| Author | Message | ||
     Buford |
Hesitates, then cranks....have done all the grounding routines.. thanks! | ||
| Teeps |
Yep, they do that. Long as it cranks and the trip meter and clock are not resetting during startup; it's good to go. | ||
| Buford |
Yeah, the clock is resetting... Ordered a Scorpion batt....260CCA Will see... | ||
| Yan |
Mine does hesitate almost every time, and at least twice it did reset the clock and trip meter. Does that mean my battery is on it's way out? Thanks! (Message edited by Yan on August 10, 2012) | ||
| Teeps |
If the battery cable connections are secure; yes. | ||
| Buford |
Maybe the HD battery was on the way out, but this new Scorpion cranks the XB up like it never has before. No hesitation at all. | ||
| Brother_in_buells |
The scorpion battery looks almost exactly like hd one ,only with more cca and for better $$ I mounted a motobatt mbtx12u last month and the xb started better than ever! It makes you grin even bigger when there is no more start hesitation  | ||
| Greg_e |
Does it fit the battery box and strap properly? I'm still thinking about a Lithium but probably won't spend the money. | ||
| Greg_e |
After a little more thinking I'm pretty sure I'm going to get a Shorai Lithium, even though it is twice the price of the dealer battery. The dealer battery hasn't lasted very well for me, the basically year off while I was rebuilding the motor seems to have killed it. Even after I ride it to work, when I come out to go home it seems close to resetting the clock so I think it needs to get replaced. The Shorai claims an equivalent cranking power of over 300 in the size they recommend for our cycles. And with my dual 65 watt headlights I should have plenty of warm up time for the battery before thumbing the start switch. (Message edited by Greg_E on August 12, 2012) | ||
| Buford |
Oh yeah, same exact size I think. | ||
| Froggy |
Shorai lies about their output. | ||
| Greg_e |
I'm pretty sure all of them use strange math concepts to make their numbers, marketing and truth are generally far from the same. Web-bike world has two different reviews that like them so I went ahead and ordered one based on their findings. May or may not be as good as the EBR battery, but it can't be much worse than the luck I've had with the two different AGM batteries that I've had. The one thing that does bother me is that most of the LiFEPO4 batteries makers do not include a simple balance circuit in the container. The special Shorai balance charger looks like a cheapo "blinky" balancer (the RC guys will know what I mean) and it should cost about $50 or a little less for their charger. I may go ahead and install a blinky balancer on mine and leave it, no reason to need to charge it from the same port unless I am using my good RC charger with the correct balance cable like suggested in the above mentioned reviews. | ||
| Biffdotorg |
(Maybe the HD battery was on the way out, but this new Scorpion cranks the XB up like it never has before. No hesitation at all.) Buford, Where did you order the Scorpion from? Mine was cranking slow last summer and took it into Interstate for a replacement. They put it on the tester for a load test and it tested better than the new. So I never bought the new one. My bike every 10 starts or so, makes the most horrific sound when I hit the starter. It's like when you used to get a kickback on an old pull start or kick start when you did it on the wrong stroke. A new battery is in my future. Thank you! | ||
| Buford |
YTX14H HVT-8 12v High Output Powersport and Motorcycle Battery hYTX14H $79.00 1 $79.00 batterystuff.com | ||
| Greg_e |
And now for some facts from the Shorai battery. Not sure where the carbon composite is used, but it certainly isn't in the outer case. And a good thing too since carbon fiber is conductive. The warranty is void if you draw more than 2/3 the rated cold cranking amps which means all of their batteries are really only good for 2/3 their posted power. Warranty is also void if cranking for more than 10 seconds. this is especially strange because I know that you can pull 300 amps out of the small cylindrical batteries used in RC models from start to empty. This is common practice but it is also common practice to replace the cells after 100 to 500 cycles. I didn't weigh it but it is certainly light weight. The warn of over charging, considering the price and empty space inside the box they could have put in an over voltage protection. They also could have built in a balance circuit. Going to install it a little later and then probably write similar comments on the Web-bike review so that others will know what is happening and maybe (just maybe) Shorai will upgrade their technology to include the required safegaurds since they are one of the more expensive choices. I should also mention that it arrived just in time... Went on a 50 mile ride yesterday to try and buy a new to me car. Voltmeter showed around 14 volts the entire time so I know it was charged. Got off at the destination and was away from it long enough for the fan to stop running. Turned it back on (yes it was a complete waste of time) and the voltmeter showed around 10 to 11 volts. I started the day by putting it on a charger which said 100% when I took it off. And had a couple starts before the longer trip. The lead/acid certainly looks to be going fast now. (Message edited by Greg_E on August 14, 2012) | ||
| Spacecapsule1 |
Anyone looked into Anti-Gravity batteries? I'm using one. No complaints here. Made in the USA. | ||
| Greg_e |
FYI, not really having great luck with the Shorai, going to email them and see what they say. Even when fresh from a ride I'm getting less than 10 volts during the next start (a few minutes after the an turns off). After a couple of days of not riding start voltage was low enough to reset the voltmeter just like the lead/acid battery. Either I have a defective battery or the funny math used to produce the CCA rating is really on the far side of optimistic. | ||
| Greg_e |
As Froggy probably predicted I've now asked to return the battery for a refund. I've had no response from Shorai so I can only assume they are a sell it and forget it company. None of the other lower priced Lithium batteries have the terminals in the correct place so I'm probably going back to lead acid as soon as I get a response from the place where I bought it. I did a bunch of testing yesterday with my RC charger which also happens to have a discharge feature. With a 400ma draw this battery sags from 14.4 volts to under 13 volts in 10 minutes. Even a little 800mah lithium pack wouldn't sag that much under that kind of load and with no response from Shorai I can only assume that their product is just over rated junk. If I had a couple more 5ah packs to make a complete system, I would be very tempted to give my cycle a try with soft pack Lipo batteries. I think it would work with what I have, but I might also damage the packs and the wires connecting them at start. If I could make a 4s2p 10ah pack, these are like 40c or 50C packs so they should get by with a start (400 or 500 amps total draw capacity). The wire gauge is too small to try this with a 4s1p configuration that I could build. | ||
| Buford |
This Scorpion battery is working out very well. No more cranking hesitation...HID's fire up quickly etc. | ||
| Greg_e |
My second (replacement) Shorai is a little better, but it still dropped down to 8 volts or below this morning. I'm convenced it either needs to be exchanged towards a 4s3p or that these "special" LiFePO4 cells are not going to work for this application. | ||
| Bumblebee |
I too was having the "stop cranking on compression" issue. I took clamp-on DC ammeter with a fast peak hold function and hit the starter. Maximum inrush was almost 500 amps! As the starter is pushing the engine past compression once it starts to spin the current was spiking up to 200 amps. That's lot of juice for a little battery. For the record I am now using an Interstate AGM battery model FAYTX14 "Cycletron Plus" and it can really put out the current. Once replaced all the starter hesitation and instrument reset issues are gone. It fits perfectly, except the terminals are recessed slightly from the edege of the battery requiring a spacer (a couple of washers) be used to connect the cables to the battery. No bigee. | ||
| Greg_e |
Thanks for the other battery, need to order something this weekend because Shorai has left me high and dry. Not had a reply for more than a week, they don't seem to care if a customer is pissed, They are officially on the don't even think about it list. | ||
| Spacecapsule1 |
Sorry bout the Shorai. My Anti-gravity lithium has worked well. 360cca. It does have the issue with being cold, but it was a clearly stated "feature" of lithium so i expected it. It has never failed to start the bike. No discharge issues either like greg is having and its small. I fit my battery, compufire VR and air compressor under the seat of my STT now.... | ||
| Greg_e |
If I go with a lithium again, I'll make it myself so I know what went into it, and who to blame if there is a problem. | ||
| Greg_e |
Ordered a Scorpion tonight hope it works well. Still no resolution from Shorai so as a company I have to say that in my opinion they suck. $200 in the trash, if anyone rides past their offices, please flip them off every time you go by for me. Their batteries may work for some cycles, but certainly not for mine. | ||
| Hotcad |
The Braille battery lists 360 cca, anyone tried it? | ||
| Fast1075 |
Went for a ride yesterday. When I cranked the bike, I had a slight hesitation in the starter. Seemed odd, bike lives on a battery tender. Rode about 45 miles to meet up with some guys for a ride. After I filled up with gas the engine cranked fine. When we went to take off, bike would not start. Battery would show 13.75 volts with the ignition switch on, but sag to less than 7 volts when I hit the starter. Pushed the bike off and rode with the guys about 100 miles. We stopped off at a Harley shop and $114.00 later my bike cranks like new again. Can't complain. The dead battery was 6 years old. |
