Hey man!
Hi!
I’ve got this new motorcycle and there’s a new type of battery inside,
but actually I don’t know anything about it.
Okay, uhm, you have a picture?
Yeah, I have. I can show you.
Would be great!
Okay, so let’s see.
Here it is.
That’s the newest type of starter batteries called Lithium-ion.
Okay, what!?
Well, it’s this new technology in starter batteries and they’re
made to replace the old lead-acid batteries. It’s called Lithium-ion
LiFePO4 or LFP batteries. We actually sell quite a lot of them. So this is what you
have in your motorcycle and as you can see it’s called a LiFePO4 starter battery. Now hold it.
Wow, it’s super light. Is it always this light?!
Yeah, that’s why a lot of manufacturers are using them on the new models, the big performance bikes
because you have a lot of weight reduction in using this technology
and as you can see it’s a small battery. Now, the Lithium technology actually is more powerful
than lead-acid so this small battery can actually replace a much bigger lead-acid
battery and still give you the exact same or even more cranking Amps to start your bike.
Okay, but I have a charger at home. Can I charge this battery or…
Well, how long have you had that charger?
A while now, but I don’t know for what type of battery it is.
If you had the charger for a while, it most probably is a lead-acid battery charger. Now,
we recommend to only use a Lithium specific battery charger
to charge and maintain these types of batteries. We use OptiMate
and OptiMate actually has several options for Lithium batteries. They have the DUO technology.
And what’s DUO?
Well, the DUO technology is actually made to charge and maintain both lead-acid batteries
and Lithium batteries. But it’s a maintainer, so it’s for those who
never forget to charge and who connect their charger to the bike whenever they get at home.
If that’s possible for you. Are you one of those people who never forgets to charge?
No, sometimes I forget it, so…
Okay, well, that’s actually why they have the OptiMate Lithium battery chargers,
made specifically to charge, maintain but also save Lithium starter batteries.
And why is it specific?
Well, when you discharge a Lithium battery it is different from lead-acid to bring it back to life.
Now, these chargers can bring back Lithium batteries from down as low as 0.5V.
Okay.
So whatever happens, if you forget to charge or if you weren’t able to charge. This
OptiMate Lithium will bring your battery back to a 100% charge and it is 100%
made to charge Lithium-ion starter batteries. Now, you told me you can’t always charge. Why is that?
Because sometimes I can’t ride and I forget to hook up a charger or…
So you don’t always know when to charge?
No, no.
Okay, well then this might be handy for you as well.
It’s called an OptiMate Lithium battery monitor.
Now, it’s your battery lead so these ringlets connect to your battery and it can stay on your
bike permanently but these traffic style LEDs will tell you exactly when to charge.
If you connect it to your battery and the green LED blinks, you don’t need to charge. When it
goes into yellow or when it goes into red, that’s when you need to hook up your charger.
Okay, so RED means CHARGE!?
RED always means CHARGE, as quickly as possible. Now because this is a more expensive battery
than lead-acid, I even recommend to charge from the moment it goes into yellow. Yellow is 50%,
so if you can hook it up at 50% you’re always good to go.
But I also have electronics on my bike, an active suspension system.
Will it drain the battery quicker or…
Well, that’s actually one of the downsides of this Lithium battery. With a lot of electronics on the
new bikes, they actually need energy when they’re not riding. So if you come home and if you store
your bike, your bike actually needs energy to hold all its settings. So you normally have ride
modes - so you’re in street or in track or in rain - but do you have front active suspension?
Yeah, I do.
That drains a lot of power as well and these batteries are much lighter,
so they don’t have the exact same Amps per hour as lead-acid.
Now, a lead-acid, can hold you down for one or two months without needing a charger. But
this Lithium battery, with all those electronics on your new bike,
actually will need a charger after maybe two maybe three weeks, so that’s when your monitor comes in.
Hook it up and from the moment when it gets into yellow, charge that bike to a 100% again.
Okay.
So I think for you the best thing you can do is:
Buy yourself one of these monitors, so you always know when to charge and – well – to be SAFE when
you forget to charge get yourself one of these specific OptiMate Lithium motorcycle chargers.
Sounds great!
I’ll pack ‘em up for you and then you’ll always be ready to go!
Thanks sir!
No problem.
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