2013 TE449 Best replacement battery for the money

[Motosportz]

Ok so now my bike is gonna explode and take out my family. Whatever.

No but it is something to be aware of to avoid it.

 

[Motosportz]

BTW a regular battery outgassing from a regular charger can be very explosive too. I used to to body and paint for a living a long time ago and saw this first hand twice. Big explosion / very messy.

 

[K5PL5]

View: http://youtu.be/tfboOt1bJcA

 

[Tinken]

Haha, I never said anything about them blowing up. My point was that their life is limited without the bms.

 

[Motosportz]

Haha, I never said anything about them blowing up.

I did and they do, just something to watch out for.

 

[Boogie]

I can't seem to find any information on the Motocell lithium iron battery other than it has a "conditional 2 year warranty". I'm pretty curious what conditions apply.

I cant find much info either. I've had one in my bike for about 6 months, it works. I'll update if my seat gets blown off.

 

[K5PL5]

I spoke to someone today from WPS about the battery. He did not laugh out loud at any of your claims but he certainly did not entertain the notion of any of them being founded, either. As recommended for a regular battery, he told me that when the featherweight WPS battery (lithium) is in storage during winter months, it should be on a battery tender type of device and removed from the bike (duh, same as a lead/acid) During normal riding times/temps, it does not require constant trickle charging.
All of these notional claims remind me of the myth that storing a battery on a concrete floor will discharge it. I will make my own determination on this battery.
And it DOES have a 2 year warranty.

 

[Tinken]

I called the corporate headquarters for WPS and they did tell me 1 year warranty on the FW, 2 years on the HD. They were quite specific about it too. Either way, I hope it doesn't fail on you, especially out on the trail. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

I'm not sure if you were directing the comment towards me, but I stand by my claims which are certainately true, otherwise Shorai wouldn't go to the trouble of producing their own BMS on their charger. You get much better life out of them.

 

[Huskynoobee]

Well, like I said, LiPo is different than Li Ion but not much.

Just for fun, Google LiPo battery fire. As you can see, it's like a road flare that won't go out. The only way to put out a Lithium battery fire is to bury it in sand. We had a plane go down at our club's field resulting in a cell rupture that sparked a nice grass fire.

Lucky me, it was my first official day as president so I got to talk to the local FD who are thankfully very close and responded first. The guys were asking, "What the hell was in that thing? It was impossible to put it out"

Oh, while you have that browser open, look up cell phone battery fire too. Those are mostly Li Ion, but you'll still put it in your pocket I reckon.

 

[Motosportz]

I spoke to someone today from WPS about the battery. He did not laugh out loud at any of your claims but he certainly did not entertain the notion of any of them being founded, either. As recommended for a regular battery, he told me that when the featherweight WPS battery (lithium) is in storage during winter months, it should be on a battery tender type of device and removed from the bike (duh, same as a lead/acid) During normal riding times/temps, it does not require constant trickle charging.
All of these notional claims remind me of the myth that storing a battery on a concrete floor will discharge it. I will make my own determination on this battery.
And it DOES have a 2 year warranty.

No reason to get defencive, you started this thread asking for opinions on these batteries. I'm sure the WP battery is fine. Some more expensive ones have some nice features and we are discussing that.

 

[Huskynoobee]

Besides, in this case the cells are in a nice hard case. If there is a crash hard enough to cause cell rupture, I'm sure your smoking Husky would be the least of your problems. Obviously they couldn't sell them if common charging systems on cars and bikes would cause a dangerous situation. The fact that these systems were never designed with the intention of being used to charge a Lithium battery is something to take into consideration.

I cited some extreme examples but wasn't trying to alarm anybody. However if you decide to try to charge it with a quick charger made for lead acid batteries be sure to take it out of the bike and tell the neighbors about the fireworks show that's about to start.

 

[EricV]

All good discussion. The topic is best replacement battery for the money. IMO if lightweight is the goal (which it is, for most of us) then yeah, these hairs are worth splitting. If you're in the minority- such as I am wherein weight isn't The Absolute most important factor- then in my opinion tried and true technology (which more often than not offers longevity and the least likelihood of leaving you stranded) is the way to go. That's the program I'm on- my bike spend significant amounts of time outdoors in all kinds of temps (sometimes sitting in winter for weeks on end) so I have a traditional battery with a Battery Tender Jr. maintaining it. Now of course I have a pig anyway (the 630) so weight wasn't the prevailing consideration (though conscious of it- I've just chosen to shave where I can elsewhere.)

 

[Tinken]

The Absolute most important factor- then in my opinion tried and true technology (which more often than not offers longevity and the least likelihood of leaving you stranded)

This is my point why they EarthX battery is best. My lead acid battery failed on me when it got hot and was not strong enough to fire up my 511. Left me stranded in the middle of no where. EarthX has been proven to be more reliable than any other motorcycle battery on the market. We have thousands of dollars invested in our race bikes and we get non-managed race batteries for free. When Jason Morgan races, he rides with an Earthx.

http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/ziptyracing-earthx-battery.40906/#post-397997

 

[K5PL5]

No reason to get defencive, you started this thread asking for opinions on these batteries. I'm sure the WP battery is fine. Some more expensive ones have some nice features and we are discussing that.

Haha not getting defensive. Its all good. I do appreciate most opinions on here, otherwise I wouldnt have asked. I know there is alot of experience on the Cafe.

 

[K5PL5]

I called the corporate headquarters for WPS and they did tell me 1 year warranty on the FW, 2 years on the HD. They were quite specific about it too. Either way, I hope it doesn't fail on you, especially out on the trail. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

I'm not sure if you were directing the comment towards me, but I stand by my claims which are certainately true, otherwise Shorai wouldn't go to the trouble of producing their own BMS on their charger. You get much better life out of them.

I dont know why they would tell me over the phone that its covered, as well as having it marked on the box and battery.

 

[K5PL5]

I could end up being a test mule for this battery. We'll see what happens with it. I dont like spending almost $100 for a battery that is allegedly dangerous and unreliable.
If it's jacked, I'll go with Mike's choice-the Earth-X.

 

[Motosportz]

I dont know why they would tell me over the phone that its covered, as well as having it marked on the box and battery.

As with any warranty / guarantee it is as good as they will back it. Hopefully you will not have to find out.

 

[bluesky]

Just picked up the WPS 490-2501 for my TE. Unfortunately I didn't read this thread until after I ordered - I probsbly would have gone with the US made EarthX. The WPS is rated at slightly higher CCA than the EarthX (150 vs 135), and does show 2 yr warranty on the box (right above the Made in China label...).

So far it spins the motor well but I did have a hot start odo reset the other day so I'll be looking for ways to beef up the starting circuit.