses to be higher in LiFePo batts... it seems usually the true full capacity in Ah is lower (unless you pay indecent prices). Sellers always include some FAQ or information telling about how different chemicals are and how efficient the amperage process makes it not necessary so much capacity... BUT if you use batt power not simply to start the bike but also to provide power to devices... Ah load is Ah load, and half the capacity means half the power.

That could be a clear issue if there are permanent devices in the bike like alarms or my case, a GPS active locator, that could drain the capacity in much lower times if bike is stopped for some time.

Some of you guys have positive/negative experiences on this?

 

Can anyone say for sure which model(s) fit

Maybe the people at batterymart dot com (USA) can tell you what sizes of Shoria batteries are available.
Like post 33 and 34 above... fitting a smaller battery need not be a problem.

Note to 2011 Triumph America owners:
It just so happens that the LFX 18A1-BS12 is very nearly the same size as the original equipment of a 2011 America. It is not smaller. (well - slightly shorter)
On this year-model America, the ECU is positioned next to the battery and the battery is smaller than most, and sometimes difficult to spec-out, with a too-large-to-fit battery frequently offered by vendors. Later models of the AMERICA maybe Moved the ECU? I don't know.
My new LFX18A1-BS12 arrived, but not installed. I'm kinda busy with Christmas.

it seems usually the true full capacity in Ah is lower

I am frustrated by my lack of knowledge, but does it matter if the AH is lower simply because more appliances... heated grips, extra lights or whatever are used? As long as bike starts, my reckoning is that the bike's charging system provides the power/charging needed to both power the electrics and keep the battery topped off?

 

I am frustrated by my lack of knowledge, but does it matter if the AH is lower simply because more appliances... heated grips, extra lights or whatever are used? As long as bike starts, my reckoning is that the bike's charging system provides the power/charging needed to both power the electrics and keep the battery topped off?

He asks an interesting question, though. Unlike a car, a bike isn't powered by the charging system when it's running. It's powered by the battery all the time (stator generates AC, which goes to the reg/rec for conversion to DC and to shed excess voltage as heat, and then sends 14-ish stable DC volts to the battery, which powers everything from the spark plugs to the ecu to the lights). I honestly don't know if it's possible to overwhelm a battery in the way @jesus malaga describes

EDIT: Like the old fart I am, I've repeated myself in this post... sorry. Still an interesting question, though.

 

I have a 2018 Harley Toad King with the original battery, no problems with it. I put the tender on it most of the time in the winter, I rotate amongst three other bikes. My Triumph is a 2020, I noted this fall that when I had my heated jacket on, the odometer was acting funky when the voltage was down. I think the battery needs to be replaced. I bought a battery tester for about $70, I test each battery in the spring with a load test, and is VERY accurate regarding the health of the battery. My Harley battery always aces the test, my Triumph is showing weakness, so will replace that. I agree with the fact - do NOT allow your battery to discharge, make sure you have it fully charged throughout the off season and they seem to last.

 

I've been using a lithium battery on my Bonneville (and my Vespa) all season. I've used the same two batteries on various other bikes including my BMW G650GS as well. No issues.

I typically recommend AntiGravity, but they're a bit more expensive.

In truth though, your battery's longevity is going to come down to how you care for it. I also have a Yuasa battery that's 8+ years old. I use desulphating battery chargers on the lead acid and agm batteries and plug them in when the bikes aren't going to be in use for more than a day or two.

With proper care and attention, a quality battery can last many years. It often just comes down to what you paid for, how well it was initially set up, and how you maintained it.

 

Oh, how I love the "you're not doing it right" chorus.

Everything you're saying is true, lads... assuming you're also lucky with batteries (they're remarkably inconsistent, even Yuasas), and your bike has a well-engineered charging system.

Five bikes, two cars, two tractors and fifty years of owning things with engines... only one of these machines ever gives me a jot of battery trouble. I am seriously considering offering a bounty to anyone who can find a flaw in my battery commissioning and maintenance.

 

Three videos that might help, depending on where you/your Bonneville's battery is at:

This one shows you how to test a battery to see if your battery needs to be replaced (or just needs to be recharged). It'll also show how to test your charging system which might be helpful for those with persistent issues no matter how often you replace your battery. The idea is to figure out exactly what is or isn't the problem, so you can solve it for as cheap as possible:

IF you find that you do need to buy a new battery (but you don't have a charging system problem), this one covers seven things that effect your motorcycle battery's life and performance. Half of the items are within the owner's control, the other half aren't. It's good info to know before buying a new battery (of any kind) so you can make a well informed purchase:

Lastly, IF you need to replace your battery, I strongly recommend setting it up yourself. That means filling it with acid yourself, rather than having the lowest paid kid at the bike shop set it up for you. It's a process that is very easy, but if you rush it it'll greatly decrease battery longevity and performance. This is how to set it up PROPERLY yourself:

This post isn't for anyone in particular. I know you guys all have your own experiences, knowledge, etc. but I share these videos with all my customers who have repeat battery issues and get a lot of "ohhhh!" type of replies from them. Hopefully these help others out there too.