Alternator, regulator, battery? 2009 696

[Charlie98]

AGMs were the new hotness 20+ years ago. When they first came out they recommended different regulators to charge them properly. They required a different curve than standard flooded batteries.

But today, even the military is switching over to Lithiums in heavy-duty applications, so that had me wondering about going to Lithium as well. Plus I heard the OE R/R's on the 696 were prone to failure anyhow?

That's quite true.  I killed the AGM batteries in my XR650 every year until the guy at the parts counter asked me about my charger.  He sold me a charger that had a mode specifically for AGM batteries.... and I haven't had a problem since.  FWIW, I was using an older Battery Tender model, designed for lead acid.

The military doesn't care about overall cost... the best solution to any problem is to throw money at it.

[metroplex]

That's quite true.  I killed the AGM batteries in my XR650 every year until the guy at the parts counter asked me about my charger.  He sold me a charger that had a mode specifically for AGM batteries.... and I haven't had a problem since.  FWIW, I was using an older Battery Tender model, designed for lead acid.

The military doesn't care about overall cost... the best solution to any problem is to throw money at it.

Do you recall which Tender you had? The ones I had been using since 2006 all had 1 lead-acid mode that would work for AGM and Gel (AGM and Gel technically are still lead-acid).

The Battery Tender in LiFePO4 mode seems to float at 13.67 VDC (13.1-13.2 for the lead-acid mode). But after leaving my Shorai uncharged/unconnected overnight, it stays at 13.08 VDC versus the 12.6-12.8 with a lead-acid.

The military was against the switch to AGM for the longest time because of the higher price of AGM batteries, so overall cost is a huge consideration. AGM was touted as a wunderbattery over 20 years ago. It does last longer than flooded in hot environments, but I haven't switched to AGM on my cars/SUV because of the added cost and minimal lifespan benefit over flooded.

I'm mainly looking for more cranking power from the Lithium. The Yuasa AGM, even when new, seemed fairly weak when cold starting the 696.

[ducpainter]

It seems, to me anyway, that you've decided you need a lithium battery. That's fine, it's your money.

Buy your lithium battery and do the install without upgrading battery cables. Do some tests wrt voltage drop when cranking, recovery voltage...etc. Then upgrade the cables and repeat any tests you do. Let us know what you find.

If you can borrow a good AGM battery, install it before, and after the cable upgrade. Do some tests. Let us know what you find.

[stopintime]

... and make sure (if you haven't already) to install a charging pigtail on the battery. Lot of work to access it on those bikes.

[metroplex]

... and make sure (if you haven't already) to install a charging pigtail on the battery. Lot of work to access it on those bikes.

That's the only way I was able to nurse 11 years out of that Yuasa w/ a Battery Tender.

[Charlie98]

Do you recall which Tender you had?

It was from the '90's... after I bought my CBR1000F.  I've since junked it.

[metroplex]

It seems, to me anyway, that you've decided you need a lithium battery. That's fine, it's your money.

Buy your lithium battery and do the install without upgrading battery cables. Do some tests wrt voltage drop when cranking, recovery voltage...etc. Then upgrade the cables and repeat any tests you do. Let us know what you find.

If you can borrow a good AGM battery, install it before, and after the cable upgrade. Do some tests. Let us know what you find.

Speaking of cables, that's something I did want to upgrade. Is the Motoelectric HICAP still a good bolt-on solution?

[ducpainter]

NO FHE.

His site indicates top quality components. I didn't see a lot else out there doing a quick search.

[metroplex]

I wanted to get a load tester for the longest time, so decided to pick up a Battery Tender unit (looks the same as the Schumacher, and I heard the Cen-Tech at Harbor Freight is a similar design). The Yuasa from 2011 (or possibly earlier since the dealer wasn't too clear if they gave me a new battery or if it was the original from 2008/2009 on the new 696 that just sat in their show room) tested Weak (10V) under load, below the 200 CCA line.

Out of curiosity, I put the Shorai LFX18A under the same load test, and it was at the 11V mark and well within green for the 270 CCA.

I used the Yuasa at the trap shooting range for my trap launcher, and it seemed to work fine for the launcher mechanism. It's not a huge amount of load and the battery is only 8.4 lb, making it a HECK of a lot easier to carry around. I used to carry around an old Group 65 battery for that launcher and it weighed 50 lb. Then I ditched it for an old battery out of my 2017 Fusion which is a Group 90/T5 still weighing over 30 lb (but one of the smallest car batteries).

[metroplex]

I got the Rick's Lithium MOSFET regulator and the Motolectric wiring kit. The Motoletric kit is well made for the most part but that starter positive wire was several inches too long and the positive battery terminal isn't the same as what they had on their website and guide. Needed some bending at times to work. That ground wire and starter positive wire barely fit under the plastic guide on the alternator side.

The Rick's regulator came with wires that were like 2 feet too long. Required a lot of creative bundling and zip-ties. Would be a challenge for those with the 1100 engine oil cooler to fit. The regulator wires weren't long enough to relocate the regulator but were too long IMHO.

I didn't even have time to fire it up to test it out. Shorai battery is way smaller than the Yuasa YT12 size, so required some foam padding (wasn't hard just required work).

I plan to swap out all of the halogen headlights for LEDs (cuts down on startup draw as well as overall draw, increased brightness, etc). I had been biding my time for LEDs to improve and it looks like the time is right with more and more 1:1 size LEDs without driver modules.

[metroplex]

Finally got a chance to fire her up.

I'll honestly say, I saw zero difference between the stock wiring/Yuasa vs. the Motolectric thicc/phat wiring and Shorai Lithium. The Lithium Ion battery seems to hold voltage better after being loaded down, but that's about it.

The Rick's MOSFET Lithium regulator kept the voltage displaying at 13.5 VDC on the display, but my multimeter was showing about 0.3 VDC lower at the battery terminals, roughly 13.2 VDC.

I'd say maybe a bike with really worn out/corroded wires might see a benefit from the wiring upgrade but otherwise I don't see the benefit. It was rather a PITA to fit together and bend some of the terminals. Not 100% plug and play.

[koko64]

I reckon that's a bit stingy for a lithium reg.

[metroplex]

Seems like it is low doesn't it? Rick's advertises a setpoint of 14 +/- 0.2 VDC

This was showing 13.5-13.6 on the instrument cluster, and about 0.3 V lower with my multimeter across the battery terminals.

[koko64]

What revs when measured? I'd want to see 14V at 3000 rpm.

[metroplex]

It did go up at 3000 RPM, 13.7 or so on the display. I plan to do more testing today as Rick's recommended I just check the voltage at the stator.