lithium battery trickle charge?

fe600racer · May 9, 2016

Just noticed my trickle charge battery tender I have been using has written on it ....For lead acid batteries only. Oops, but seems to work okay and what about the bike's charging system that was made for non lithium batteries?

The tender has worked okay for some time. What do others use to trickle charge when changing to light weight lithium batteries?:unsure:

tourist · May 9, 2016

I'd avoid using it!! Trickle charging is a bit different as far - as I know - than the charging that happens in-bike. It's the "intelligence" for lead-acid in the charger that messes things up. If it were a stupid charger it'd be better, if that makes sense? (Not 110% on this, maybe it's OK.)

But: I don't trickle charge my LiFePO4 - I have it on an Andersson connector and just pull it from the bike when it's parked for a while. LiFePO4's don't self-discharge anyway so there isn't really a need for trickle charging. Two things discharge a lead-acid battery on a parked bike: The leakage current from the electric system because it isn't COMPLETELY off or disconnected, and then the self-discharge. LiFePO4's don't really self-discharge, so if you pull the battery you don't need to trickle charge

jroble · May 9, 2016

Battery Tender, and other manufacturers, make specific chargers for lithium batteries. I have a couple of them, and I have not had any problems leaving them plugged in, just as I do with my lead-acid batteries. The lithium charger seems to work fine on a lead acid battery. There are some lithium batteries that do not require a special charger. A friend has one in his 570, and he is using a regular Battery Tender with no problems after one year. I don't remember the brand of the battery.

TomTom · May 9, 2016

Gain is minimal to risks, yuasa is the most stable led battery imo.
Led on all my bikes! Race bikes aswell.

tourist · May 9, 2016

TomTom said:
Gain is minimal to risks, yuasa is the most stable led battery imo.
Led on all my bikes! Race bikes aswell.

FWIW I don't really see any risk - and the weight difference is noticeable for sure!

LadyBerg · May 9, 2016

hmmmm I never charge my Li-on batteries! But maybe that's because I ride em a lot

It's my KTM 1190 ADV that I always have to plug in, guess I have my priorities straight.

steve · May 10, 2016

As noted above, the Lithiums don't have much of a discharge rate while not in use, so maintenance charging isn't needed.

If it is, dumb chargers are fine, like bike charging systems, smart ones are only smart for lead based batteries and can stuff up Lithiums.

After a I fitted a Earth X to my FE650, I stopped using a CTek charger. The Lithium lost charge over time. I decided that I have some parasitic loss for reasons not yet clear, so fitted an ingition switch and all good now.

lithium battery trickle charge?

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