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Lithium Batteries 1983 R100

The local Beemer shop carries them. Pretty amazing batteries. They have a sign posted over the counter demo models that say "these are real batteries" because they are so light they feel like they should be empty. They said they haven't had any issues with them and I haven't heard bad things about them on any of the big boards like ADVRIDER or whatnot.
 
Thanks

Thank you,Just what I wanted to know.Now I can spend some real money on a battery.
The local Beemer shop carries them. Pretty amazing batteries. They have a sign posted over the counter demo models that say "these are real batteries" because they are so light they feel like they should be empty. They said they haven't had any issues with them and I haven't heard bad things about them on any of the big boards like ADVRIDER or whatnot.
 
There is a guy in our local BMW club who had a conventional lead-acid battery in his Bumblebee airhead for 9 (nine!) years working. Makes you wonder why you want to spend a premium for anything else.
 
I asked our local BMW dealer about them as an upgrade for my R1200R. He said that they have had a couple go bad, but their warranty was very good. He took responsibility for their failure because they had not been charged before the sale and had sat on the shelf awhile. They weight almost nothing, but have much more power. By the way, my wife works for Boeing and the battery issue is not a laughing matter around her.
 
Not sure, but I think I saw that Boeing's lithiums are made by Yuasa -?

From NY Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/24/b...rcharged-japanese-investigators-say.html?_r=0

"Jay F. Whitacre, an associate professor of engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, said GS Yuasa, the Japanese company that built the 787 batteries, told the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in a 2008 presentation that it had already supplied batteries for six satellites and had contracts for 50 more. GS Yuasa also said that its satellite batteries had never had a shorting incident in more than 10 years of production."
 
From NY Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/24/b...rcharged-japanese-investigators-say.html?_r=0

"Jay F. Whitacre, an associate professor of engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, said GS Yuasa, the Japanese company that built the 787 batteries, told the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in a 2008 presentation that it had already supplied batteries for six satellites and had contracts for 50 more. GS Yuasa also said that its satellite batteries had never had a shorting incident in more than 10 years of production."

I am sure Yuasa makes great batteries however comparing satellites to airplanes makes very little sense. They are radically different environments and the usage profile would likely be totally different. Lithium batteries (and especially rechargeable lithium batteries) can be dangerous simply due to the fact that lithium is a flammable metal when exposed to oxygen. They have very amazing and appealing energy density and weight ratios but I would not call fault tolerance their strong suit.

I worked as an electronics technologist at Moli Energy Ltd. (called Moli One today) from '84 to '89 where the world's first commercial rechargeable lithium batteries were developed based on research done at the University of British Columbia. Trust me when I say that when things go wrong with a lithium battery things get very interesting very quickly. :bolt
 
The not so good

March issue of Motorcyclist has a blurb about Lithium-ion batteries.
Don't like cold
Don't like being run down
Need to be kept on tender

My '04 RT still has the OEM battery.
 
Oh,well!

On second thought I guess I'll stick to the old lead acid type for now. I'll look up that MOA issue.Thanks
March issue of Motorcyclist has a blurb about Lithium-ion batteries.
Don't like cold
Don't like being run down
Need to be kept on tender

My '04 RT still has the OEM battery.
 
I asked our local BMW dealer about them as an upgrade for my R1200R. He said that they have had a couple go bad, but their warranty was very good. He took responsibility for their failure because they had not been charged before the sale and had sat on the shelf awhile. They weight almost nothing, but have much more power. By the way, my wife works for Boeing and the battery issue is not a laughing matter around her.

As a pilot myself I know it's not a laughing matter, I've had NICAD batteries do the thermal runaway once and I don't ever want to go through that again. I just think that Boeing is a little tooooo aggressive with this specific new technology, these batteries are a whole different ball of wax and should be tested more in real time setting not just in a lab. I think human factors got in the way here and things got overlooked, bottom line...it's not funny but I'm just trying to keep it lively
 
As a pilot myself I know it's not a laughing matter, I've had NICAD batteries do the thermal runaway once and I don't ever want to go through that again. I just think that Boeing is a little tooooo aggressive with this specific new technology, these batteries are a whole different ball of wax and should be tested more in real time setting not just in a lab. I think human factors got in the way here and things got overlooked, bottom line...it's not funny but I'm just trying to keep it lively

I agree, having been a test engineer at McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) I know that there is only so much that can be done in the lab. The proof that the design is good is never complete until it has been fully tested in actual flight.

Wayne
 
I agree, having been a test engineer at McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) I know that there is only so much that can be done in the lab. The proof that the design is good is never complete until it has been fully tested in actual flight.

Wayne

And apparently it failed.
 
The Shorai and Ballistic batteries uses lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) chemistry. The Yuasa battery in the Boeing used lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) chemistry. This chemistry has more electrical density than the lithium iron phosphate, but is susceptible the thermal runaway and fire. It is used in cellphones, laptop computers and such. It should not be used in large capacity batteries such as on an airplane or motorcycle. Looks to me that Boeing 787 problem is simply bad LiCoO2 batteries from Yuasa. I would specify batteries from Saft for an airplane.

http://www.answers.com/topic/lithium-cobalt-oxide
http://www.answers.com/topic/lithium-ion-battery-1
http://www.saftbatteries.com/
 
March issue of Motorcyclist has a blurb about Lithium-ion batteries.
Don't like cold
Don't like being run down
Need to be kept on tender

My '04 RT still has the OEM battery.


They don't like cold, but they warm up quickly when you use them. E.g., you can simply turn on your headlight for a minute or two and the battery will warm up and behave perfectly.

No battery likes being run down.....

They assuredly do NOT need to be kept on a tender. Their self-discharge rate is incredibly low. They can sit for literally YEARS with minimal loss of power.

I have them in a couple bikes and LOVE them.
 
First Hand Experience

I've had one in my Ducati going on 3 years. It works perfectly. 11.5:1 compression ratio and fuel injected. Starts bike easily at 50 degrees F. Has never needed to be charged - even after 3 months of inactivity. To quote a previous post..."The Shorai and Ballistic batteries uses lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) chemistry."

A buddy installed one in his R100 last year. Same results. MUCH lighter than stock battery.

Highly recommended.
 
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