Lithium battery woes

jamesp

jamesp

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I recently bought a Shorai LFX21L6-BS12 battery. It did not last long before discharging. I bought a Lithium charger from Cycle Gear which is indicating that the battery voltage (.72) is too low for charging. I tried the three second jump as recommended by Shorai to reset the batterie’s circuit, but that did not help. I believe the battery may be defective. I have contacted the Shorai service center and Battery Mart, where I bought it. Of course, it’s late Friday and no one is around at those places. I was wondering if I am doing something wrong, and/or if anyone has any advice on how I might get the voltage up high enough to charge it. Thank you in advance for any insights,
 
jamesp said:
I recently bought a Shorai LFX21L6-BS12 battery. It did not last long before discharging. I bought a Lithium charger from Cycle Gear which is indicating that the battery voltage (.72) is too low for charging. I tried the three second jump as recommended by Shorai to reset the batterie’s circuit, but that did not help. I believe the battery may be defective. I have contacted the Shorai service center and Battery Mart, where I bought it. Of course, it’s late Friday and no one is around at those places. I was wondering if I am doing something wrong, and/or if anyone has any advice on how I might get the voltage up high enough to charge it. Thank you in advance for any insights,
Click to expand...
What was your bikes system voltage, engine RPM above 2000? (Before the battery was symptomatic)
 
concours said:
What was your bikes system voltage, engine RPM above 2000? (Before the battery was symptomatic)
Click to expand...
The charging system is incomplete as I am waiting for a new stator. It’s a new build and has only run for a few minutes, but a good amount of cranking was used to start it. My problem now is I need to recharge it.
 
You may raise the voltage enough by charging from another battery. I have a Shorai LFX18A1 that was in the bike (850 Mk3) when I got it. Works fine off the single phase stator (not sure which one but probably high current) from ~2,000 and up and I have an Optimate LFP tender.
 
You have another lithium battery? Probably not, but if you do, you can run jumper cables from a good lithium battery to the near dead one and start the charger on the near dead battery. Once the charger recognizes the good lithium battery voltage and starts charging for a while you should be able to remove the jumper cables from the good battery and the charger will continue to run on the near dead one.

I have to admit I've never had to do it, and only read about it. Usually that results in the worst kind of advice based on inexperience, or how rumors get started.

Did you check and charge the battery in question before putting it to use? If not you could be SOL.

I also run a 2 wire 16 amp stator and lithium battery with no issues. Battery is an AntiGravity though, not a Shorai.
 
Schwany said:
You have another lithium battery? Probably not, but if you do, you can run jumper cables from a good lithium battery to the near dead one and start the charger on the near dead battery. Once the charger recognizes the good lithium battery voltage and starts charging for a while you should be able to remove the jumper cables from the good battery and the charger will continue to run on the near dead one.

I have to admit I've never had to do it, and only read about it. Usually that results in the worst kind of advice based on inexperience, or how rumors get started.

Did you check and charge the battery in question before putting it to use? If not you could be SOL.

I also run a 2 wire 16 amp stator and lithium battery with no issues. Battery is an AntiGravity though, not a Shorai.
Click to expand...
I have done the procedure you describe with dead AGM batteries, but I read the Shorai LFX has its own circuitry that may not make that possible. According to the instructions, a three second jump from a good 12 volt battery should reset it and make it possible to charge. I tried that, but it didn’t work. So, I think it might be defective.
 
It has to be a GOOD 12v batt. If so, then it should have started taking a charge as per instructions. It will likely take several jumps... If not then it may be toast. I had one Shorai last 14 yrs in a modern Triumph and another last 6 months in a Ural because I left the parking lights on. I now use Antigravity and EarthX because they will shut down before they are depleted. Makes them much easier to recharge, and prevents early death.
 
Just hook up a regular battery charger and charge it. My Shorai 18AH went dead when I accidentally left the ignition on in my Commando some years ago and, several days later when I sent out to ride, there was virtually no battery voltage. I connected a standard trickle charger which got the voltage up to sufficient level for the Shorai charger to "accept" and charge the battery. The battery survived that experience and lasted another 8 years! You can charge a Shorai with a standard charger, it just won't recondition the "cells" like the proper charger does. In 10 years of that battery (currently needs replacing) I never routinely charged it with the Shorai charger - it got charged when the bike was running.
 
MexicoMike said:
Just hook up a regular battery charger and charge it. My Shorai 18AH went dead when I accidentally left the ignition on in my Commando some years ago and, several days later when I sent out to ride, there was virtually no battery voltage. I connected a standard trickle charger which got the voltage up to sufficient level for the Shorai charger to "accept" and charge the battery. The battery survived that experience and lasted another 8 years! You can charge a Shorai with a standard charger, it just won't recondition the "cells" like the proper charger does. In 10 years of that battery (currently needs replacing) I never routinely charged it with the Shorai charger - it got charged when the bike was running.
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Same here. I did pretty much the same a little while ago. The only difference is that I only left the Shorai battery on the non-Shorai charger for long enough for the battery to start accepting a charge, then I put it back on the Shoria charger.

The battery is now working fine.

A looong time ago I had a Shorai do this, but back then I didn’t know about this ‘hack’ so I binned it. I’ve been using Shorai batteries for many years now, on many bikes, and that battery that I binned (and I now know I needn’t have) is the ONLY ONE I have ever binned !

Jus’ Saynin’
 
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All lithium batteries require a BMS, Battery Management System. In the circuitry and brains they have a protection cut-off designed so once at a set voltage they shut down to stop further decay of the V. There will still be some decay but catch it in time by bringing the V up above the low protection cut-off and the BMS will reawaken and allow it to take over duties. A good 12V battery or an old school battery charger will do to reawaken it but not for the full charge, once its awake use the proper charger. The same BMS should also have a high V cut-off to stop the battery from running away and exploding like you hear from ebike batteries (their BMS is cheap and nasty) but that works best with the proper charger.
 
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Fast Eddie said:
Same here. I did pretty much the same a little while ago. The only difference is that I only left the Shorai battery on the non-Shorai charger for long enough for the battery to start accepting a charge, then I put it back on the Shoria charger.

The battery is now working fine.

A looong time ago I had a Shorai do this, but back then I didn’t know about this ‘hack’ so I binned it. I’ve been using Shorai batteries for many years now, on many bikes, and that battery that I binned (and I now know I needn’t have) is the ONLY ONE I have ever binned !

Jus’ Saynin’
Click to expand...
Like Nigel I have run the Shorai battery for years now and have had excellent results using it.Once you get the bike sorted it should start immediately. I have the Shorai charger also but have only used it once when the bike sat for over a week just to try it out.Battery didn’t need it as it went to the storage mode right away.Hope you get your stator soon so your system will be complete.
Mike
 
jamesp said:
I recently bought a Shorai LFX21L6-BS12 battery. It did not last long before discharging.
Click to expand...
I have the same battery fitted to my cNw bike in mid-2019.
I have a Shorai charger - the only time I used it was after the bike arrived (looong shipping!!)
Like @YING & @Fast Eddie I have had no problems and can only sing the battery's praises.
About 12 years ago I had a Shorai go nearly flat on me (my 500 single) - used a conventional charger to "boot" it then put the Shorai charger on it - that battery is still going.
Cheers
 
YING said:
Like Nigel I have run the Shorai battery for years now and have had excellent results using it.Once you get the bike sorted it should start immediately. I have the Shorai charger also but have only used it once when the bike sat for over a week just to try it out.Battery didn’t need it as it went to the storage mode right away.Hope you get your stator soon so your system will be complete.
Mike
Click to expand...
Stator ?
 
What this thread needs are some of the lithium battery end of days members to spice it up. :)

If still working on the electrical system you should consider getting a quality rectifier regulator, and not use the original stock components if you want your lithium battery to last. There are choices that are designed with the correct set point for lithium batteries. In a pinch the TriSpark MOSFET rect/reg will work, but it can go little high at high RPM if the lights are not on. I think the set point on the TriSpark rect/reg is 14.5V. 14.2-14.3V is a safer set point.
 
Schwany said:
What this thread needs are some of the lithium battery end of days members to spice it up. :)

If still working on the electrical system you should consider getting a quality rectifier regulator, and not use the original stock components if you want your lithium battery to last. There are choices that are designed with the correct set point for lithium batteries. In a pinch the TriSpark MOSFET rect/reg will work, but it can go little high at high RPM if the lights are not on. I think the set point on the TriSpark rect/reg is 14.5V. 14.2-14.3V is a safer set point.
Click to expand...
I have the TriSpark regulator installed now. When complete, I will have a three phase charging system. Thank you for your post.
 
I was able to give the battery a “boot” with my old battery charger and get the voltage up high enough to use my lithium charger. Thank you to all of you who gave comments, I appreciate it. I feel confident that this battery will be ok in the future.
 

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