Saw a show on PBS about Lithium tech. Current tech Li batteries use a liquid the anodes and cathodes are suspended in, and other than that I couldn't explain more, but simply drive a nail through one, and you can have an instant blowtorch, and if the charging circuitry in the battery itself has a flaw... meltdown or blowtorch. There is a new technology that replaces the liquid with a plastic that passes ions, and they showed nails, drills, hammers and metal shears used on it with no problems. The battery even still put out voltage when cut in half.

This new tech uses a solid lithium bar instead of the alloy used in current types, but for reasons I couldn't explain this would burn in liquid suspension. A byproduct of the new tech is supposed to be nearly double the charge capacity, sounds like it would be the greatest thing yet for vehicle batteries and especially for electric vehicles. Until this becomes available, I'll stick with lead acid, and carry my tiny lithium jumper battery - which I would with a new Lithium main battery anyway. I sure miss kickstarters, wish they'd kept them on carbed bikes (all of mine).

 

They say 6 month warranty, Walmart has the same battery for $3 more with a 1 year warranty. I'd still spend 3 times that much for less worry about getting stranded somewhere when the cheap battery failed. Common cause of cheap battery failure is cells shorting out, and a jumper battery won't always work when the main has a short - trying to is a good way to melt the wires on those little lithium jumpers, too. Personal experience, but I pulled it off when I felt the wires getting hot - and that happened fast.

 

My Indy told me one time "when you buy a new cycle battery, put its electrolyte in it, and and let it set for about an hour, then finish charging it up, because cycle batteries come from the factory half charged." He also told me that "if you put the electrolyte in it and put it right straight on the bike, the second you hit the starter button you just killed one third of your batteries life." I have no idea whatsoever, how this post relates to where to buy a battery from, but I thought it might help some one.

 

The last bike battery I bought from NAPA had instructions that stated to put the battery on a low amp charge for 12 hours before using it. Of course this is after you've filled with the electrolyte that comes in a separate container.

 

That battery only has 270 CCA compared to 310 CCA of the big crank ETX20L.

 

after reading this, that old 6 volt panhead seems really reliable.

 

There have been times when I wished I had the old magneto and kickstart system, now that was reliable - but I won't brag about the oil leaks and parts coming loose...

 

No doubt, AGM's are superior in every way and some are not much more than a traditional junk battery. You couldn't give me a Lead-Acid battery for free