Shorai battery

[LAF]

Well planes are burning up over these batteries and now a space station is being inspected. Hope these guys name are not on any of these batteries

 

[ionbeam]

Well planes are burning up over these batteries and now a space station is being inspected. Hope these guys name are not on any of these batteries

The self immolating batteries on the planes are Lithium Ion, the Shorai batteries are Lithium Iron which fires neither themselves or FJRs. In terms of creating fires, LiFePO4 batteries are one of the safest of the Li family of batteries.

 

[FJR Flyer]

Well, I've had the Clearwater Voltage Sentry on the bike for about a week. Today was the first really cold day since then. It was 24F outside and around 38F in the garage this morning. Should be in the teens tomorrow morning. The CVS came courtesy of Brodie (thanks again). This is my second winter with the Shorai. After the bike show in DC last year, they upgraded me to the newer chemistry at no charge.

I was expecting the usual cold wx routine of multi-start attempts. Turned on the juice and the CVS showed red (11.6 - 12.0V). It cranked a little slow but fired up on the first attempt. CVS turned yellow immediately (12.1 - 12.4V). After I got the gloves, jacket liner, and radio plugged it, it was already showing a solid green (12.5 - 13.1V), with the gloves/liner off.

WRT the CVS, its not giving me what I would expect. After I got up to speed, it dropped back down to yellow for a while before it got back to steady green. Put the grips on and it dropped down for a bit to yellow (that would be expected). When I stopped at a light, it dropped to red for a bit. Turned the grips off and it was back to yellow.

Still building confidence in the CVS. The LED went dark twice last week on the ride home. Seems to be working okay, now. Need to get some more data points.

 

[garyahouse]

Flyer,

Your post tells me you've got a problem. For your sake, I hope I'm wrong here, but your voltage shouldn't be dropping like that. I have a simple volt meter on my 05. I've posted a pic of it earlier in this same thread. The voltage rarely drops more than a tenth or two from 14.2 at any time when I'm riding (unless the radiator fan is running and I'm stuck in stop and go traffic). But you're saying that your voltage is dropping below 12.5 (yellow) and EVEN below 12.1(red) on occasion WHILE YOUR BIKE IS RUNNING?

I run my grips every day, and even at stop lights, my voltage never drops below 14 with the engine running.

Help me out here forum, I'm thinking something's not right with this picture.

Gary

Crowmonger #44

 

[FJR Flyer]

Gary,

Its odd as I've never had a problem running grips, lights, and gloves before. That is, when I was blissfully ignorant of the charging situation. I'm now thinking the CVS is suspect. It went off/no light twice on the second day. I wasn't expecting it to come back on the second time as it was off for a while.

I need to get a real voltmeter on the bike and do a calibration check of the CVS. I'm now thinking a daytel is in my future.

Thanks.

 

[RaYzerman19]

L-ion batteries for my power tools have smarts to detect low voltage so you don't drain them to zero, refuse to work if too low, time for a recharge. Does anybody know if the Shorai's have similar low voltage sensing and just shut down if drained too low? I'd attempt a recharge in any case...............

 

[Bustanut joker]

I dunno Ray... Maybe Andy should drag his up to tech day.

I'll try to not let the smoke outa it.

 

[ionbeam]

L-ion batteries for my power tools have smarts to detect low voltage so you don't drain them to zero, refuse to work if too low, time for a recharge. Does anybody know if the Shorai's have similar low voltage sensing and just shut down if drained too low? I'd attempt a recharge in any case...............

Shorai batteries are dumb, no brains at all. EarthX batteries do have a brain but it is intended to charge balance the cells for longer battery life. When LiFe batteries hit a certain level of discharge they abruptly stop supplying power, acting like a switch shut the battery off.

 

[BikerGeek99]

I dunno Ray... Maybe Andy should drag his up to tech day.
I'll try to not let the smoke outa it.

If I can remember to grab it (Tech Day is still a ways off...) I'll bring it.

 

[garyahouse]

L-ion batteries for my power tools have smarts to detect low voltage so you don't drain them to zero, refuse to work if too low, time for a recharge. Does anybody know if the Shorai's have similar low voltage sensing and just shut down if drained too low? I'd attempt a recharge in any case...............

Well, I can tell ya this. I left my heated grips on one day and when I came out to try to start the bike after work, the volt meter wouldn't even come on. Don't know for sure if the battery turned itself off, but it was odd to see that my volt meter wouldn't work, the instrument indicators didn't move, the fuel pump; didn't fire up... nothing happened when I turned on the key.

I had a friend jump me with a set of cables from his truck once I got the battery exposed, and it started up after a few minutes of charging. Eventually, I sent that battery back to Shorai and they assured me it was just fine, and sent it back. Not sure if that answers your question??

And, on another subject, it's awful hard to test my Shorai when the temps outside WON'T get below 40. It's been a pretty mild winter thus far and we're entering the time when sub-freezing temps get real rare around here. Oh well

Gary

nomorecrow#44

 

[fastpappy]

I thought the grips were on a switched circuit??

 

[ionbeam]

I thought the grips were on a switched circuit??

OEM grips of all Gens sense battery voltage and shut off the grips when voltage drops below ~13.0 volts. Said in inverse, the grips won't turn on until battery voltage goes over 13.0 volts and that won't happen unless the engine is running or a battery charger is connected. Additionally, the Gen II grips run at reduced power at idle.

Hmmm, with a Shorai battery the grips could stay on with the engine off until the battery drops below 13.0 volts.

 

[SkooterG]

I thought the grips were on a switched circuit??

Expounding on what Sir Alan said......

Heated grips didn't come on Gen I FJRs. Most people add non-OEM heated grips. So I am assuming Gary added non-OEM grips and foolishly wired them without a relay so that they only will be able to work with the ignition 'on'.

 

[garyahouse]

I thought the grips were on a switched circuit??

Expounding on what Sir Alan said......

Heated grips didn't come on Gen I FJRs. Most people add non-OEM heated grips. So I am assuming Gary added non-OEM grips and foolishly wired them without a relay so that they only will be able to work with the ignition 'on'.

To refresh some memories: below ya see the back side of the "Show Chrome" brand heated grips and my fancy-dancy Vista Cruise mounting system. Note the coat hanger wire I used to fabricate the mount... no drilling req'd.

Below ya see the business end of the Vista Cruise. Barely need to move my thumb to kick it on and off.

Below is the on/off--temp control... no heat troller needed. I made up an aluminum plate to mount it to the brake reservoir, and painted it black.

Top it off with a volt meter, and an on/off switch for it, and bingo, I've got heated grips. They are not switched, but will remain on all the time if I want.

For what it's worth, Scoot, I did it this way so I can turn the grips on to warm up in the morning before I start up the bike. They automatically shut off when the voltage goes below 12.4 -- and the grips work with or without turning the bike on. With my Staintune cans, it's kinda loud and I don't start it until I push it out to the end of the driveway and take off from there. Getting out away from the teepee before starting it keeps the natives happy.

Gary

darksider #44

 

[SkooterG]

You live in Florida you silly boy! Heated grips? For when it gets below 60 degrees?

 

[RadioHowie]

Listen Up, Beotch!!! It was 56 on my ride home today!!!

 

[garyahouse]

Going down to 34 tonight. I'll be heading for school first thing in the morning. Should give me an opportunity to test the Shorai at very near freezing. And to answer your question, Skoot, when the temp is 55 or so, the grips feel pretty nice.

Gary

 

[blrfjr]

I have the 18ah also. Im in north central Indiana and am experiencing the same things gary is talking about. I went out to the garage yesterday to start the fjr and it wouldnt start till I woke the battery up. But it did start. The garage temp was 28 degrees. As far as price- I paid 169 bucks for it and thats what the dealer wanted for a OEM battery.

Yeah, but an OEM battery will start your bike without the shenanigans. AND...If you shopped harder, you could have found an OEM or close for around $100...

yah I know. My luck with batteries has been shit so I was searching for a better mouse trap and was willing to take a chance on it. I hear some you talk about batteries lasting 5 years or so but I have NEVER gotten more than two years out of one.

just an update, I contacted amazon yesterday and inquired about returning the Shorai that i bought last july. I dont think its right that we have to go through these "shennanagens every time we want to ride below 55 degrees, so mine is on its way back from wence it came! Im done pissin with it.

 

[blrfjr]

Ive check into ballistic batteries which is another lithium POS with the same issues and a higher price. Here's a video of the "shennanagens".

 

[fudgejerkin1188]

I thought the grips were on a switched circuit??

Expounding on what Sir Alan said......

Heated grips didn't come on Gen I FJRs. Most people add non-OEM heated grips. So I am assuming Gary added non-OEM grips and foolishly wired them without a relay so that they only will be able to work with the ignition 'on'.

Is this just a US thing ? all three of my gen 1 FJRs have OEM Yamaha heated grips with intelligent controller