From the page that LikesToThump linked:
"AGM is the preferred battery for upscale motorcycles."
Makes me feel even better about having bought the KLX.

 

I'm definately going to be getting a couple of those, one for the KLX and one for my upcoming track bike.

 

At $40, my Li battery is cheaper, lighter by bout 90%, and just as powerful as the stock battery. I don't see a down side. There are millions of Lithium ion batteries in service right now in power tools. They've pretty much made everything else obsolete.

 

Lithium Ion batteries are the shiz-niz.

Where'd you get the one for $40? I was thinkng about making a pack from some RC lithiums I have, and put jumper cables on it as a sort of in the backpack jump-starter if needed.. I have some good size lithium packs from my RC helos and airplanes..

 

If you take care of your battery, it should last you along time. I got over 5yrs out of my original 05 brute force battery. Finally replaced it. Does optima makes small bike batteries? I know the car/truck batteries seem to be really good.

 

If you make your own, the A123 cells are the ones to use.

 

I said at 3x the price... You basically made your battery, I'm not sure exactly what type of lithium batteries those are so I can't really say much about what you got in your bike... I Said their fine batteries, at 40 dollars I would run it as well.

The point is they aren't the best choice for a bike... great their lighter.
However, their incredibly sensitive to heat and overcharge, and while they have excellent deep cycle abilities they are not good for pulse current.

The fact is the main killer of SLA batteries is sulfation... anything below 80% charge on a lead acid battery is causing sulfate to form, let your battery run dead and leave it dead for more than a week and its gone forever... almost 0% chance of recovery, you'll have to drain the cells and acid wash them and start with fresh acid to bring them back.

Keeping your battery charged and maintained along with casually putting your lead battery on a desulfator till you get a peak voltage reading again, can extend the life of a typical SLA battery to 10 years easily.

 

The issue I would be most concerned with regarding a Li ion battery in my bike is the charging. The charging circuit in these bikes are relatively "dumb" and are set up to charge lead acid type batteries. Li ion batteries must be handled carefully when charging as overcharging/heating can lead to serious problems. That's why they don't sell rechargeable Li ion batteries in normal "D" "C" "AA" and "AAA" sizes. They can be dangerous if charged in a non Li ion charger. So these batteries have proprietary packaging and charging adapters to avoid mishaps.

Does anyone have any information on how the charging system on the KLX works? Is it demand based? Does it vary the current being sent to the battery depending on charge level? Does it trickle charge when the battery is full?

 

How did I basically make it? I bought it, and connected the wires.

You guys run whatever you want, I don't care, but don't make things up to try and prove that whatever you have is best.
For performance, price, and weight, nothing you have presented can touch these batteries. They just plain work, and kick ***. I have them in my bike, and daily driver performance car, so if they didn't, I would know by now.

 

Our local quasi motorcycle club has been turned on to Lithium batteries, and they're the most common battery chosen when a new one is needed. Some that stress about weight savings are choosing them even if they don't need a new battery. One of my three bikes has a Lithium (the KLX), and my other two will be Lithium when they need to be replaced. No more trickle-charging for me.