Help finding a thread: LiFePO4 battery meltdown/fire/chaos

[LowercaseJake]

I tried several search strings, including who I *thought* was the manufacturer (Alien Motion) which turned up nothing. Apologies if thus isn't the right place to ask. But a year or so ago I read a thread here detailing the long sordid saga of a member whose lithium battery nearly destroyed him and his bike, and now I can't find it.

I'm completely redoing the charging system, Electrosport stator installed (skeptical of that wimpy wiring... Might reinstall the much beefier OEM (early 900,single phase, never had any issues) Rick's MOSFET R/R, completely upgraded all power and ground wiring...  LiFePO4 battery is the final puzzle piece. I just wanted to revisit that thread for informational purposes.

P.S: if the culprit wasn't Alien Motion I will edit out the name in this thread so as not to accidentally slander a good company.

Thx for your help.

[LowercaseJake]

As a side note I have a pair of brand new Electrex pulse coils. No issues with the oem ones but if this is a recommended "while I'm in there" kinda thing or an upgrade of any sort I'm all ears.

[LowercaseJake]

Oops... Found it by simply searching "Alien Motion" rather than get cute and overthinking it. Sorry guys.

[koko64]

I like Shorai, while others here swear by the Antigravity brand. They are both premium brands. I have used Shorai batteries for years and both are going strong. What matters is that the battery pops a safety fuse rather than catch fire if it is overcharged. Also note that a strong and secure outer case bulges but doesnt burst if the charging system gets out of control. I have seen a Shorai battery survive burning fuel when a bike was destroyed by fire. The carbon composite casing protected it from external heat and it stands to reason it should protect your bike from internal issues within the battery. The battery also survived a major short but started a hi comp, big bore Supersport the very next day. You can search for Shorai, Antigravity and Lithium battery topics here. Don't be tempted by cheap brands.
Battery Tender make them too but I cant report on them. I picked up a cast off Battery Tender brand Lithium battery but only use it to run a timing light, etc.
These batteries dont like parasitic devices like alarms.
The Shorai needs a special charger but it also performs diagnostics and tender/storage modes too. Forum sponsors Monsterparts and Motowheels have them.

[LowercaseJake]

I've owned a Shorai with one minor issue that was taken care of quickly by their excellent customer service. There's a few bad anecdotes regarding Antigravity, enough that I wouldn't pay their premium price vs buying another Shorai. The rest are pretty much all made in the same factory by Skyrich, including the Deltran and Yuasa, just branded differently. I wouldn't shy away from any of them simply based on brand or price at this point. What I *will* do is avoid the ones with a documented track record of failure + bad customer service... And not skimp on cca and wh capacity.... I'd rather a battery that can laugh at the worst our little rectifiers can throw at it than one that falls on its own sword.

[danaid]

 I use Shorai and have been happy. My first Shorai died in about 6 months but was replaced free with a larger battery. The chemistry they use is stable compared to some older types and other brands. I the negative is you have to use the shorai battery charger for best results. I have to keep my battery on the charger as the newer bikes will draw power when off.

 The other brand that sounds promising is earth X because it has the proper cell balancing electronics built in but there is many negative reviews, I think they are still new and have not worked the bugs out of their product, or they are making them as cheaply as possible!

[EEL]

I had one of the oldest shorai still in continuous operation to the point the shorai actually gave me a discount on a new battery to analyze its long term condition of my old one. The battery was still running until march 2017. It was bought in 2011.

The cold cranking amps were just slowly dropping down where I would have to wait 20 seconds to fire the bike up so the cells could warm up.

The battery was molested by me for the first 4 years. It was never put on a trickle charger or a balance charger and the bike was left sitting for months at a time in the winter. Even then it would crank up just fine.

model was and still is an LFX18A1-BS12

Well made product and highly recommended.

[koko64]

I still have an LFX14 of similar age or older in my hi comp M900.  Must be an early model like yours. It struggled but started the bike (with 205psi cranking pressure), so I got an 18 and put the 14 in my Gixxer. Now it is on Shorai tender awaiting a stock compression M750 or M900.
Im testing a Deltran/Battrrytender model I was gifted in my Gixxer which fits better with its four poles as I'm running a gear position meter. Hasn't caught fire yet ( fingers crossed).

[LowercaseJake]

Koko, I kept my Shorai on a "Battery Tender Lithium Jr" model of trickle charger / tender several times a week, overnight, for almost 2 years with no issues. Deltran promises that charger is specifically engineered for lipo /LiFePO4 cells, and that it not only charges but also maintains and balances. I would recommend that charger for anyone with a lithium battery in their bike regardless of the brand, makes no sense that a battery would require a proprietory type of charger.

I only parted with my Shorai because a good friend who was building a GS750 cafe racer needed something that would fit in his seat cowl, and I owed him a favor.

Shorai is a great company with a great product, I just don't like ordering the same thing twice. Losing a moto component  or having one fail is an opportunity to experiment with new things and all.