Lithium Battery

any one have problems with lithium batterys i bought two one for me R1 and one for my aprillia ok during the summer. as soon as it got cold they wont start. the bike hardly cranks over. i know all about turning the lights on to warm them up doesnt make any differance. not impressed wasted nearly £200 swapped back to lead acid started first time perhaps my bikes are not compatible with lithium not sure.

 

They’re ok for summer but like most batteries,need maintenance in the winter.
I bought a genius charger that does lithium as well but I’ve also topped it up with a trickle charger,without blowing it up.

 

Thanks for this information as I was looking at one for my bike.
I’ll just get a like for like as it’s been fine (although heavier and not as many cca’s) but a guarantee start is better than hoping it’s not cold!

 

I did see it mentioned before somewhere (might have been on here) that lithium batterys really struggle when the temps go below a certain value.

 

I've got one on my Tuono. I've had it for a couple of years now with no issues, but to be honest I don't ride the bike during the colder winter months and I do keep it topped up with a genius charger. If I keep my Thruxton I may well buy a Lithium battery for that too when the lead/acid original gives up the ghost.

 

I use a Lithium (Shido) on my 2010 Speed Triple - fantastic in the summer, but as averages drop to 5 centigrade they really struggle to hold any charge - currently sitting inside and use a Motobatt for the colder months

 

mine was connected to a optimate and still wouldnt start. apart from the weight saving cant see any point in them.

 

I liked the higher crank power, much more definite starting
I also upgraded the rectifier and wires to a larger gauge and the engine turned over so much faster and cleaner than before the upgrade

 

Charging is far more critical on Lithium batteries versus lead acid types and also different between Lithium Ion and Lithium Ion Phosphate types . The self discharge rate on Lithium batteries is far less than lead acid so, personally, I wouldn't leave a Lithium battery permanently connected to a trickle charger. I have lead acids on the car and the bikes but have a 12v LiFePO4 battery pack I use infrequently for portable radio use and it keeps good charge for months. High temps and incorrect charging are the big killers of Lithium battery life. I also use the 3.7v 18650 Lithium Ion cells for numerous other uses and find the useable life can vary massively from cell to cell despite careful discharge/recharge regimes which comes down to quality of manufacture so it's possible you just got a "bad" one.