Dilemma, new Shorai Battery LFX21A6-BS12 at $224 Internet price or a lead acid AGM battery for about $50?

The Shorai is five pounds lighter but for the $175 difference I'm not so sure. The AGM in my 14 now is just over 3 years old and almost didn't crank the bike this afternoon....so it's about time.

I was one if the first to try a Shorai two years ago in my CBR, been a great battery but 3 X the price of an AGM.

What is the projected life span of the Li battery?

"LFX21A6-BS12"...how about...LFX14a2-BS12....?

"and almost didn't crank the bike this afternoon....so it's about time"...hold on Kruzer....did you have er on a tender at all?.....or take er out and ride her for a while?That clock will drain a battery over a period of sitting.May be all you need to revive her...a good charge.

BTW...good to hear ya posting....and that you're still with us;)

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 1/3/2013 @ 7:52 PM *

Shorai recommends the 21 amp hour over the 14 for this application but even the 12 amp-hour will crank a ZX-14, I believe both Rook and Dogo have the 12 amp-hour in their 14.

Battery has been getting slower and slower to crank the big Ninja over during the last 6 months or so. Wasn't too bad when I was getting her out every few days but now I'm lucky to get a ride in every two weeks on this bike. She started this afternoon but cranked so slow my MFD reset.

I think it's time, 3 years is about all you ever get out of an L-A type battery.

@Hagrid... Don't know, my Shorai in the CBR is now two years old. It will need to last 9 years total to match a typical L-A battery for cost to longevity ratio.

If you're just looking for low weight....and longevity and cost are unimportant, they make a lot more sense.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 1/3/2013 @ 9:36 PM *

If the Li will last 6 yrs I'll go for it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0088JGUTA/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B007DK89KI&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1CG4YH16C42S3J9C1QDV

The price is a little lower on Amazon.Com... I've had no problems from my Shorais, other than a fried rectifier in my '09 10R (recall/warranty repair) killed my Shorai in that bike. But Shorai's customer service is pretty awesome so they are working with me to get it sorted out!

I have the 12 amp. It still will start the bike but it has a little trouble after the bike has sat in the cold for a few weeks off the maintainer. I had mine on a maintainer last winter and this one. That may be the key to gettinga good life out of these batteries.

I put mine in 04/11/11. Had the battery sitting on the shelf for a couple months prior to that.

I will go with a Shorai 12 amp again since it seems to have lasted at least two years. Maybe I will get three years??

SHO RI-A...

You're gonna die-uh

After you set

the bike

on fi-uh

I'm leaning heavily towards an AGM type battery for the low price. The five pounds weight savings on the
Shorai is valuable but at 4.5X the cost factor it just isn't hitting my hot button right now. On the literbikes it makes more sense to pare every ounce off for better handling, the big girl is my fast touring machine though and the five pounds aren't going to kill me. If they could just get this technology priced down to maybe 2X relative to the AGMs it would be a no brainer.

On the literbikes it makes more sense to pare every ounce off for better handling, the big girl is my fast touring machine though and the five pounds aren't going to kill me.

Yeah, I guess but think of this: you spend that much on tires every couple months.

"you spend that much on tires every couple months"....you have to be riding to do that;) .....j/k Kruz.....

...and here I sit...clowning on the internet while you guys are out rockin the roads

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 1/4/2013 @ 1:43 PM *

Doesn't Shorai specify a special charger for their batteries?

Yes, Shorai needs a special charger and has a balance port but I haven't had to either charge or balance the cells in two years. So far so good!

...and here I sit...clowning on the internet while you guys are out rockin the roads

Grn, I wouldn't exactly call it rockin the roads. Yes, I did ride today but the roads are cold and there's little in the way of tire grip available. Maintenance riding, keeping the batteries charged and such but no aggressive cornering until spring gets here I'm afraid.

http://www.atbatt.com/motorcycle-batteries/b/kawasaki/m/zx14-ninja-1400cc-06-08.asp

@Audio...no bro...get ya the pigtail(should have had one with your BatteryTender Jr)...install it on the terminals...route it around and out by the right side rear of the motor there...where ya can plug it in to the charger...no muss no fuss.Used one for 6 years....COLD Winters...never failed...till I dropped it one time

"I haven't had to either charge or balance the cells in two years"...now THAT's sayin somethin..

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 1/4/2013 @ 7:59 PM *

my busa battery is now 5 years old. It's gonna up and die on me one day soon. I'll get another Shorai....and skip back and forth between bikes every few days in with the maintainer while in storage.

Yikes...just ordered the 27 amp hour Shorai for my ZX14 and a 14 amp hour Shorai for my ZX10R......$370 total damage. Could have bought both in a low priced AGM for under $100 total. I think my cheese slid completely off my cracker!

Well, both were cranking so slow after sitting for a week, the MFDs were resetting and the 10R was throwing an FI code. Convince me I did the right thing going Shorai instead of the cheap stuff!

What is the projected life span of the Li battery?

Five years is Shorai's claimed design life. The one in my CBR turns two years old in ten days. No one really knows yet, from what I can tell mine is the oldest one out there so far. I think Dogo and Rook bought one a few months after me and then everyone started buying them so I'm the grand daddy.

Pluses:

Weight..these things are light, saved almost 6 pounds on the CBR and will save almost eight pounds on the 14.

Cold crank amps .....off the charts if you buy the recommended amp-hour rating. My CBR starter spins like mad now.
With the OEM LA battery it sounded like it was going to crap out any second from the day I first brought it home.

Cold soaked starts...no comparison. The Shorai's can sit all winter and will crank it right up....try that with an LA!

Life span...unknown but Shorai claims as much as nine years. The most I've ever gotten out of an LA was 3 1/2 years with average around two years...we'll see.

Minuse: Cost, they ain't cheap!!

I have the 12 amp. It still will start the bike but it has a little trouble after the bike has sat in the cold for a few weeks off the maintainer.

Too small Rook, I ordered a 14 amp-hour for my 10R and I have the same battery in my CBR 1000RR.

Shorai recommends a 27 amp-hour for your 14, go to their website and check it out.

I'm actually amazed yours starts as well as it does!

* Last updated by: Kruz on 1/5/2013 @ 6:55 PM *

14Ah here...both my ninjas....always fired briskly...even in the very cold..and sitting untouched for several weeks.The stocker would gave been sluggish...if not strong enough to fire at all.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 1/5/2013 @ 7:08 PM *

Grn, you had Shorai's in both your 14s?

Shorai recommends a 27 amp-hour for your 14, go to their website and check it out.

but the 14 amp has same specs as the stocker. Seems to behave pretty similar to the stock battery. That one was a little slow after a long cold spell too.

I traded cold cranking performance for weight. As long as it starts the bike for 2 years, I'm happy.

I went with the 27 just cause it fits the battery case perfectamente! I still put a piece of foam under the battery but I was being anal!

How much did you pay for the 14 battery, I saw it for $209 on solomotoparts.com
Aren't you on the ZX-10R forum? Get a hold of Mary from superbikesupply for discounts.

* Last updated by: dragking on 1/6/2013 @ 1:25 AM *

$218 w/ free shipping from Atbatt, $151 for the 14 amp for the 10R.