Shorai Lithium Battery

[dagreatgatsby]

I recently bought a Shorai Lithium battery to replace the stock one that was going out. I just wanted to do a quick review on it. First, it's very light. It only weighs 2.25 pounds. It also has more power than a comparable wet-flood or AGM battery. When I received it, my multi-meter told me that it was holding a charge of 13.3 volts which is 90% according to their chart:

The one thing that confuses me is in the informational sheet that came with the battery, it states that the battery's 100% capacity is 14.8 volts. I put the battery on a battery tender, and when I checked it an hour later when the tender's green light was blinking, the battery was holding a charge of 14.6 volts.

Anyways, besides that, the battery is pretty straight forward. It's made of a carbon fiber composite case. It's got terminals with threads cut into it unlike other batteries that use a separate small square threaded block. It comes with pieces of foam that you can cut out and stick to the basket so that the battery will fit snug. As for the fitment of this battery into the stock basket, it fits great. There was a little wiggle room, but I think that may be from the basket being slightly out of shape. I tore off the old foam from the basket and used the provided foam to get the battery to sit perfectly inside the basket. Here are some pictures of the battery.

Oh yeah, I paid $160 for the battery. I think it's worth the extra cost considering that it's got more power and it's substantially lighter than other batteries.

 

[TheCafeKid]

Is that a Li-ion or Li-Pb (lithium iron)? Careful if it's Li-ion, some guys have had them explode if they didn't keep tabs on charging output. Li-Pb are even lighter, and don't suffer CCA issues that the ion batts supposedly have. I personally have never seen the need to shave lbs in the battery (yet) and haven't tried either but there has been quite the debate over on the ZRXOA board...

 

[FiremanBob]

I believe they are lithium-iron. I plan to pay up for one the next time I need a battery.

 

[dagreatgatsby]

I believe they are lithium-iron. I plan to pay up for one the next time I need a battery.

It's well worth it. Just make sure to get the right model. If you're going to use the stock basket, you want to get the same one as mine. Some websites recommend this model:

It's smaller and lighter, but will make it very difficult or nearly impossible to reach the terminals when sitting in the stock basket.

 

[gert du prez]

Anyone know if you can ship this battery worldwide ? or will customs make a big fuss about this ? can't seem to find a store here in Belgium (Europe) but interested as you all review it in a very positive manner

 

[posplayr]

I let my shori bleed down and it killed the battery while it was virtually new. This was a few years back. I would not buy one of these batteries unless it was smart enough to shut itself down. There is another mznufscturr iirc EarthX and antigravity batteries that have such features.

 

[eil]

Thanks for the pics and write-up!

What's the life span on these, though? For my money, they'd have to last twice as long as an AGM (so, up to 10 years or so) for me to pony up that kind of coin.

At first, I thought that "Lithium Iron" was a typo, but apparently lithium iron phosphate batteries are a thing. According to the wikis (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_iron_phosphate_battery) the advantages are:

* higher energy density than lead-acid (hence less weight)
* higher charge and discharge currents (powersport lead acid batteries don't like much more than 2A, this apparently takes up to 14 A just fine)
* apparently much less likely to explode under your butt than other lithium ion chemistries

The little info box in the wiki article says that their time durability is more than 10 years, but I'm not sure how that's measured. It also says the number of charge cycles is 2000 which seems a little low. Maybe that's full discharges which wouldn't be so bad in a vehicle battery. Another page (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rechargeable_battery) cites 8000 discharge cycles from 100% to 74%.

I'll be watching these.

 

[Rob S.]

What is that five-prong electrical outlet for?

I like that it appears you can hook up the terminals from two different angles. I'll definitely consider an 'alternative' battery when mine goes, as every pound is important to me.

But the proof is in the pudding, so keep us updated about it's performance.

PS Gatsby is my favorite novel.

 

[sinkankan]

I've had mine in the BSA for two years now, and no dramas. Because my bike only has a magneto I rely on the battery to power the lights and horn, and it does this without charging it everyday.
You can put this batterys in sleep mode if you are storing the bike, that five pin plug is for the charger.

 

[jagdriver]

I'm interested to see how this works out also. I'm somewhat skeptical of the claims they make for them. Yes they have a high amp output but how much cranking can you actually do on a hard to start bike? What is the actual amp-hour rating compared to a lead acid or AGM? Will they charge ok unattended with the bikes normal charging system or do they periodically need to be "equalized" with a dedicated charger?

I am just about sold on AGM batteries. It is all I buy now. I'm reluctant to say this for fear of jinxing it, but I have a 2002 Honda Silver Wing Scooter that is STILL running on its ORIGINAL factory AGM battery. You can't ask for more than that now can you?

 

[Crankthat]

I really like the two way terminals on my AMG battery.
Handy feature!

Last spring (remember what spring is like?) at my local Suzuki shop they had different lithium-iron batteries made my Deltran.
The same people who make the battery tenders.
They had 5 different sizes displayed.
Including one that was a tiny bit bigger then a pack of cigarets.
I picked up the largest one just to test the weight and was amazed.
The dude behind the counter was clueless about them.

The price was to high as my AGM is holding up great.
When the time comes to replace my AGM I plan on giving one a try.

When I think of how heavy and old my bike is it just makes sense to lighten it up where I can at a affordable price.
With E-Bay and amazon prices on them they are really not that much.
I also am interested in long term performance on these so yes please keep us informed!

 

[eil]

I just noticed that Amazon carries Battery Tender-branded LiFePO batteries for under $100: http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tende...ds=lithium+iron+phosphate+powersports+battery

Until I hear any horror stories, one of these is definitely in my future when my lead-acid battery gives up.

 

[Guest]

I have installed one in my GSXR11 and am very happy. I did splash out and buy the proper charger and it looks after the battery very well.
Every couple of months I will full charge the battery and when the charger turns itself off I then press store and it discharges the battery to a safe store level.
Once its finished it turns off, then I disconnect.

from the web site:

Shorai Charge and Store Battery Management System which includes STORE MODE for maximum battery life during long-term storage, CHARGE MODE charges, balances, and performs cell diagnostics. Also features a retractable hook to hang from grips, frame rails, or seat straps. Operating Specifications: 100V~250V 50/60 Hz AC Input; 2A max charge rate.


While standard lead-acid chargers can be used with Shorai LFX when needed, the BMS01 is specifically designed to charge, store, maintain, balance, and diagnose your LFX battery

 

[Buffalo Bill]

I just noticed that Amazon carries Battery Tender-branded LiFePO batteries for under $100: http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tende...ds=lithium+iron+phosphate+powersports+battery

Until I hear any horror stories, one of these is definitely in my future when my lead-acid battery gives up.

Likewise here, my 1100G acid battery is still strong, but getting due.
Price I just paid for a new AMG was $80 at Batteries Plus, (for GSX750F).

 

[limeex2]

I will (eventually!)have 3 bikes that wont get ridden alot . I want to use one of these,and switch them around when I feel the need for a ride. They seem to store well. figured I may have to reconfigure some battery cables But it would save me from buying/maintaining a bunch of batteries.