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New Battery?


kst

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Recently got a 2007.  I rode to the store and when I was leaving, it wouldn't start.  Got it jumped, rode it home, and fully charged the battery.  Then, did a voltage test on the battery with the following results...

 

- Everything off: ~12.5V

- Ignition on, engine off: ~11.7V

- Cranking: dipped as low as upper 8V

- Idle: 14.1V

- 5K: 14.5V

 

From what I've read, the stator and RR seem alright and the battery is on it's way out due to the low cranking voltage.  I'm going to replace the battery anyway (no history) but I just want to hone my troubleshooting skills.  Can I pin this on the battery?

 

On a side note, the battery currently in the bike lists 120 CCA whereas the OEM Yuasa is 210.  Can a low CCA rating cause problems?

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Yeah, I would agree that the battery is suspect. You really should be seeing closer to 13 volts with the ignition off, unless you've got

an alarm or some such thing that is drawing a small amount of power all the time. A really good battery should be over 13 volts. It

would appear that your charging system is doing its job, so my bet would be on the battery.

 

If you fully charged the battery and it was still only at 12.5 volts, then the battery is definitely due for replacement.

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Not to me, but some guys have done it. The price is at least twice as much and they require a special charger to keep

them charged properly. They are light and small, but that is not important enough to me to pay the premium. It's really

a personal choice.

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I have a lithium in my G8. It is an SSB Powersport and was actually cheaper than the equivalent Yuasa. There are, of course, other lead acid batteries out there, for a lot less than the Yuasa. I only went for the lithium as an experiment, to see if I noticed any difference in the cranking or weight reduction. Haven't noticed any change.

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Yeah, I quit buying Yuasa quite some years ago, just too high for me. I usually pick up the equivalent from Wally World. They seem to do okay

as long as I don't let them get completely drained.

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7 hours ago, kst said:

You help is appreciated.  I just ordered a Yuasa but I was reading some older threads about lithium.  Do you think lithium is a good upgrade?

 

I just got a lithium battery last month - great upgrade IMO and the cost difference with a new Yuasa was negligible.  Some of the negatives previously associated with lithium batteries (e.g., catching fire/exploding) are no longer an issue with the newer lithium iron batteries.  See my thread linked below if you haven't already - you'll notice that the posts by folks who have actually installed a lithium battery are very positive and the posts by folks who have not installed a lithium battery are mostly negative (pun intended 😀).  There are some informative videos on page 3 of the thread.  Good luck!

 

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Wow, I just looked and I didn't realize Yuasa batteries were so outrageous. I think I paid about $40 for my

last battery from Wally World. No way would I pay more for my motorcycle battery than I paid for one of

the batteries for my Cummins diesel. 🙂

 

I bought my last battery from Wally World in April of 2013, but to be fair it is off the bike and on a Battery

Tender all winter.

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I had to replace my battery on the road in Billings, MT. $98 at a great Honda dealer. That may have been the most I've paid for a battery; usually they are replaced at home for $70 - $90. Inflation. No complaints from me. Just glad to be back on the road the same afternoon.

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I paid $115 for a Yuasa on Amazon.  Pricey and perhaps I could have found it cheaper elsewhere, but it seems to balance out in the end.  At least I didn't buy it from Cycle Gear.

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Honda is now selling Lithium batteries for certain OEM applications, so that bridge has been crossed.  A special charger is also required, however.

 

Ciao,

 

JZH

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Honda dealers are selling Lithium batteries, or Honda is selling bikes with OEM Lithium batteries? Honda branded Lithium

batteries? Or is this just a Honda dealer selling Lithium batteries?

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On 11/3/2018 at 12:39 AM, FJ12Ryder said:

Honda dealers are selling Lithium batteries, or Honda is selling bikes with OEM Lithium batteries? Honda branded Lithium

batteries? Or is this just a Honda dealer selling Lithium batteries?

 

There are now at least three Honda models sold with OEM lithium batteries.  One is the SP-version of the CBR1000RR (4.5Ah) I believe, another is the 2018 CRF450R (2Ah) and the other is the 2018 CRF1000L Africa Twin (6Ah).  All three batteries are made by Eliiy Power, a Japanese manufacturer.

 

Check this out: http://powersports.honda.com/documentum/MW01/08E70-MKF-L00.pdf

 

And these: http://eliiypower.co.jp/english/vc-files/pdf/pdf_eng/20161012_Release.pdf

http://eliiypower.co.jp/english/vc-files/pdf/pdf_eng/20170619_Release.pdf

http://eliiypower.co.jp/english/vc-files/pdf/pdf_eng/20180308_Release.pdf

 

The AGM battery for the 2017 CBR1000RR is the YTZ7S, which has a 6.3Ah capacity, but the Li-Ion battery specified as an optional upgrade by Honda for the "After '16" CBR1000RR  only has 4.5Ah capacity.  Even the largest Eliiy Power OEM battery is only 6Ah, though, and the OEM AGM batteries for most VFRs have at least 11Ah.  Maybe this is sufficient anyway?

 

Ciao,

 

JZH

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Nice to know. I can see the usefulness of Lithium batteries in dirt/offroad bikes, but still not sure about the benefits

on a street bike. Seems that the amount of weight saved versus the actual weight of the bike makes it kind of a moot

point on a street bike. Looking at bragging rights for the lightest street bike maybe?

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Just wondering.... if the Lithium batteries require different chargers, how is it ok to use them in a bike with a "standard" charging system? Both are basically applying the same kind of charge, if you use a battery tender or other smart charger.

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Yeah, I kind of wondered the same thing. I've googled it, but I'm still not sure I understand it completely.

 

From what I understand, it's the "float" charge of a battery maintainer that is part of the problem. The

"float" charge is not high enough voltage for the Lithium battery and that is part of the issue. Also, I guess

the Lithium batter will not tolerate overcharging, so putting it on a regular battery charger and not monitoring

the process can also lead to damage to the battery.

 

This is what I've taken away from what I've read.

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On 11/5/2018 at 7:00 AM, VideoGuy said:

Just wondering.... if the Lithium batteries require different chargers, how is it ok to use them in a bike with a "standard" charging system? Both are basically applying the same kind of charge, if you use a battery tender or other smart charger.

I spoke with Rick at Ricks Motorsport Electrics about this as they make an RR specifically for lithium batteries.  Their regulator is only for the Yamaha style at this time but they are working on one for the Honda as well.  The Lithium specific R/R is capped at 14V to avoid the overcharging issue you could encounter that would shorten the life of the lithium batteries.   I will be sure to post when the new RR is available and I will put it on my site as well.

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