Battery alternative

[ferraiolo1]

An easy way to knock 5lbs off the front of your bike. This is the oem battery vs they shorai cross reference.

Stock YTX14H. CCA-240 and 20Ah- weight 8.14lbs
Shorai LFX21A6-BS12. CCA-315 and 21Ah- weight 3.1lbs

 

[SURLY]

I always fit a Li Lon battery to my bikes for the weight saving (all though have never noticed any difference) but in this case I cannot find a clear answer on wether it is ok to use my optimate 4 on the FTR (its set to Canbus mode) if its running a Li Lon batt I have seen a long post from optimate about it but it does not actually say its ok and would hate to fry my wiring.
Hopefully someone smarter than me will check this out.

 

[Max Kool]

There’s a fused SAE connector behind the left “fuse” panel. Use that to trickle charge your battery and you should be fine. No canbus mode needed.

and you want a LiFePo battery (a Shorai for instance), not a Li Ion imho. Shorai batteries require a different charger btw, that hook up to the battery directly.

 

[K9F]

It makes me chuckle the expense and effort people go to in order to shave a few pounds off here and there. Fully understandable if you are doing track days or drag days. The cost of a Lithium Ion battery coupled together with a suitable tender amounts to quite a lot realistically. As an electrical engineer who keeps both bikes in a garage on a tender (Optimate 3 for the FTR) both my bikes fire on the button irrespective of ambient temperatures and I get great longevity from the standard batteries.
If I ever found myself doing track days or timing runs a few laxatives and I reckon I could sh1t 3 pounds no teeth or bones to cut timings down!

 

[ferraiolo1]

Was just an observation for those interested, when the time comes to replace your oem battery. As the lighter battery isn’t much more expensive than the oem unit.

 

[K9F]

Thanks 50% more expensive over here at £176. Personally I always go for calcium enriched batteries on replacement. The advantages for minimum cost are that they have a higher CCA over standard lead acid batteries, are better at deep cycle recovery and have a longer shelf life, more resistant to vibrations and suffer less sulphation. In the marine industry I worked we always went for Yuasa Calcium Enriched and the OEM battery is a Yuasa I believe which will do me just fine until it throws it's hand in.

 

[ferraiolo1]

Just another option. Not everyone will agree that it’s a good option.

the weight savings does add up. Removing the wheelie bar, exhaust, battery, and other odds and ends can shave almost 30lbs off the ole pig.

 

[Unruly Rider]

It makes me chuckle the expense and effort people go to in order to shave a few pounds off here and there. Fully understandable if you are doing track days or drag days. The cost of a Lithium Ion battery coupled together with a suitable tender amounts to quite a lot realistically. As an electrical engineer who keeps both bikes in a garage on a tender (Optimate 3 for the FTR) both my bikes fire on the button irrespective of ambient temperatures and I get great longevity from the standard batteries.
If I ever found myself doing track days or timing runs a few laxatives and I reckon I could sh1t 3 pounds no teeth or bones to cut timings down!

I believe it is the combination of removed weight that people are after, rotating weight being the most significant to cut. My FTR is under 500lbs with a full tank of fuel according to my local CO-OP scale... I'm confident that with the right combination of aftermarket parts and some OE parts removal, 450lbs is totally attainable.

 

[Max Kool]

I recently weighed mine, 234kg's (515lbs), not a tad less.

 

[ferraiolo1]

I just weight the parts removed. And subtracted the parts I added. I’m 30lbs below oem

 

[Max Kool]

That said, I lost 45lbs myself in the past two years, does that count too?

 

[nathanw]

I just weight the parts removed. And subtracted the parts I added. I’m 30lbs below oem

What did you do to shave 30 lbs?

 

[Max Kool]

Exhaust, license plate mount, small stuff I guess...

 

[nathanw]

When it hits the market next month, I'm ordering the Zard full titanium system that shaves 19 lbs. I was thinking the plate bracket might be a couple pounds, but maybe it's more. I was thinking 30 lbs might be a stretch, but if he dropped 30 without a full Ti exhaust ( unless there's another one out there I didn't see ), maybe I can lose more than 30. Nice.

 

[ferraiolo1]

I have a racefit ti exhaust. Plus a box of other unneeded stuff, chain guards, signals, very minimalistic plate mount, it adds up

 

[Max Kool]

Plate bracket alone is over six pounds, which is just the bracket, not the blinkers, light or plastic cruft.

(and mounted right at the end of the swingarm, right where you don't want weight. Unsprung mass... )

 

[SURLY]

There’s a fused SAE connector behind the left “fuse” panel. Use that to trickle charge your battery and you should be fine. No canbus mode needed.

and you want a LiFePo battery (a Shorai for instance), not a Li Ion imho. Shorai batteries require a different charger btw, that hook up to the battery directly.

service manager at my dealer showed me the sae connector when I asked him to fit an optimate lead and said I need a canbus suitable charger (optimate 4) and sold me one at a discount. HMMMMMMM! still better safe than sorry.

 

[K9F]

Hi Surly,

I extended and heatshrunk the SAE one along and up the frame and it tucks in under the left hand side of the seat. On longer journeys I fit an SAE to double USB adaptor and that keeps both my SENA and Satnav/phone fully charged for the duration.

Motorcycle SAE To USB Plug With Voltmeter Dual USB Charger Blue LED Quick Disconnect Plug Waterproof Smart Phone iPhone Samsung GPS : Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

Motorcycle SAE To USB Plug With Voltmeter Dual USB Charger Blue LED Quick Disconnect Plug Waterproof Smart Phone iPhone Samsung GPS : Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

www.amazon.co.uk

 

[SURLY]

Hi Surly,

I extended and heatshrunk the SAE one along and up the frame and it tucks in under the left hand side of the seat. On longer journeys I fit an SAE to double USB adaptor and that keeps both my SENA and Satnav/phone fully charged for the duration.

Motorcycle SAE To USB Plug With Voltmeter Dual USB Charger Blue LED Quick Disconnect Plug Waterproof Smart Phone iPhone Samsung GPS : Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

Motorcycle SAE To USB Plug With Voltmeter Dual USB Charger Blue LED Quick Disconnect Plug Waterproof Smart Phone iPhone Samsung GPS : Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

www.amazon.co.uk

Good idea thanks for that.

 

[K9F]

No worries, this is what I used.

KUNCAN 3FT Sae to Sae Extension Cable DC Power Heavy Duty 12AWG 2 Pin Quick Disconnect Wire Harness with Waterproof Cover: Amazon.co.uk: Car & Motorbike

Buy KUNCAN 3FT Sae to Sae Extension Cable DC Power Heavy Duty 12AWG 2 Pin Quick Disconnect Wire Harness with Waterproof Cover at Amazon UK. Free delivery on eligible orders.

www.amazon.co.uk