Shorai battery install

[Blind Squirrel]

3 or 4 for $200?

Can you post a link to an FJR sized $50 delivered battery?

Not $50, but $65 dollars:

YAMAHA FJR 1300 2003-2009 YT14BBS MBT12B4 $65.00

2 year free replacement warranty from date of purchase.

https://www.pashnit.com/product/motobatt.html

Don't get me wrong. The Shorai has it's merits. It is a step forward. The down side to me is price. I am going to wait for the price to drop before making the leap.

 

[Zorlac]

3 or 4 for $200?

Can you post a link to an FJR sized $50 delivered battery?

Not $50, but $65 dollars:

YAMAHA FJR 1300 2003-2009 YT14BBS MBT12B4 $65.00

2 year free replacement warranty from date of purchase.

https://www.pashnit.com/product/motobatt.html

+ $15 shipping, for an $80 dollar battery.

 

[Blind Squirrel]

3 or 4 for $200?

Can you post a link to an FJR sized $50 delivered battery?

Not $50, but $65 dollars:

YAMAHA FJR 1300 2003-2009 YT14BBS MBT12B4 $65.00

2 year free replacement warranty from date of purchase.

https://www.pashnit.com/product/motobatt.html

+ $15 shipping, for an $80 dollar battery.

@Zorlac: Apples to apples - If you order the battery from their web site there is a shipping charge for the Shorai too.

@Brodie: I want to apologize for getting your thread so far off topic. This will be my last post in this thread. If you are happy with your purchase that is all that matters. Please keep us updated on the performance of the battery.

 

[Zorlac]

Ok, so I'm on board. I just ordered product LFX18A1-BS12 (the larger of the 2 options shown

Online price price was 186.95 plus 8.90 shipping, total $195.85.

$195.85/80= 2.45

But you're right, unless somebody gets 12yrs out of one, the premium price is all for the weight reduction and I'm still waiting for some true cold start tests on them.

 

[Fred W]

Ok, so I'm on board. I just ordered product LFX18A1-BS12 (the larger of the 2 options shown

Online price price was 186.95 plus 8.90 shipping, total $195.85.

$195.85/80= 2.45

But you're right, unless somebody gets 12yrs out of one, the premium price is all for the weight reduction and I'm still waiting for some true cold start tests on them.

So I guess the extra 6 amp hours capacity and double CCA doesn't count for anything?

Compare specs

 

[wheatonFJR]

So I guess the extra 6 amp hours capacity and double CCA doesn't count for anything?

Compare specs

Maybe you want to start another thread and explain to dummies like me what the 6 amp hours and double CCA will mean to me on my FJR.

I don't anything other than when I press the red starter button, it either turns the starter motor or it doesn't. Not being a smart ***...I just don't have the secret knowledge yet.

 

[Fred W]

No need for another thread. I think this is germane to the discussion of the battery in this thread.

Here's a link to what you want to know: Battery FAQs

In a nutshell, the Amp Hour rating will tell you the total capacity of the battery to store electricity. How much juice you can store.

This will impact how much it discharges with a given load applied (with no recharging).

The CCA will tell you how much current it can put out (for 30 seconds) when really cold, which will effect how fast your starter turns over.

There are other specs of some significance, but the MC battery manufacturers tend to only use these two.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Thanks Fred for the primer. Now I see the advantages of the Shorai.

I hate for my Optimate to be useless though.

Maybe I'll try this battery in a few years when my Westco gives out...

 

[Zorlac]

I'd have more faith in their AH rating if I saw some discharge curves at different discharge rates.

The increased AH rating really only comes into play when you leave something on inadvertently and then would like to start the bike (at that point it's a really good thing, but something I try and avoid by design).

I'm more impressed with the fact that they claim that these batteries can still crank the engine when they're in a deep state of discharge.

All their fantastic attributes rile my "too good to be true" skepticism.

But things change and maybe it's all that & a bag of chips, time will tell.

FWIW on the CCA rating:

CCA is defined as the amount of current in amperes that a battery at 0° F (-18° C) can deliver for 30 seconds while maintaining at least 1.2V per cell (that's 7.2 V for a 12V battery).

7.2 V is kinda low for our purposes assuming they use the same spec to get their 270A rating.

I really wish Odyssey would make a battery for the FJR.

Fred Harmon was supposed to do a 17F Shorai start yesterday, but hasn't posted back on how that went.

I'm sure if I bought one & had it shipped to you Fred, you'd get me some cold start data ASAP.

 

[Fred W]

I really wish Odyssey would make a battery for the FJR.

Fred Harmon was supposed to do a 17F Shorai start yesterday, but hasn't posted back on how that went.

He's probably frozen to his starter button. :cold:

I'm sure if I bought one & had it shipped to you Fred, you'd get me some cold start data ASAP.

Absolutely. :scout_en:

 

[ionbeam]

I'm sure if I bought one & had it shipped to you Fred, you'd get me some cold start data ASAP.

Absolutely. :scout_en:

If I can have Fred's take-off I'll swing by with my amp probe so we can plot some curves, 'cause we sure won't be riding curves for a looonnngggg time.

 

[Knifemaker]

Well, did the bike start in the 17 degree air?

KM

 

[Brodie]

For those who are interested...

It's now day 10, I have a little time with this thing. Granted, it is a brand new battery and should perform flawlessly, but I am impressed with how well it does work. The bike spins faster than my other FJR bike ever did. I have been running with a Datel connected across the battery terminals with just a fuse link wire protecting it - no switches. This is the same set up I ran for 3 years on the old bike. Standing voltage is hovering between 13.3 and 13.4 volts. That is in the 40 deg. garage temperature after sitting the weekend - twice. I have never had standing voltage go above 12.9 volts on the OEM battery on either bike.

This seems to have a bit extra depth in it's capacity. I run a dual HeatTroller for my 90 watt Warm & Safe heated liner and gloves. I also have a "heated Grips" HeatTroller for my BMS heated seat. Add that draw with the Yamaha OEM heated grips and the voltage readings are .2 higher than before at freeway speed. Also the older battery showed the on time /off time cycling of the HeatTrollers in the Datel read out. The Shorai battery rarely fluctuates like that - it seems to be slower to change voltage than I remember with the OEM battery.

Just my observations.

Brodie

 

[atxrider]

Very cool. And it might give me a place to put the right side ballast for my Micro DEs. It is stuffed in the fairing right now.

Regards,

Davy

 

[FJR Flyer]

Talked to the Shorai reps at the DC bike show this saturday. They had batteries there. I couldn't believe how light they were. You'd almost say they were empty shells. Amazing. If their performance is as advertised, they seem like a pretty good option.

 

[FJRBluesman]

Brodie - Thanks for the being the guinea pig science experiment. I too am very interested in this battree, although pricey. I'm really interested in how long it lasts/performs. Cold also is not it's friend per the website.

Good luck, keep us posted.

 

[Feejer/Weejer man]

looks like a good deal and a fine way to reduce the "up high" weight of the FJR.

Most times it co$t cubic dollar$ and something called unobtanium to knock 8 lb of weight off of a bike.

Its real simple, stop eating donuts. 8 lbs comes off easy :devil:

 

[NightShine]

Well my OEM battery is fast approaching 6 years in service. And although it is still going strong, I thought it might be time to proactively seek a replacement. And I find the Shorai batteries of interest for all of the obvious reasons - higher capacity, lithium iron phosphate chemistry (same lithium ion used by these guys), and proven fitment to this application (thanks, Brodie).

Apparently other folks have also expressed an interest in their product, as they are getting hard to find. From Shorai's shop manager:

Shorai LFX have gotten tremendous reviews from our customers who have used them, and our initial sales were much higher than expected. We are currently out of stock. We have decided to upgrade the LFX batteries, including tougher terminals which are 50% thicker and do cell revisions for even better performance at high and low temperatures. But we are facing a substantial delay due to the new tooling required, and so it is likely that we not be re-stocked with LFX again until about the middle of April 2011.
We will post an announcement a few weeks before the next shipment arrives, and will re-enable the “Buy” buttons on the Shorai website then.
We apologize for the delay. In the long run, we believe that continuing to improve the best powersports battery can only be a good thing for all. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Guess I'll be postponing my proactive replacement for a while...

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

Thanks 'NightShine' (and 'Brodie') for the info.

Shorai LFX have gotten tremendous reviews from our customers...We are currently out of stock. We have decided to upgrade...not be re-stocked with LFX again until about the middle of April 2011.

...we believe that continuing to improve the best powersports battery can only be a good thing for all.

As a friend of mine always said: "The best is good enough for me."

 

[Pepperell]

I should scalp my shorai for $300, since I won't be able to get out of my driveway till the middle o' April anyhoo...