New Superlight Battery

[ozducati]

Hi Guys

We've been offered distribution for a brand new Superlight (weight) Battery, am waiting for pricing and some more info, but here's what i know so far.. comments? interest?

I am told they will be released in December, but hope to have pricing and more info in the next few days...

To give you a quick overview though we are producing these packs in house. We are capacitive discharge welding the cells and the cable to the cells... no soldering at all in our process (soldering damages the cells due to the heat - it doesn't show until later in the cell life). We provide mounting solutions as well to make install super easy for customers.

Most packs on the market use A123 cells, but there are some major problems with that. First is that all the cells available to distributors are B grade cells and nearly all distributors are in China. Many rewrap the cells and sell them as A grade cells - A123 calls the pirate cells. A123 is only interested in working with major OEMs right now so they offer no support to the public. All A grade cells go to OEMs only. Because of these issues we started looking at other suppliers.

I found a company that offers a Lithium xxxxx xxxx cell that is actually better for this application. It has a higher energy density than A123 so a higher Ah rating and more cranking power. We are also buying the cells directly from the manufacturer and the support of their product.

So our packs feature:
1. Less than 5% capacity loss after 6 months of sitting so no trickle charge is required.
2. If the pack is somehow discharged it can be fully charged in 15-20 min.
3. We can make any special pack required with 24 hour turn around...
4. Cells are self heating so they work in cold weather (another downfall of the A123 cells).
5. 2 year warranty.
6. 3-5 year life expectancy depending on use.
7. Generally around 80% reduction in weight compared to lead acid.

[mattyvas]

Very interesting, I'll wait to hear pricing.

[ozducati]

i bet myself $50 that would be the first response, and i now owe me $50.. on the bright side i just won $50 !! 

I have known this guy for many years, and he is quite heavily involved in the industry, so pricing will be right...

Very interesting, I'll wait to hear pricing.

[macca]

Definitely interested, i broke a terminal on mine just last week.

[stopintime]

 

[Dannog]

I have a Maviryk LiFePo4 battery on my S4RS. They're the bees nees. It'd be good to have a local supplier as the only offering in Australia at the moment are for 48v batteries for electric bikes and the ones that are going into golf carts.

I really noticed the difference in weight when I swapped out the old battery. The bike feels a lot lighter!

There's a good right up on an alternate forum where a guys built his own for a race bike..... you get the picture http://www.1000rr.net/forums/showthread.php?t=54463

[ozducati]

Here's some more info, it's not just the upfront cost, but the overall benefits..

Life: 2000+ charge/discharge cycles with a typical lifespan of 5 years. Since most motorcycles have a built in charging system the lifespan will greatly increase as the battery won’t go through a full charge/discharge cycle every time it is used, only a partial.

A Real Life Example:
The Ducati 1098 comes standard with a Yuasa YTX14 battery, which weighs 8.06 lbs (3657.09 g) and produces 200 cold cranking amps (CCA). Our 8 cell battery weighs only 1.5 lbs (700 g) and has a 300 amp discharge (similar to CCA). Our batteries reduce weight by 6.56 lbs (2975.56 g) while increasing cranking power by 100 amps! Besides starting the Ducati 1098 easier and dropping a considerable amount of weight our batteries last several times as long as the original battery, require no maintenance (such as trickle charging) and includes a 2-year warranty!

FAQ
Q. Are your batteries safe?
A. Our batteries are safer than the OEM lead-acid battery included from the factory on all current motorcycles! They will not catch on fire, explode, spill acid, etc… like lead-acid and Lithium Ion batteries. Our cells have no thermal runaway and use no heavy metals so they are not only safe for use, but also safe for the environment.

Q. How long will these batteries last?
A. Our batteries will last several times as long as a lead-acid battery; typically 5 years with proper use and storage.

Q. How do I charge these batteries; do I need a trickle charger?
A. Our batteries are delivered fully charged, ready to install and do not require the use of a trickle charger. In fact, use of a trickle charger such as a Battery Tender can damage the battery and will void the warranty. Our batteries only lose 5% capacity over a 6-month period of non-use while stored at room temperature and have a 3-year shelf life.

If you have a race bike with no charging system or have accidentally discharged the battery you can quickly recharge the battery using an automotive type charger delivering 14.5 volts at 5 amps or more.

Q. Will my bike’s charging system properly charge this battery?
A. Most modern sport bikes have charging systems that operate at 14.3-14.5V at 5 amps above 2000 rpm, which is ideal for our batteries. Between your stock charging system and our batteries low self-discharge your battery will always be ready to start your bike, even after sitting for weeks.

Q. Does your battery come with a warranty?
A. Yes, we offer a two-year warranty against manufacturing defects. Each battery includes a warranty card with the battery construction number listed.

Q. Why is your battery more expensive than a lead-acid battery?
A. Technically our battery is cheaper! In general our batteries are twice the price or less of the lead-acid battery they are replacing, but our batteries last several times as long so over the span of 5 years our battery is cheaper since you will not have to replace it, but you will have to replace a lead-acid battery 2-3 times

When you look at the value our batteries make even more sense. Not only will our battery be cheaper in the long run, you’ll have a battery that performs better and weighs much less as well. To get an equivalent weight loss with exotic materials like carbon fiber, titanium or magnesium you would have to spend thousands of dollars. This should be the first modification of anyone wanting to reduce weight, increase performance and do it in a cost conscious way.

[mattyvas]

So now that you're $50 up wanna put it toward my purchase 

[ozducati]

depends what you want to purchase 

So now that you're $50 up wanna put it toward my purchase 

[Betty]

Here's some more info, it's not just the upfront cost, but the overall benefits..

Q. Why is your battery more expensive than a lead-acid battery?
A. Technically our battery is cheaper! In general our batteries are twice the price or less of the lead-acid battery they are replacing, but our batteries last several times as long so over the span of 5 years our battery is cheaper since you will not have to replace it, but you will have to replace a lead-acid battery 2-3 times

Seriously?

I know this is a marketting exercise, but how many of us replace our batteries 2 or 3 times in five years? We replaced Jukie's battery for the first time last year ... so it was 7 or 8 years old ... never on a trickle charger. Betty's battery is still original (5+ years) starts first time every time, never been on a trickle charger.

So if these new wizz-bang batteries only last five years I am not sure of the attraction, but if they last for three times as long as normal we would be right for another 20+ years with them

[ozducati]

Betty, not everyone is so lucky, i know a lot of the superbike batteries (newer bikes) that have had battery & regulator problems, and have had to be replaced, good to see you can see the positives in all of this as usual...

Seriously?

I know this is a marketting exercise, but how many of us replace our batteries 2 or 3 times in five years? We replaced Jukie's battery for the first time last year ... so it was 7 or 8 years old ... never on a trickle charger. Betty's battery is still original (5+ years) starts first time every time, never been on a trickle charger.

So if these new wizz-bang batteries only last five years I am not sure of the attraction, but if they last for three times as long as normal we would be right for another 20+ years with them

[Betty]

Betty, not everyone is so lucky, i know a lot of the superbike batteries (newer bikes) that have had battery & regulator problems, and have had to be replaced, good to see you can see the positives in all of this as usual...

You don't like me much do you?

[ozducati]

why would you say that?

[Betty]

good to see you can see the positives in all of this as usual...

For some reason this comes across as rather personal ... and it is not the first time I have been the subject of your snide remarks.

I'm still interested to know what sort of battery life people are getting with their Monsters.

[wayne800]

Surprised to get only 2 years battery life from a (then) new S2R 800. My mechanic said that this is becoming more common these days 

Re. these new batteries: have I missed something - what exactly is a "Lithium xxxxx xxxx" cell ?