redred5389
Active Member
i have a cb350 and in need of a new battery the ballistic 4 cell seems like a good better but in interset to heard some peoples thought on that.
Ballistic battery thoughts
- Thread starter redred5389
- Start date
rockcitycafe
I make things.
works fine
skatetheame
Been Around the Block
I fried mine in 6 months on my 360, went to a 5 ah gel sealed batt and haven't had any problems in over a year.
veloracermike
Coast to Coast
I'm running a Shorai Lithium 14 AH 12 Volt Battery in my 350f so far so good, holds a charge, and weighs next to nothing. I believe Ballistic uses a different technology than Shorai.
suddenlycalm
Been Around the Block
:-[They use the same technology. The only difference is ballistic uses round cells shorai uses flat. And ballistic is made in the USA. The main drawback is they cannot, I repeat, cannot take a parasitic draw. It will KILL them after one drain. Ive been running my ballistic for 3 years.
veloracermike
Coast to Coast
suddenlycalm said:
Sorry you are correct, I used the wrong terminology. Yes they are the same but different
As for the parasitic draw, mine got drained twice due to a switched wire on the key switch being connected wrong. Two complete drains and recharges later battery is performing perfectly. YMMV.
veloracermike
Coast to Coast
Can't see why not. One thing that is critical with the Lithium batterys though is your charging system should be in really good shape. I also used an Oregon Reg/Rec that has an adjustable output.
veloracermike
Coast to Coast
iContango said:
They don't recommend it. There is a special charger that you can get for these types of batteries...having said that I did use one on mine before I learned this to no ill effect.
DWMotorbikes
New Member
Myself and a couple of friends used the Ballistic EVO2 batteries on CB350s. We went on a 1200 mile trip and didn't have any issues. But I do know they are sensitive to over charging, anything over 14.4 volts will kill one. My setup was stock regulator with Radio Shack rectifier.
theprep
Been Around the Block
I started with a 4 cell on my R5, running MZB CDI, it overcharged after a few months. Called Ballistic, spoke to the VP, a great guy, sent me a 8 cell at no charge. He reported similar issues with aftermarket CDI's, but had no test data to confirm.
No issues since, it's recommended if you have a beefy electronic iggy, 8 cell.
4 cell should be fine with points. Excellent company that stands behind their product.
No issues since, it's recommended if you have a beefy electronic iggy, 8 cell.
4 cell should be fine with points. Excellent company that stands behind their product.
I'm on my 3rd Ballistic 12 cell this year. The first one I think I fried by overcharging it, checked the alternator output , was well over 15 volts. Then got a new battery and an adjustable electronic voltage regulator set to 13.8 volts. But the 2nd battery died in the middle of a ride (literally died zero voltage output) , bike wouldn't run, left me stranded. Purchased a 3rd one because the space for the battery was custom designed for the Ballistic 12 cell. It seems fine so far.
Meanwhile I opened up the 2nd battery that died to find 12 lithium ion batteries spot welded together with some stainless steel straps, the spot welds let go on the batteries and that was the reason for the failure. I have the batteries installed on its side and I think vibration overstressed the spot welds, probably wouldn't have been a problem if the battery was sitting uprite.
Meanwhile I opened up the 2nd battery that died to find 12 lithium ion batteries spot welded together with some stainless steel straps, the spot welds let go on the batteries and that was the reason for the failure. I have the batteries installed on its side and I think vibration overstressed the spot welds, probably wouldn't have been a problem if the battery was sitting uprite.
neevo
Over 1,000 Posts
appiebroomer said:
Me too, my battery box is custom made for the 8 cell. I will need to wire up a suitable switch on my bike for some of the electrics that would represent a parasitic draw risk.
What are common components that are at risk of draining the battery?
I am running a keyless RFID ignition and so assume I would need to turn the RFID off. Anything else I should be killing the power to?
diggerdanh
Been Around the Block
iContango said:
Instructions in the box, I have an EVO2 8-cell, say that Battery Tender Jr is fine for charging it. But as others have said Ballistic offers their own charger too. There is a video, on YouTube I think, that demonstrates the difference between their charger and a regular trickle charger. Their charger levels the charge among each pair of cells, which they say will improve the battery's performance and lengthen the battery life.
Here's the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_V3pEYh_Ek
The type of charger you can't use on these batteries are ones with 'de-sulfate' cycles, like the Optimate series (which I have).
I have 2 Shorai batteries - one in my XS650 and one in the BMW (which I won in a Shorai contest). They hold 90+% of their charges for a year, so there's really no need to put them on tenders or chargers etc.
I believe they recommend 'newer' regulators/rectifiers to ensure the batteries receive a relatively consistent voltage from your charging system. They wouldn't cope well with 16v as an example. My XS and BMW both have new charging system components so they're fine. I've run the XS all year and it's been perfect.
My wife's TU250X has a standard battery in it so it gets the Optimate leads and is connected right now in the garage keeping the battery in good health over the winter.
Only reason I got the Shorai in my XS was the weight and size, and I bought just about the smallest (cheapest) one they sold. My BMW has the largest one they sell, which goes for $350. No way I'd EVER spend that kind of money on a battery, but it was a contest so I figured I might as well get the biggest one.
I have 2 Shorai batteries - one in my XS650 and one in the BMW (which I won in a Shorai contest). They hold 90+% of their charges for a year, so there's really no need to put them on tenders or chargers etc.
I believe they recommend 'newer' regulators/rectifiers to ensure the batteries receive a relatively consistent voltage from your charging system. They wouldn't cope well with 16v as an example. My XS and BMW both have new charging system components so they're fine. I've run the XS all year and it's been perfect.
My wife's TU250X has a standard battery in it so it gets the Optimate leads and is connected right now in the garage keeping the battery in good health over the winter.
Only reason I got the Shorai in my XS was the weight and size, and I bought just about the smallest (cheapest) one they sold. My BMW has the largest one they sell, which goes for $350. No way I'd EVER spend that kind of money on a battery, but it was a contest so I figured I might as well get the biggest one.
