Shorai
LFX Lithium Battery
Shorai offers the
next generation of high-powered, long-lasting motorcycle and ATV batteries
that is sure to leave the others behind. The Shorai LFX is the first in
the industry to offer prismatic cells that deliver extreme-rate Lithium
Ion cold-cranking amps for your motorcycle while maintaining a lightweight
and compact design. Built to withstand extreme temperatures, the LFX doesn’t
contain any liquids, so there’s no hassle of adding water or dealing
with corrosive battery acid that can damage your ride. Sportbikes, ATVs,
UTVs or adventure bikes – Shorai LFX has got a battery that will
power your machine and accessories mile after mile.
Ultra light. One
Fifth the weight of lead-acid batteries on average
Zero sulfation, for longer service life
Holds unloaded charge for one year without maintenance
Military spec Carbon Composite Case
Faster cranking for better starts
No explosive gasses during charge, no lead, no acid
Environmentally friendly
Two-Year manufacturer Warranty
Size and shape may vary
**Note:The Shorai LFX battery may not be used with a lead-acid battery
charger with an automatic desulfation mode that cannot be disabled. We
recommend the Shorai LFX Battery Charger to properly charge and perform
cell diagnostics on this high performance battery, or the "Battery
Tender" Brand Battery Charger.
After years of research,
design and fabrication, Shorai, Inc. was inaugurated in 2010. Located
in Sunnyvale, California, Shorai battery technology has launched one of
the most significant breakthroughs in the powersports industry. Shorai
batteries are the lightest and longest-lasting among powersports batteries.
The Shorai LFX battery has been awarded “2011 Product of the Year”
by Dirt Rider Magazine for its weight savings, quality packaging, low-discharge
rate and safety; and it won the “2011 Best Technology Runner-Up”
honor with Motorcycle.com. The Shorai battery production facility already
employs a workforce of 400, fabricating Shorai battery cells for motorcycles,
ATVs, snowmobiles and personal watercraft.
Other Lithium-ion
battery manufacturers use cylindrical cells, which were designed for power
tools. The advantages of Shorai battery lithium-ion prismatic LFX designs
include long-lasting high-cranking performance under a wide range of temperatures
and perfect drop-in fit in many vehicles. Shorai battery designs last
two to four times longer than lead-acid batteries and Shorai batteries
will hold a charge for a year without upkeep. Shorai batteries weigh only
one-fifth of standard lead-acid motorcycle batteries. Shorai battery lithium-ion
designs also crank faster than lead-acid batteries for better starts,
and they have super-fast recharge rates. Housed in carbon-fiber composite
cases, Shorai batteries are also safer because they have no lead or acid,
so they cannot emit explosive gasses when charging. Shorai battery designs
are also non-toxic and can be disposed of in landfills. Each Shorai battery
also comes with a two-year warranty.
Built with high-tech
Japanese engineering and components, LFX Shorai battery models have been
used in extreme high-current projects including submarines, electromagnetic
rail gun research and autonomous aircraft. All Shorai battery cells undergo
quality control and matching for six weeks – twice as long as typical
battery testing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What makes Shorai LFX different from other batteries?
A.Shorai LFX batteries contain Shorai-proprietary eXtreme-Rate Lithium
Iron prismatic cells (chemistry LiFePO4). Shorai LFX contain no poisonous
lead, no dangerous acid, and do not create explosive gasses during charge,
as traditional Lead-Acid batteries do. Compared to lead-acid, Shorai LFX
lithium are also extremely light, have much lower self-discharge rate,
do not sulfate (i.e. do not degrade while sitting unattended), and are
environmentally friendly.
While there are other companies
now offering Lithium-Iron based powersports batteries, all except Shorai
use cylindrical cells originally made for power tool applications. Such
cells are inferior to Shorai Prismatic LFX, for several reasons.
First, the cylindrical cells
come only in one size, so that the possible shapes and sizes of the starter
batteries they make are very limited. As such, battery fit into many vehicles
may be poor, or impossible as they are too wide, or too tall. LFX prismatic
cells, on the other hand, are rectangular packages which we can freely
design and size according to the size requirements of the battery case.
As such, Shorai LFX offer perfect drop-in fit in many vehicles and - if
the LFX is slightly smaller in one dimension - high-density, adhesive-backed
foam shims are included in the package. These can be applied to the battery
box in a few minutes, to insure a perfect “as original” fit.
No saws, cutting torches, or duct tape required!
Second is the pedigree. While
power-tool cells may crank a vehicle successfully, they were not originally
intended for the high current discharges in starter systems. As a result,
cranking performance suffers compared to Shorai LFX, and the batteries
will wear out more per every start. By contrast, Shorai LFX are the result
of years of our own research and development, and are designed and produced
in our own tightly controlled factory. Shorai LFX have been used in some
of the most extreme high-current projects in the world, including autonomous
aircraft, boats, and submarines, electromagnetic rail gun research, and
more. In short, LFX have been designed from the “ground up’
to be a powersports starter battery with long lifespan and high performance,
under a wide range of temperatures.
Finally there is quality control.
Every Shorai LFX is built in our own ISO 9000:2008 certified factory.
The primary cell ingredients are sourced from Taiwan, which allows us
to produce the most consistent and reliable cells. Then we do individual
cell quality control and matching over a six-week period, for every cell
we make. This test period is two to four times longer than typical and
is expensive for us. But it is worth it, in terms of product quality in
the long run.
Q. Why are Shorai LFX priced below other lithium starter batteries?
A.Shorai LFX batteries are produced exclusively in our own dedicated factory,
in large volume, by an experienced production team. The resulting high
yields reduces our costs, and the factory-direct connection allows us
to offer pricing which is competitive with traditional OEM lead-acid batteries,
and lower than any other lithium-based alternative.
Q. How does the LFX "PBeq AHr" capacity rating compare to lead-acid
Ahr ratings?
A. First, we need to understand that the primary job of a starter battery
is to flow a large current (amperage) for a short time, in order to start
a vehicle. In order to do that efficiently, the battery must have low
internal resistance. Holding all other considerations equal, the larger
the battery is in capacity the lower the resistance, and the better able
it is to crank a vehicle under high loads.
Lead-acid makers have therefore
used AHr(capacity) ratings as shorthand to indicate cranking ability,
rather than a real usable capacity. The lead-acid capacity rating itself
is based on a complete discharge at a low discharge rate. Under actual
cranking conditions they will deliver considerably less than spec capacity.
And because lead-acid batteries begin sulfating when only a small percentage
of the capacity has been used, and their internal resistance rises as
they are discharged, the actual capacity which can be USED may be as little
as 20% of the mfg. rating. Discharge in excess will not only damage the
lead-acid battery, it may not allow proper starting as voltage sags.
Shorai LFX are based on a completely
different chemistry. Not only do they have less than 1/3 the internal
resistance per capacity than do lead-acid, they are also the ultimate
"deep-cycle" battery. The internal "completely discharged"
capacity of a Shorai LFX is 1/3 the rated "PBeq" capacity. For
example, the LFX18 12V series have 6Ah cells internally. But the cells
are capable of 80% discharge without damage and while retaining more cranking
ability. As such, the USABLE capacity(or "reserve capacity")
of an LFX18 12V battery is on or very near par with 18AHr-rated lead acid
batteries, while providing superior cranking performance and a vast reduction
in weight. The Shorai PBeq AHr (lead-acid equivalent) rating system therefore
allows users to compare a very different technology from lead-acid, but
on a close apples-to-apples basis when making a choice.
Q. How does the LFX "CCA" cold-cranking rating compare to lead-acid
Ahr ratings?
A.CCA ratings another way that lead-acid makers have tried to convey starting
power. Unfortunately, their typical spec is based on a "half-nominal-voltage"
delivery. That is, at their CCA spec, you can expect 7.2V delivered, at
best; and 7.2V isn't useful, as you won't start a vehicle with it...
In any case, CCA ratings aren't
about actually drawing that much current from a battery. The typical vehicle
which uses a 200A CCA-rated battery, for example, will only draw 45A~80A
from the battery. What the CCA rating really intends to convey is how
much voltage will be delivered. Higher CCA rated batteries will deliver
more voltage at the same actual cranking current. Our LFX are CCA rated
to deliver 9V for a 5-second crank at the CCA rated current. (in fact,
our average voltage delivered will be even higher during a 30-second crank.
But our CCA ratings are intended to indicate not only a measure of voltage
at true cranking currents, but also proper usage, which lead-acid do not)
At actual cranking currents - which are always well below CCA, LFX deliver
up to two volts more than an equivalent-CCA-rated lead acid battery. Current
alone won't start anything. It is the current multiplied by voltage that
does the work (watts). In reality, this means that you can multiply the
LFX CCA rating by 1.5x to compare to a Lead Acid battery CCA. For example,
our 270A CCA LFX18 series provides about the same cranking voltage as
a 405A-CCA-rated lead acid battery (from a quality lead-acid maker; some
CCA specs we've tested on the cheapest lead acid seemed to be plucked
from thin air).
Q. Can I use Lead-Acid battery chargers or charger/tenders?
A.Yes. HOWEVER, you may NOT use a charger/tender if it has an automatic
"desulfation mode", which cannot be turned off. We have confirmed
with Deltran, makers of the "Battery Tender" brand, that their
products do NOT have a desulfation mode, and are therefore OK for use
with Shorai LFX, for example. But the best possible charger/tender for
Shorai LFX is the SHO-BMS01, which will be released on about March 15th
2011, we expect. It uses the 5-pin BMS port in the LFX batteries, in order
to monitor, diagnose, and balance the individual cells during charge.
And it also has an optimized storage mode that will give the longest possible
service life to your LFX.
If you are storing your vehicle
and want to check the remaining capacity, or you're a racer with a constant-loss
system, you'll want to know how resting voltage (i.e. with no load or
load under 200mA) maps to remaining capacity. LFX batteries should be
maintained such that 20% capacity remains at minimum, as best practice.
Use a good-quality voltmeter to check remaining capacity, and consider
recharge whenever the battery capacity falls to about 50% remaining. Of
course, if you get the Shorai dedicated BMS01 charger, you can just hit
the "Store Mode" button and leave it to do the work for you.
Q. Should I use a battery tender?
A.The short answer is "only if you really need to". Most powersports
enthusiasts have gotten used to hooking up a tender to their lead-acid
batteries, all the time. Shorai LFX have much slower self-discharge than
the best lead acid do (1/6 to 1/7, on average), they do not sulfate as
capacity drops, and they are the ultimate "deep cycle" battery,
which means that they can still crank your vehicle even if the remaining
capacity is quite low. Therefore most riders will not need to use a tender
at all. Even a charger or tender uses energy you have to pay for, and
there is always the possibility that a charger or tender can fail in some
way, so if not really needed the best practice is to not use one.
A fully charged LFX can sit for a year or more and still retain adequate
starting capacity, without damaging the battery. As such, any vehicle
which has no current flowing when the key is OFF should never need a tender.
At most it should be charged every 6 to 12 months, depending on the average
storage temperature (cool storage is much better for any battery). Many
older vehicles and most dirtbike/atv fall into this category.
Newer vehicles may have a significant draw even when the key is OFF, to
maintain clocks and computers, etc. In this case we expect that a few
hours of riding per month will be all that is needed to avoid tending.
If you know that you will go a number of weeks or months without riding,
you can either attach a tender, or disconnect the negative cable from
the battery. In any case, during storage you may use the voltage chart
above and an accurate voltmeter, and consider recharging when the battery
is around the 50% capacity remaining mark, or above.
Q. I hear that lithium crank poorly when it gets cold, is that right?
A.Lithium do increase in resistance more as temperature drops, compared
to lead-acid. However, they also react to cranking under cold conditions
in a much better way. Lead-acid will increase resistance on each subsequent
cranking attempt, until it won’t turn over. If your LFX fails to
start the engine on first crank, that first crank has warmed the battery,
and the second attempt will be much stronger, and so on until you get
a good start.
Shorai LFX are much better
in cold-weather conditions than other-brand lithium starter batteries,
due to our eXtreme-rate formulation with low resistance. Down to about
20 degrees fahrenheit (-7C) most users find that they can start normally
on first crank. If your headlight comes on at key-ON, it is good for the
batteries to flow some current before cranking in cold weather. The suggested
headlight-on time before cranking depends on the temperature. If starting
at 40f (5C), 30 seconds will help wake the battery and increase cranking
performance. If at 0f (-17C), leave the lights on for 4~5 minutes before
cranking. The result will be a better first crank, and longer battery
life. Any other accessories that can be turned on before cranking can
also be used for this purpose, such as heated gear, radio, etc...
Q. Can Shorai LFX be fully discharged and then disposed in regular garbage?
A.That depends on your municipal regulations. Shorai LFX meet the European
RoHS standards for environmental health, and contain no lead. Check with
your local authority to see if LiFePO4 batteries are allowed. If so, fully
discharge the battery before disposal, using a 12V light bulb until no
longer lit, for example. We expect that there will also be recycling available
in some locations, and more coming in the years ahead.
Q. Can Shorai LFX be mounted in any position?
A.Yes. There are no liquids in the LFX batteries.
Q. How long will my LFX battery last?
A.That depends on many factors. Under the worst conditions, a lead acid
battery may last only a few weeks and under the best about seven years
(top-quality brands with regular use). In between you will find a wide
variety of user experiences. Our research indicates an average of about
2 1/2 to 3 years lifespan for lead-acid. Under the same average usage
conditions, we expect Shorai LFX to last roughly double, or 5 to 6 years.
Under ideal usage and storage conditions, we expect 8 to 10 years to be
achievable. Due to their lack of sulfation and slow-self discharge, Shorai
LFX increase battery life most for users who sometimes store their vehicles
for weeks or months at a time, and don't want to or can't use a battery
tender.
