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Old May 19th, 2017, 12:05 PM   #16
Ram Jet
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Name: Bill
Location: Port Huron, Michigan
Join Date: Mar 2017

Motorcycle(s): 2007 Kawasaki 250 Ninja, 1982 Honda Ascot FT500

Posts: A lot.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JacRyann View Post
There are roughly 6 types of lithium batteries. The "lithium" or "lithium-ion" most people talk about used in laptops that catches on fire are of lithium cobalt oxide variety that may overheat when deeply discharged at high rates (shorted). However, in vast majority of cases, they are perfectly safe; how many people have had laptop catch on fire?

Types used for motorcycle & auto batteries have higher discharge-rate requirement. These use lithium iron phosphate chemistry (LiFePO4) and is much, much more stable than lithium cobalt oxide batteries. You can slice open LiFePO4 battery while it's cranking engine and nothing would happen other than it spills its guts and starter stops. You can pour gasoline on split-open battery and light it on fire. The fire will just go out when gasoline is exhausted; nothing in battery is actually flammable, other than plastic wrapper.

With protective circuitry inside the auto & bike batteries, deep-discharge and over-charging is prevented. However, high-voltage blasts from anti-sulfation chargers may damage circuit and it will then prevent battery from discharging or charging. The cells gets disconnected from terminals and it's "dead", open-circuit.

I've used variety of lithium batteries ever since they first came out, Shorai, Ballistic, Antigravity. All of them have lasted over 5-years and counting. The Antigravity actually sat for an entire year in a CBR I didn't ride. Took bike out a year later and VRRrroom, it started right up!!!
Thanks Jac, really informative. Maybe I'll be more eager to embrace new technology going forward.

Bill
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