Lightest weight option in Shorai?

Mythos

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The Stock battery specs are:

12V 36.0 kC(10 Ah)/10 HR

I have barely a clue about what that means. All I know is that I would like to use the smallest, lightest Shorai that will start and power my busa for street use.

We have this one at .93 lbs.
7Ah PbEq 12V eq CCA 102

LFX07L2-BS12

or a bit heavier, we have this at 1.28 lbs:
9Ah PbEq 12V eq CCA 135
LFX09A2-BS12

or at 1.46 lbs, this:
14Ah PbEq 12V CCA 210
LFX14L2-BS12

Each Shorai listed here are in the small Length 4.45" Width 2.28" Height 3.50" case. I will find a way to secure it into the stock tray.

How do you think each will perform just so I can become a little acquainted with what specs to look for? There are actually a few other Shorai options that might work for me. If we can narrow this down based on the published specs, maybe I can pick the winner.

thanks.
 
I recommend that you go with the Ballistic EVO2 12 cell battery for the Busa. That is what I'm using in my busa. Ballistic batteries have more cold cranking amps than the Shorai in comparable sizes. The 12 cell weighs about 2lbs. Don't go by the AH rating on the Shorai. The number they list is what they call Sealed Lead Acid equivalent. Ballistic will show you the real AH as well as the Sealed Lead Acid equivalent which is actually a little higher than the Shorai.

The Ballistic might be slightly heavier than the Shorai but it's worth it.
 
In my ZX-14, I currently use the LFX14A2-BS12 which is the same battery as the third listed in my OP, above. I have had my Shorai in the 14 for 3 years. It cranks about the same as the OEM battery did

I am sold on the weight reduction of the Shorai. I would just go with the same battery as the 14's but if there is a battery even a bit lighterer that will work in the busa, I'd like to try it ....but I don't know my batteries well enough at all to make that call...which is where you guys come in.

SoCalBlur, Thanks for explaining the "sealed lead acid equivalent." Sounds like if I want a Shorai to provide genuine 10 Ah performance, I will need to pick one that Shorai rates at about 12 Ah?
 
No, what the equivalent means is that they expect it to perform the same as a Sealed Lead Acid battery with that rating. The reason I brought it up is because LiFe technology batteries work differently. The true AH rating of any LiFe battery is a lot lower.

The thing I don't like about Shorai is that they use that number and don't list the actual AH rating. So when you're comparing Shorai to other LiFe technology batteries you think to yourself, wow, Shorai has a much better AH rating than these other brands. Well LiFe is LiFe and it really just comes down to how much LiFe material is in the Cells. So they are all essentially the same.

Ballistic batteries are a little heavier because they have a bit more material in the cells which accounts for why their CCA's are higher then the comparable size Shorai. What really makes a difference to me is that Ballistic is made in America and Shorai is made in the Far East. So if you have issues and need to work with the manufacturer, I'd rather deal with an American company.

So that and the most CCA's is what I look for. Going from an 8lb battery (OEM battery) to a battery that weighs under 2lbs, a 1/4 lb of weight difference doesn't really matter to me. It's all about starting power and the fact that you don't need to put the battery on a tender when not in use.
 
My Shorai is about 2 1/2 years old and still going good . When you get ti they send in the box alot of foam spacers so you can fit snug in the batterybox
 
What really makes a difference to me is that Ballistic is made in America and Shorai is made in the Far East. So if you have issues and need to work with the manufacturer, I'd rather deal with an American company.
Shorai hast had some issues. Actually, I have heard a number of co,plaints but the one I have has lasted as long as the stocker did so I am not disappointed.

the most CCA's is what I look for.
From Wiki:
Cold cranking amperes (CCA) is the amount of current a battery can provide at 0 °F (?18 °C). The rating is defined as the current a lead-acid battery at that temperature can deliver for 30 seconds and maintain at least 1.2 volts per cell (7.2 volts for a 12-volt battery). It is a more demanding test than those at higher temperatures. This is the most widely used cranking measurement for comparison purposes.

Makes sense to me. The toughest job a battery is expected to perform is to turn the motor over enough times and fast enough to start. Cold temps usually make this a tougher job yet so a lot of CCA will make for greater reliability for street performance.


Going from an 8lb battery (OEM battery) to a battery that weighs under 2lbs, a 1/4 lb of weight difference doesn't really matter to me.
To be honest, I could not tell any improvement in handling after going from the ZX-14's 11 pound battery to the 1.4 lb Shorai. So much weight had already been dropped off the bike that even the high riding battery weight reduced to 10% was not noticeable to me....I am still a weight reduction fanatic and remove/ reduce everything I can. Little by little, it adds up to an improvement in handling and even acceleration to some degree..

It's all about starting power and the fact that you don't need to put the battery on a tender when not in use.
Actually, Shorai highly recommends the use of their special maintainer/charger for storage. My Shorai was about 3 months on shelf with no charge before I installed it but I hook it up to balance the cells for winter 3 month storage now. Prolly start to hook it up any time the bike is not being used for more than 4-5 days. ...since I have the charger. Yes, that is better than I cared for my OEM battery. Lots of maintenance for an "improved battery" but like I said, I have heard a few complaints about Shorai not holding a charge afer a short duty life. Several Shorais I know of had to be replaced early in production. I think the cell balancing ritual is prolly a good thing to do especially when the battery lies dormant a while.

When you get ti they send in the box alot of foam spacers so you can fit snug in the batterybox
Yeah, I have that stuff. The battery I got for my 14 was NOT recommended for that bike because the battery case is too small for the battery tray to hold securely. Here is how I solved that:

1/4" Plywood cut to fit battery tray.
P1060225.jpg

Zip ties around Shorai, plywood and back of tray.
shoraiintray.jpg


SoCal Blur, looks like any Shorai a lot lower in CCA than the one I have (reported 14Ah/210CCA) might not work unless I only use the bike in the warm weather....what do you think? I'd go for the reported 7Ah/102 CCA to shave another half pound off but that's not going to cut it for Wisconsin early Spring and late Fall. Think it would be ok for 65 F mornings?

...just thinking here...the possibilities.
 
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Actually, Shorai highly recommends the use of their special maintainer/charger for storage.


Ballistic also has an optional balance charger and I have one. I used it after about 8 months of usage and it took about 15 min to completely balance charge the battery so that tells me that it has done a very good job of holding a charge. There are times when I don't ride for 3 weeks at a time and when I do, it's only to work and back which is only 1 1/2 miles away. In those circumstances, I am very pleased with how the Ballistic battery has performed. LiFe batteries should only lose about 10% of their charge over a 12 month period.

SoCal Blur, looks like any Shorai a lot lower in CCA than the one I have (reported 14Ah/210CCA) might not work unless I only use the bike in the warm weather....what do you think? I'd go for the reported 7Ah/102 CCA to shave another half pound off but that's not going to cut it for Wisconsin early Spring and late Fall. Think it would be ok for 65 F mornings?

I can't speak to any personal experience with the Shorai batteries. But I can tell you that the Ballistic battery I have is the 12 Cell and it has 410 CCA (referred to as Burst Cranking Amps for LiFe technology). And contrary to what others may think, there are times when it gets down into the 30's in SoCal which means when I leave for work at 5am it can be in the mid 40's. With any LiFe technology in cold weather, the best practice is to turn on the key to your bike and wait 15 - 20 seconds. The voltage draw from your headlight actually causes the battery to heat up and then produce more available power. I do this on cold mornings and never have an issue starting the busa.

As to your question of whether 102 CCA is enough, that really depends on your bike. Everyone is different. Some bikes naturally fire up very easily and others normally take a few cranks to get going. A lot has to do with the tuning of the bike. The nice thing about LiFe batteries is that even if the bike doesn't start on the first attempt, that voltage draw will warm the battery up and it will likely start on the second attempt if you wait 15 - 20 seconds after the first attempt. Personally, as I stated before, I would always go for the battery with the highest CCA. I don't want to have to worry about whether there will be enough the start the bike or not when I really need it.
 
I put in a Shorai LFX14A1-BS12 and have had no problems with it. Started right up in a 35 Degree F. Garage also. So far, So Good...:thumbsup:
 
That is the same one I have in the ZX-14 except yours is in the larger sized case...prolly fits in the compartment better without needing as much foam or special hold downs.

My Shorai has also started the 14 in cold weather up quite well. I had ridden in previous years down to 15 F ambient temp. It was a bit of a struggle this year after sitting in the cold garage all winter. I had to make 2 or three attempts and the motor turned over about 16 times before it started....then it backfired and died. I'm chalking that up to old spark plugs (50K miles/ 5 years old). I put the Shorai on Charge mode and it seemed to start the bike with fewer turns. Back to normal after a good ride.

The busa seems to like warmer air for starting. At least that's how it seemed with the stock mapping and exhaust. Haven't really tried to start it in the real cold weather in the last year.
 
So, let's just say I put the smallest 12V Shorai (7Ah PbEq 12V eq CCA 102) in the busa. It starts the bike fine in 60 F+ ambient temperature. Will it be adequate to run the headlights, tail lights, tag light, flashers and dash lights?
 
I was asking about this for my busa back in 2013 but I never bought one for that bike. The old 2008's original lead acid battery hasn't given up the ghost after eleven years and that's the only longterm review I can give.

but, my ZX-14's Shorai is finally dead.

I've had a Shorai LFX14A2-BS12 in my Kawasaki ZX-14 for 10 years! That's right, TEN. After about year four, I believe it started to crank a little slower and required about four turns before the motor would light off. It also wouldn't hold a sufficient charge after a few days. Last year, I think it was turning about 8 times before it would fire up and I had to run the bike every 24 hours or it probably wouldn't start. This year, It held 12.1 v after twenty-four hours and it cranked over approximately 8 or 9 times before starting. Last night, we had cooler weather and this afternoon, she no start. Two times it fired one beat but I suppose the battery was too low to keep sparking? The battery dropped to 8v. Forget it it's done. Ten years is a pretty good run though, especially being the exact model is a little smaller than what they recommend for that bike. Both my bikes have batteries on maintainers all winter.

I have this little feeling my busa's battery will up and die this summer too. So maybe I'll be ordering two batteries.

Any recomendations? I hear Balistic is good but a little heavier. I'm into lightweight but it has to be reliable for at least a few years.
 
Hi. The one I will use is by Full Spectrum. I am getting the one with 720 cranking amps.
I was looking into Full Spectrum. I'm planning to order a MOSFET rectifier from Powerhouse and Frank was talking about the stator upgrade and his battery which is great for turbo. A comparable in weight Full Spectrum battery is heavier than the Shorai I want. It could be that Full Spectrums have more LiFe material as SoCal Blur mentioned above.
 
I was looking into Full Spectrum. I'm planning to order a MOSFET rectifier from Powerhouse and Frank was talking about the stator upgrade and his battery which is great for turbo. A comparable in weight Full Spectrum battery is heavier than the Shorai I want. It could be that Full Spectrums have more LiFe material as SoCal Blur mentioned above.
Hi. I am doing the stator and mosfet upgrade also.
 
I'm glad we have light weight batteries but I expected the products to evolve much more after ten years. I remember buying the Shorai charger and worrying about if I would ever be able to use it when I replaced the Shorai with whatever the next best thing would be. The Shorai lasted 10 years, it looks like the charger might work with other LiFe batteries available today and Shorai has the same lineup of products since 2011.
 
I'm glad we have light weight batteries but I expected the products to evolve much more after ten years. I remember buying the Shorai charger and worrying about if I would ever be able to use it when I replaced the Shorai with whatever the next best thing would be. The Shorai lasted 10 years, it looks like the charger might work with other LiFe batteries available today and Shorai has the same lineup of products since 2011.
Hi. I bought an Alien Motion it is a 12 cell for the busa back in 2016 when I was riding it on the street now I use in my HD. I was told to just use a standard chargerI have killed it 2 times and only used the charger on 2 amps. It is still fine..
 
Hi. I bought an Alien Motion it is a 12 cell for the busa back in 2016 when I was riding it on the street now I use in my HD. I was told to just use a standard chargerI have killed it 2 times and only used the charger on 2 amps. It is still fine..
I believe a normal lead acid charger works for a Shorai as long as it doesn't automatically desulfate but it won't balance the cells like a Shorai charger does. Full Spectrum doesn't recomend using a lead acid charger at all because among other problems, the lead acid charger doesn't charge or maintain at the same levels required by a lithium battery.

I just checked with Full Spectrum and they said the Shorai charger would probably work with a Full Spectrum battery. Any battery that the Shorai charger works with would need to have the proper port to accept the Shorai charger's plug. From Full Spectrum's video, looks like their batteries have internal plugs that would fit a Shorai charger but Full Spectrum batteries have no external port. The charger Full Spectrum recommends (OptiMate) has two alligator clips. I don't believe Shorai makes a +/- pigtail attachment for their charger. It might be possible to make a set of aligator clips that adapt to the Shorai charger but I'd rather not experiment with doing that.
 
I believe a normal lead acid charger works for a Shorai as long as it doesn't automatically desulfate but it won't balance the cells like a Shorai charger does. Full Spectrum doesn't recomend using a lead acid charger at all because among other problems, the lead acid charger doesn't charge or maintain at the same levels required by a lithium battery.

I just checked with Full Spectrum and they said the Shorai charger would probably work with a Full Spectrum battery. Any battery that the Shorai charger works with would need to have the proper port to accept the Shorai charger's plug. From Full Spectrum's video, looks like their batteries have internal plugs that would fit a Shorai charger but Full Spectrum batteries have no external port. The charger Full Spectrum recommends (OptiMate) has two alligator clips. I don't believe Shorai makes a +/- pigtail attachment for their charger. It might be possible to make a set of aligator clips that adapt to the Shorai charger but I'd rather not experiment with doing that.
Hi Yes but your stator just puts amps in the battery it does not balance the cells ????????????????????//
 
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