Hi Guys, I have just fitted a Shorai LFX27L3-BS12 Battery to my 2003 California Stone. This was not cheap at £196 including international delivery from an American seller on Ebay plus a further £46 VAT and handling before parcel force would deliver it. I will up date this post periodically so others can judge if it is worth the money. First impressions are that is a well made product and the extra bolts and terminal connections included are a nice touch as are the many self adhesive packing pieces included in the box. My one criticism involves the “series bar” which has to be connected to connect the two sets of cells together (apparently it has to be shipped in this state to comply with US postal regulations). The bar goes on easily enough and a small cover is then screwed in place over it. The four small self tapping screws provided are really poor quality. All but one had stripped their heads before they were fully tightened down.
The battery is considerably smaller than the stock item so I used a few of the packing pieces to make it a fit in the bay and was also able to install a small plastic food box next to the battery which I will use as a tool box. The light weight of these batteries is legendary but you really have to pick one up to appreciate it. Installation was straightforward and hassle free.
The battery is apparently supplied 70% charged. I did not charge it further before installation and at test start showed that it fired the bike up on the first turn of the crank. In a ride today the bike was started 5 times with the same result each time. So far so good! I will keep you all informed.
I was wondering the same. I am going to change over to an AGM to allow my P8 ecu to slot in to the space next to it. same or similar result at a fraction of the cost
Seems an expensive option to me, I have found very little difference in road use from the more expensive or cheaper Batteries, the old lead acid ones die after a few years more, I suspect, due to the vibes on the bike rather than anything else.
The Org Guzzi Battery on the V11 is now 8 yrs old and , touch wood, all good, the basic lead acid one on the Virago tends to last 3-4 years the AGM one on the V1000 has been on it now for 4 yrs.
Good news for later big Guzzi owners, there are several dealers in this country selling the Motobatt from the USA, this is developed for marine use, can be (apparently) neglected for months and has alternate positive and negative terminals each side so can fit many bikes, slightly wider than the Yuasa original it is an easy fit and currently going for less than £70.Cheers, Gerry.
According to posts on Guzzitech, Motobatt are made in China, and appear to have a life expectancy of anything between a few hours (reported) and many months. The Unibatt is a better bet.
The Shorai is of course a Lithium battery, so not only is it less than half the weight of a modern AGM type, but also has approximately twice the life expectancy.
Though if it’s the weight reduction you want, most Guzzi owners I know could acheive this more cheaply by cutting out one pie a day.
as a ex member of the Wigan Pie Eaters MCC I resemble that remark, must admit I am not sure if its the Breakfast pie/the mid-morning pie/or the late night Wigan Butty which is a pie between two loaves of bread, that does it, but maybe it could be the Black Pudding I have for a dessert instead of a Apple Pie or whatever people down south eat.just about to put the old 850T3 back on the road but need a decent battery to finish the job, think I might go down the AGM route, have one in the Cali EV, cant really afford to go down the Shorai road, pity.
Intresting point I have a high power alternator on the Spada its a 32 amp endurolast unit it says in the instruction it cannout be used with lithium batteries
can be used with absorbed mat ie oddassy
mind yo my oddassey went flat and i had a right job trying to get it back in service
Hi everyone, yes, it is an expensive option. I walk to work and consequently the bike sits idle all week, sometimes for several weeks in a row. This combined with a poor charging performance around town meant I was forever charging the lead/acid battery. I am hoping the claims of an extended lifetime ultimately justify the expense. If I change bikes I will retain the battery so it should be with me for many years.
As a lithium Battery I understand why it is sooo expensive and carriage would be more expensive as it would be treated as “Dangerous Goods” which may mean only cargo aircraft can carry it.
I am surprised there are none in the UK already mind you they would still be at a premium.
[quote=“Brian UK”]According to posts on Guzzitech, Motobatt are made in China, and appear to have a life expectancy of anything between a few hours (reported) and many months. The Unibatt is a better bet.
The Motobatt I have is clearly marked “Made In USA” and has done well for the last 4 months, it replaced a Unibatt that totally died after 23 months. I guess we will have to wait and see.G.
By the way, these Lihium batteries are also available in the UK, but maybe not so cheap. But you wouldn’t be stung with import duty. You would also have some protection under the sale of goods act if it went pear shaped.Brian UK2012-06-20 17:28:30
Lack of use seems to be the death of many modern batteries, I had gel types that would die in a month and later types that went dead in 2 weeks, possibly due to the fact that modern bikes with isolators are using amps even when parked. LiPos are supposed to be immune to this but on model boat forums that I use, there is talk that you can kill them easily with the wrong charger, even to the point of blowing them up. Everthing changes, but, as usual, seldom for the better.G.
To be honest Gerry you got it spot on. I bought a new car battery for the V1000 when I aquired it that battery lasted over 7 yrs, never had a modern one last any longer no matter what they promise. However the car batteries that had the 3 or 5 yr Gtee always lasted out the 3-5+ yrs.
This is the first AGM one on the V1000 I bought that 18 months ish ago, seems all good.
The one problem the modern AGM type batteries have is that they are generally low capacity, and that coupled with a constant drain from the ECU, even when you think everything is switched off, means that it is easy to deeply discharge the battery in a few weeks, a killer for most batteries.
Why is it that “progress” often means you have to pay more for an item (Battery) then buy the associated trickle charger or whatever? The old car battery on the V1000 lasted 3-7 years depending on type, it was cheaper and the only downside is the physical size.
Thinking on this the cost of an AGM plus charger is well over £100 so that means the old car battery would be about £40 and if you bought 2 in 10 yrs???
I agree with all your comments regarding cost/progress etc. However, I am still pleased with the way the motor is jumping into life at the first press of the starter button even though I have had a plethora of short stop/start trips over the weekend. Engine seems to be running better as well with the engine really sounding “on song”.