R.I.P. - GT14B-4

[DennisJ]

Several years old but still interesting: the Texas Toast Battery Cook-Off https://www.intruderalert.com/cafe/index.cfm?page=topic&topicID=176271 takes awhile to read through the whole article.

 

[Frushlorton]

I have no opinion as my 05's OEM battery is still hanging in there even though I rarely put it on a charger.

 

[Shuey]

Anyone using or had experience with the Ballistic Lithium batteries? I looked for other threads . . . didn't turn any up yet...

I haven't used a Ballistic battery so I have no empirical knowledge but I won't let that stop me from having an opinion

But, I have done some homework. The internal cell connections in the Ballistic battery inhibit it from being a daily driver battery. If you want to start a race bike, off road bike or ATV a Ballistic would get the job done. Regardless of chemistry the cell structure instead of plate structure will create issues, especially with CCA delivery.

Well . . . I HAVE used Ballistic LiFe batteries in my last two Honda ST1300 and they are . . . GREAT! Far superior to any other batteries I've used. Period.

Benefits?

- Huge cold cranking amps. At - 2 degrees, even with temp appropriate oil, it takes a few start attempts before my engine would catch fire. The battery never gave up.

- When not in use, the Ballistic battery has less than a 1% discharge rate. Thus, no need for a trickle charger (but if you want to use one, you can. The Deltran Battery Tender Plus works just great, no need for something special).

- It's a closed battery with NO liquids. Mount it sideways, upside down, however you want and it'll be fine.

- The battery very possibly will outlast the bike it's mounted in!

FWIW, it's superior enough that I ordered one to replace the stock battery when my new 2013 FJR had ZERO miles on it, but, alas . . . it didn't fit the space and I couldn't make it work.

I originally posted hoping for a response of how someone else might have managed an install.

However, Ballistic is coming out with a new battery that they say is designed to fit the 2013/14 FJRs. There newest generation EV03 is expected to be available by the end of April. I've ordered one from solomotorsports.com. Time will tell.

Shuey