tiny battery

[Rasputin]

Some may remember a member here some yrs. back in Montana that almost melted his crotch-rocket to the ground using a lithium-ion battey.

I think this is the member you refer to. T99ford had battery issues like you describe.

http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=31842

[TopCatGr58]

I went to AGM this past year, actually now 2 years ago. I had allowed my Lead Acid one to dry out due to storage and just the PITA to get to it to check it! The AGM was allowed to loose it's charge over a month last winter. I had a time "LEARNING" how to charge it back up with a smart charger that normally won't put a charge to a battery when it's below 10 volts, had to put it in parallel with a good battery to get it kick started on charging, once it got back up over 10 volts, then the charger would work on the low battery alone. IT came back to life and has worked just fine this last riding season, trip all the way down to Georgia and back from Eastern Virginia. I'm hoping and expecting to get several years out of it.

Yes...LiIon are very delicate and prone to self destruction....just ask the folks with the "hover boards" !

Also, James, your NEW XJR probably has much fancier charging electronics to properly care for your fancy LiIon battery, vs. our old ALTs and Regulators.

T.C.

[HalfCentury]

Some may remember a member here some yrs. back in Montana that almost melted his crotch-rocket to the ground using a lithium-ion battey.

I witnessed first hand an electric bike lithium ion battery pack fire. Once it starts, you cannot extinguish it. The oxygen is generated inside the battery cells. The only thing you can do is to place the pack inside of a metal container that has sand on the bottom with a closed lid. This prevents spreading of the fire. You just wait for the fire to burn itself out.

The manufacturer that I worked for burned to the ground some years back. They left something on overnight unattended which was foolish.

The only thing that can prevent a fire is a properly designed battery management system card. Design bugs can be fatal.

[motoman]

I think this is the member you refer to. T99ford had battery issues like you describe.
http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=31842

That be the one..........thanks Ras! Hope that's a clue for others. AGM is just a lead acid battery with an Absorbant Gkass Mat to SLOW down electron flow for a bit longer cranking time...........nothin' fancy, just fix why it would need extended cranking time to fire up.........easy-peasy.

[James England]

Also, James, your NEW XJR probably has much fancier charging electronics to properly care for your fancy LiIon battery, vs. our old ALTs and Regulators.

T.C.

It's 11 years old but yes, probably fancier charging. I have a small solar panel on the bike too which tops it up. No problems so far.........

The hover board thing is due to the high output needed from the battery...all the time.....loads of juice to move the weight of the rider..that's what makes it get hot. I suppose my battery would do that if I cranked the bike engine over non stop for as long as the battery lasted....

[ViperRon]

James it is true that they heat up because of the power use but also these batteries tend to heat up from charging. I would not worry so much about heat from cranking but imagine going down the road on a long trip and the battery has charging issues. All of a sudden you have a battery blow up and a fire in traffic at speed. That is my issue with lithium batteries on an older motorcycle with a simplistic charging system that does not check for problems.

[oldyam80sg]

I bought an AGM battery years ago(about 2) and it was more money than I had at the time but its been 2 years and the bike starts every time as it sits in my storage unit.Started the bike last weekend and took it for a ride-to me batteries are just like tires and oil changes for a car -always will need to replace these as they dont last forever.

[motoman]

I went to AGM this past year, actually now 2 years ago. I had allowed my Lead Acid one to dry out due to storage and just the PITA to get to it to check it! The AGM was allowed to loose it's charge over a month last winter. I had a time "LEARNING" how to charge it back up with a smart charger that normally won't put a charge to a battery when it's below 10 volts, had to put it in parallel with a good battery to get it kick started on charging, once it got back up over 10 volts, then the charger would work on the low battery alone. IT came back to life and has worked just fine this last riding season, trip all the way down to Georgia and back from Eastern Virginia. I'm hoping and expecting to get several years out of it.

Yes...LiIon are very delicate and prone to self destruction....just ask the folks with the "hover boards" !

Also, James, your NEW XJR probably has much fancier charging electronics to properly care for your fancy LiIon battery, vs. our old ALTs and Regulators.

T.C.

Good idea T.C. Sometimes it takes some extra 'oomph' to get the electrons flowing threw that advanced glass mat.........which is the whole idea behind that design..........slows electrons down for a bit longer crank over time.........and slows them down for a complete re-charge. Still, it's a lead acid wet cell.......with a couple added advantages(glass mat&slower moving electrons)

[Jerry]

Thumbs up on AGM. I first put one in the XJ in 2001 and it went 5 years before I overcharged it with a 1-amp charger, not automatic, and ruined it. Have been running an AGM in the Concours since 2009 and it fires up every spring. However, I do put a NOCO Genius G1100 smart charger on it once every couple of months or so in the winter. The Genius is rated for AGM batteries which take a slightly higher charge voltage than a normal flooded cell battery.

By the way, I like the Genius charger and use it on my garden tractors as well as the bike. It is a good alternative to the Battery Tender line of chargers. Here is one ad for the G1100:

http://www.techbatterysolutions.com/NOCO-Genius-G1100-Battery-Charger-p/c18.htm

My $0.02

[motoman]

Hi Eddie,
As usual when it sounds too good to be true...it is not good.
While some have experimented with the newer technology available for batteries most of us are still using lead acid batteries. The bike is 35 years old just give it what it's always had I have had reasonable service (3 years) from Wall Mart batteries but they can be a bit hit or miss.
NAPA or similar. will have one. If you have to add the acid yourself at least you know when it was done and done right. Be sure to read the FIRST TIME charging instructions as this has a huge influence on the life of the battery.
You will need a 2 amp charger.

1 amp charger IS your better bet. 2amp or more overheats battery and WILL kill it dead for any longgivity.

[XS1100_OEM4ME]

Lithium Battery's

I witnessed first hand an electric bike lithium ion battery pack fire. Once it starts, you cannot extinguish it. The oxygen is generated inside the battery cells. The only thing you can do is to place the pack inside of a metal container that has sand on the bottom with a closed lid. This prevents spreading of the fire. You just wait for the fire to burn itself out.

The manufacturer that I worked for burned to the ground some years back. They left something on overnight unattended which was foolish.

The only thing that can prevent a fire is a properly designed battery management system card. Design bugs can be fatal.

Lithium battery's come in many kinds. The most common is Lithium Ion and Lithium polymer. Both have great advances in power to weight. Both use Lithium as a power source. Lithium, is a very unstable compound, and that is how they can get such power from such small battery's. If used with proper care and "never" discharged to below 3.2 volts per cell and never charged to over their recommended max per cell per battery, they are great. If not, well you might be hearing about all the new personal motion skate boards bursting into flames as well as a few jets on fire at runways For a bike, a bad choice as the needed power to weight is of no real value, for a drone or RC plane, great. JIMHO