Battery Tender BTL14A240C (LiFePO4)

Byron

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Well I haven't been riding my ST as much as I should have and forgot to hook it up to a tender. I tried to revive it with a CTEK Multi US 4.3 but no luck. So I started the search for its' replacement. My search led me to the Battery Tender Lithium Iron.

btl14a240cnt.jpg

Here are some of the reasons I chose this battery over the Yuasa:

- Cheaper than another Yuasa YTZ14S
- 3 yr warranty vs. 1 yr
- No Sulfating

Size wise it's about 3/4" shorter in length, 1-5/16" shorter in width, and 3/4" shorter in height. Weight wise it is 6.84 lbs. lighter, 1.76 lbs. vs. 8.6 lbs..

I ended up actually buying two as it turns out my Buell also needed a battery and the same size is listed for both bikes. To fit various bikes Battery Tender supplies 3 different size adhesive backed foam spacers; 6@ 1/4", 7@ 3/4", and 6@ 1-3/8".

Being Lithium Iron I also bought 2 Battery Tender Lithium Junior chargers. The total cost of a battery and a charger was less than the cost of a Yuasa battery alone. The reason for buying the new chargers is because the CTEK chargers I have run a de-sulfating cycle which will damage the Lithium battery. You can use any regular charger that doesn't de-sulphate as long as it is doesn't exceed 14.8 volts and 10 amps during charging.

So, first thing I did when they arrived today is unpack and check everything out. I couldn't find any manufacturing dates or codes although there might be one under one of the many labels. I checked the charge of each battery and was pleasantly surprised that they were both at 13.19 volts. According the the accompanying paperwork it means they were both above 80% charge. I hooked both up to the chargers and within 30 minutes both were showing maintenance mode and no longer charging. I'll leave them on the charges over night anyway. The charges came with both clip and hard-wire charging connectors with 2 prong SAE connector and 7.5 amp fuse on the hot or positive leads.

Tomorrow I'll install both and let you know if I run into any unexpected issues. Although I like the dual set of post configuration, I don't think I'll be able to use the second set as I believe brackets will prevent it.
 
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Byron

Byron

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Sounds like a nice alternative! Does Battery Tender comment on life expectancy?
They indicate that the battery can be charged over 2,000 times. The warranty, like other battery companies is prorated:

Warranty Periods
1) 0-12 months: Replace free of charge with original receipt.
2) 13-24 months: 50% off MSRP with original receipt.
3) 25-36 months: 35% off MSRP with original receipt.

They claim 5 times the life of a lead acid battery. I'm not sure if they are referencing only flooded batteries or if AGM's are included or not.

 
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Byron

Byron

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O.K., this is what some have been waiting for; how does this battery fit the ST1300!

I'll start with some comparison photos:

Front View.jpg
Front View

Top View.jpg
Top View

Side View.jpg
Side View

Back View.jpg
Back View

Visual is one thing but the weight difference is really amazing!

So then it's time to try and figure the foam spacer placement:

First Attempt at Spacer Fitting.jpg

This is what I ended up with as far as placing the spacers:

Height Spacers.jpg
Height Spacers

Width or Depth Spacers.jpg
Width or Depth and Top Cushion

Right Side Spacer.jpg
Right Side

Back Side Spacers.jpg
Back Side Spacers

Bottom Spacers.jpg
Bottom Spacers

The reason for off-setting the spacers is because there are voids in the bottom and the right side while there is no left side in the battery box.

Sitting in Box with Spacers.jpg
Sitting in the box with spacers attached.

Bolted in Place.jpg
Bolted in place.

Cover in Place.jpg
Cover in place.


Now that's basically it. The cover has to be removed to bolt on the cables and then put back in place. I didn't want to mess with my old charging/tire pump cable that is connected to the fuse block. It allows charging or running the tire pump with the key off but is disabled via relay when the key is on. I wired the new SAE connector that came with the charger straight to the battery.

I almost forgot about battery voltage after being on the charger over night. Immediately after disconnect they were at 13.52 volts and 13.53 volts. One hour later they dropped 0.001 volts and 2 hours later they were still the same.


With year old gas in the tank it fired right up. :D Now I need to look up how to reset the clock.
 

Erdoc48

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I'v had one of these in my 2000 ST for about a year- no issues at all and the price wasn't bad at all (I think it was $105 shipped). I would get it again when I need a replacement. From what I understand, it can sit for a very long time and not discharge too much unlike a lead acid (liquid acid, not AGM) battery.
 

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Are those heat sinks on the top of the Tender battery or just design elements?
 
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I'v had one of these in my 2000 ST for about a year- no issues at all and the price wasn't bad at all (I think it was $105 shipped). I would get it again when I need a replacement. From what I understand, it can sit for a very long time and not discharge too much unlike a lead acid (liquid acid, not AGM) battery.
True as long as it's not connected to anything. As long as it is installed in the bike however, it will be drawn down by the parasitic draw required to keep the ECU, clock, etc. powered. So, keep a charger handy as you have in the past.
 
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Byron

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I'm wondering if I stumbled onto something about Lithium Iron batteries. I got the battery mounted in my Buell 1125R and it have a few days of sitting on the charger/tender. I took it out this morning and went out and met with some friends for breakfast. No issues noted getting to the meeting spot, fan ran as normal after shutting of the bike. From there went a couple of blocks where we had breakfast and again the fan ran as normal after shutting off the bike. Again nothing out of the ordinary noted. I then decided to take a ride up into the mountains to Newcomb's Ranch, about 58 miles. It was about 31 miles of freeway then 27 miles up the mountain. Being a new battery I didn't want to stress it to much until I'm sure about it. I just used low beams on the freeway but ran high beams in the mountains (headlight modulator running). This took about an hour and a half. When I went to leave I fired up the bike and after a second or two the battery light came on even though the bike started fine. I figured one of the cables may have come loose so I checked but nothing wrong. So, back on the bike and I figure I'll take it as far as it will let me figuring maybe I had a bad battery even thought voltage wise it checked out before installing. Less than a minute after leaving the battery light went out and stayed out for the 47 mile (again about one and a half hours on the road). No issues with the battery coming home although I did only run the low beams trying to the battery recover. I shut the bike off in the front yard while I took off some gear since it was about 90 degrees and I was seeing inlet air temps in the 100+ range while cruising in moderate traffic. After opening the gate to get the bike into the back yard and firing it up again the battery light came on. Once parked I found my multi meter and checked the battery voltage (at the battery). It was at 11.19 volts.

So, this is what I think is happening but not sure how to test it. I believe the battery has sufficient CCA's to start the bike and I'm assuming the charging system is then recharging the battery. However, when the bike is shut off I have two fans running for a short time before they turn off. Since starting only takes about 3 to 5 seconds there are no issues. But I'm beginning to wonder if the battery has the guts to run two fans for maybe a minute or two once the bike is shut off. The Lithium Iron battery is sold as a starting battery and now I'm wondering if the bike needs more of deep cycle type battery because of the fans running after being shut off. Needless to say its' sitting with the charger/tender on it till the next time I take it out.

I've yet to take out the ST1300 yet so no info on how the battery is going to work on it.

If anyone has any first hand knowledge on the subject I would appreciate hearing from you on the topic.
 

SteveST1300

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I have never had that happen with my Shorai and I run it with heated gear pants jacket liner gloves and socks its never been an issue. Mine is 285 cca looks like that one is 240? Not sure if that would even make a difference but my Shorai sits at 13.2 after a ride.
 

TPadden

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I'm wondering if I stumbled onto something about Lithium Iron batteries. I got the battery mounted in my Buell 1125R .....I fired up the bike and after a second or two the battery light came on even though the bike started fine......
No such thing as a battery light, it's a generator/ alternator light indicating current flow or lack thereof. The battery may be suspect but it's more likely a charging system problem.
 
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Byron

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No such thing as a battery light, it's a generator/ alternator light indicating current flow or lack thereof. The battery may be suspect but it's more likely a charging system problem.
Maybe someone should have told the manufacture that. :)

1125R Instument Cluster.jpg
 
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Byron

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Well, I think I found the source of my charging issue on the Buell. There was a charging system upgrade that was installed by the dealer to resolve issue with burning out stators. It added a relay that is controlled by ECM which will disable 1 or the 3 phases to reduce heat (prevent burning out the stator). Seems my relays is bad. When powered you can hear the coil click but there is no continuity to power the one phase it is wired to. That means the voltage output to the battery is reduced by 1/3 (I'm guessing) which carries existing load (maybe) but not enough to fully charge the battery.

Time to find a better replacement relay as this seems to be a common problem.
 
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So relay replaced and the Buell appears to be charging properly again.
 

ST Gui

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Not that I have a Buell (I don't) but out of curiosity what kind/brand relay did Buell use and what did you replace it with?

As it's a possible common problem is there some consensus of a better replacement?
 
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Byron

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Not that I have a Buell (I don't) but out of curiosity what kind/brand relay did Buell use and what did you replace it with?

As it's a possible common problem is there some consensus of a better replacement?
The relay is just a common ISO mini relay often referred to as Bosch type. The factory part # is 31504-91B and is a SPDT with diode and mounting tab. I could find a references to starter relay on several HD models but no specifics to actual load ratings. Since it burned out the contacts, coil still worked, I figured it sustained more load than it was designed for. I figured it might be in the 30 amp range but I'm just guessing. I tried locating a 50 amp relay but it seems that most of the shops (automotive, stereo, and even Fry's) either didn't stock relays with diodes or were simply out of stock. I decided to check out a small local auto parts store and the counter person gave me there parts catalog and pointed out where the relays started. One of the things I noticed was specifications were rarely listed, circuit diagrams were almost non-existent and the auto industry likes to make a lot of proprietary parts. I found one that actually had the configuration I was looking for but again no load rating. The counter person was able to find a more detailed listing on their computer and it was rated at 30 amps, Standard RY115 is the parts number. Tired of driving all over I decided to give it a try. Time will tell how well it holds up but like I stated earlier, initial testing shows it is working; for now at least. :)

Melting Internals.jpg

I disassembled the failed relay and found the cause of the problem. It seems heat from the contact arching apparently melted the plastic to the point it prevented the contact from being able to make contact any longer.
 
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