Can I ask the experience here on battery life. when it 'goes' does it happen suddenly, does it start to slow down on the starter..what? what do you guys regard as about average life if there is such a thing? Mine is coupled to an Optimate (except when I ride!!) and after 5+ years is still going well. Appreciate your views.

Sometimes they start cranking slow when they've sat up for a few weeks but you really can't tell without doung a capacity check. I've gone to Shorais on three of my bikes and so far they've been ace, oldest is now coming up on four years. The Shorais can sit a few weeks without any problems as their self discharge rate is low.

On an Lead Acid OEM, I've gotten everywhere from 4-5 years down to 1 year depending on size of the battery. The 2011 ZX-10R had a tiny battery to save weight and would throw an FI code on start if you let it sit more than a week without a tender. I got tired of that and replaced with a Shorai. If you got five years on the OEM, I'd consider that pretty good.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 9/1/2014 @ 6:07 AM *

five years is great, if it is still starting like it did when you first got it then I guess you are ok......but hummmm, maybe time for a new one to be on the safe side because lets face it...that battery had a long life but you can use it to it dies, just hope it happens at home when you crank her up

Taffs
I'm interested in your battery maintenance process. Obviously whatever it is you're doing, it's right. Do you have an off season? How many months is your off season? Do you just hook your Optimate up during the off season and leave it go (etc)? 5 years..great job!

My experience
When I had my old bike (used), I had to buy a new battery for it the first year. I followed the best recommendations of the time (mid 90s) for off-season storage; remove battery for storage. When I sold my bike, it was the 3rd season for the battery and all indications it was still in tip-top shape. I had a couple friends who left theirs in the bike over winter, killed the battery every year.

Even now, a co-worker left his in over winter last year. Guess what, had to buy a new battery this year.

Today battery tenders are common and available, and I think that's the equivalent solution today. So either take the battery out and put it on a wood shelf (old school), or hook it up to something that will maintain the charge.

when it 'goes' does it happen suddenly, does it start to slow down on the starter.

Cranking amps or the push out the battery is starting to show. Pay me now or pay me later, you'll soon be stranded after 5 good years of service. Whatever you did, do the same to the new battery, see if you pull another 5 out of a new battery. You are now starting to see the battery begin to weaken so call 5 years it. We are ready for another battery.

Over four years now on my OEM ZX-6R battery and still cranking strong, maybe one more year and then time for a Shorai. No rhyme or reason to any of this really except battery capacity and size of the engine it has to crank.

is there anything special about Shorai

VicThing. im using the same Optimate (tender I think you call it in the US) that I have had for 10 years now. my riding is almost all distance touring but only 4-5000 miles each year. Because of battery problems I had with a 12R 6/7 years ago I ensure the tender is on all the time and have done ever since the bike was new. It is no slower turning now than when new. The winter can see the bike not move for 4 months but I do run it every couple of weeks in that time and each time can be for 40 minutes minimum. The tender is disconnected when I run it.
Some interesting answers, thanks guys.

My OEM lasted 3 years. The bike had a couple weak starts and then one morning it was just dead. My Shorai is about 1/5 the weight and it has lasted 4 years. That's what's special about it.

Shorais are LiFePO4 chemistry, incredibly light, about 1.5 to 2 lbs depending on cranking amps, have very low self-discharge rates and higher voltage so they spin the starter faster. Only drawback is cost, about twice that of a cheap lead acid. Several of us have four years on them and still cranking strong, the ultimate life span is not yet known but some suggest up to ten years.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 9/1/2014 @ 8:18 PM *

ROOK, have you done a "HOW TO" on battery change or is it an easy task? Can you recall the Shorai battery model or ref. code and does it fit straight onto the 14 connectors?

Here's the tutorial I did. It is just as easy as installing a new OEM battery except the Shorai may be a lot smaller and require some special measures to secure it. I have the part # of the Shorai I bought included in the tutorial and I detailed the "false bottom/zip tie" trick for holding it in the tray. If you get a Shorai with a different sized case, you should still be able to adapt that method of securing it. I bought the lightest battery I thought was sensible for the 14. The one I chose has reversed poles but as you can see in the pics, the cables reach if you bend them (actually fits better with reversed poles because the + cable is way too long for the Shorai I have). You can get the same battery I have with standard poles but you may need to kink the + cable to make it fit behind the cover.

http://www.zx14ninjaforum.com/messages.cfm?threadid=F1CFFB29-D56B-84E2-1DCBA2E132C9C0D9

I would suggest you get a Shorai maintainer in a year or less. I had mine for a year with no maintainer. I pretty much only use it for storage.

I bought the largest capacity battery for mine , 2.2 lbs and the polarity of the connectors was identical. It was a straight forward fit using the Shorai supplied foam rubber pads. They were adhesive backed and easy to cut and fit. Maybe 1 hour installation.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 9/2/2014 @ 6:28 AM *

Here's the one I used, just slightly smaller than the OEM Yuasa but over 5 lbs lighter:

MOTORCYCLE: KAWASAKI ZX14 NINJA - 2006-2013

Standard Recommendation: LFX21A6-BS12

Our LFX Standard Recommendation is the best overall pick for most applications, and has been selected to give strong cranking performance and long lifespan. This LFX battery is 2.33 kg (5.13 lbs) lighter than the lead-acid YTX14H-BS-D. For technical questions, please see the Shorai FAQ.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 9/2/2014 @ 6:36 AM *

ROOK/KRUZ. thank you yet again for your so clear replies. Having you guys on the end of the keyboard (is that right!) with such detailed knowledge that is put down in such an understandable way is truly brilliant. So much so I intend to keep my brilliant 14 (my ninth big Kwak since 1977, yep im old)because 1)I cant think of anything that matches the 14 2)with the things I learn here, particularly from you two I can go on 'messing' with the bike, as the wife calls it, all day and all night if needed as I have 'read the instructions' here.

SO YOU PURCHASE THAT BATTERY TO SAVE WEIGHT

That's the #1 reason but it turns out that the Shorai is a pretty long lasting battery too. I haven't heard anyone report that their Shorai has crapped out on them yet. Some of the early ones caught fire but they fixed that.

do they make the battery in the same size as the stock battery

* Last updated by: SlowmoZX14 on 9/6/2014 @ 5:41 PM *

Buy the recommended amp-hour Shorai, Standard Recommendation: LFX21A6-BS12 for ZX-14. It's tons lighter, much better cranking power and no battery tender needed unless you park it for a year. Mine was almost a drop in fit using only a few small pieces of the supplied adhesive backed foam rubber to size it to the box. I have four years on my first Shorai and still going like gang busters and two years on two other installations. Eventually all six of my bikes will have Shorais.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 9/6/2014 @ 9:21 AM *

LFX21L6-BS12MSRP: $229.95....WHAT THE

Shop around, you can find a better deal than that....but they are more expensive than lead acid, no getting away from that fact.

MY BATTERY IS AROUND 4YRS SOON BUT I NEED TO CHECK WHICH KIND...AT LEAST WHEN I PURCHASE THE BIKE HE SAID SO

Is it bad that I am still on the stock battery that came with my 2007?
It has stayed on a battery tender pretty much since 2007...on/off season.
When I complete a ride, plug it back in.

(Sure I just jinxed myself!)