Lithium Battery for GS1000s 1979

[Eduardo]

Hi,

I am rebuilding a GS1000s 1979 and I want to replace the batery.
I am not quite sure about the characteristics of the battery to purchase.

Is it possible at all to use lithium bateries?

Cheers

 

[RustyTank]

Hi,

I am rebuilding a GS1000s 1979 and I want to replace the batery.
I am not quite sure about the characteristics of the battery to purchase.

Is it possible at all to use lithium bateries?

Cheers

Eduardo, here's a link to the thread I created within the last week about batteries. Take a look at post #5, what a member named bwringer wrote. It's great information about batteries, from a smart dude. I'd already done some research on the forum in regards to lithium batteries so the thread only touches lightly on that subject. Speaking of research, make sure you do a search on the forum about the subject. Just simply search lithium battery and you'll find lots of good info. That said, and genuinely speaking I'm no expert nor claim to be, but it's my understanding the lithium batteries don't do so well on our old bikes do to the stock charging system. Now I don't know the specifics of that, what it is about the charging system, why the battery doesn't do so well, etc. I don't know if Honda had a different charging system in the 70's than Suzuki did cause I know a guy who has a 70's Honda CB400 four that he uses a lithium battery on and he's had no problem whatsoever. Seems like the general consensus is that an AGM battery with the stock requirements is the way to go for the old Suzukis.

Stock requirements being the following:
12 volt
16 AH (amp hours)
CCA 190 (cold crank amps)

Good luck!

 

[Rob S.]

...lithium batteries don't do so well on our old bikes due to the stock charging system. Now I don't know the specifics of that...

Seems like the general consensus is that an AGM battery with the stock requirements is the way to go for the old Suzukis.

It's very sexy and tempting when the salesman puts a lithium next to an old wet (even when it's 'dry') battery on his counter and tells you to lift each one. But don't get pulled in. This is not a 21st century custom race bike you're building.

The AGM's have proven themselves (at least in my 2016 Harley), and I'll be buying one for my '82 Suzuki as I have it restored.

Still, that lithium was damn light...

 

[Chuck78]

AGM is always what I recommend to everyone, but I am a serious weight weenie, I always am trying to shed every pound off of my bike as possible, so I run lithium batteries on my bikes. You absolutely cannot do this without a very good healthy fully upgraded charging system, including a very good known tested stator or new aftermarket from Rick's or Caltric etc, a high quality Polaris OEM # 4012941 Shindengen SH775 regulator-rectifier, & some revised wiring on the bike such as eliminating the stator loop to the headlight switch particularly on older models, revising to a single point ground setup, & possibly rewuring the power distribution to be slightly upgraded. These are all mods linked in aviation electronics engineer / GS Resources member posplayr's signature.

The problem with a lithium battery that makes them unreliable is that if you accidentally drain the battery below 7 volts at any time, you will kill it permanently. Same goes for charging above 14.6 volts, if this happens very much at all, you will permanently kill the battery.


With care, and no accidental leaving your key on etc, & a top-notch fully upgraded charging system (including wiring methods & checking all connections, revised grounding system) on a vintage bike, the ultralight lithium iron phosphate aka LiFePO4 batteries will outlast any lead acid battery, whether it be vented, sealed absorbed glass mat aka AGM, or gel cell.

I should also note that accidentally draining a lead acid battery completely is definitely not good on it (as lethal as it is on a lithium battery), and this was just reinforced to me by the GPS tracking security device in my work van killing the battery permanently after it sitting for 5 weeks while I was recovering from knee surgery... 2yr old battery that was very strong. "ran when parked!"

 

[RustyTank]

AGM is always what I recommend to everyone, but I am a serious weight weenie, I always am trying to shed every pound off of my bike as possible, so I run lithium batteries on my bikes. You absolutely cannot do this without a very good healthy fully upgraded charging system, including a very good known tested stator or new aftermarket from Rick's or Caltric etc, a high quality Polaris OEM # 4012941 Shindengen SH775 regulator-rectifier, & some revised wiring on the bike such as eliminating the stator loop to the headlight switch particularly on older models, revising to a single point ground setup, & possibly rewuring the power distribution to be slightly upgraded. These are all mods linked in aviation electronics engineer / GS Resources member posplayr's signature.

Above is the exact reason I decided not to go with Lithium. I've upgraded my R/R but for now I don't want to have to upgrade the rest of the charging system. Maybe someday.

The problem with a lithium battery that makes them unreliable is that if you accidentally drain the battery below 7 volts at any time, you will kill it permanently. Same goes for charging above 14.6 volts, if this happens very much at all, you will permanently kill the battery.

Chuck78, even after upgrading the whole charging system do you still have to be super vigilant about where the voltage of the battery sits? Is it just the nature of the battery?

I should also note that accidentally draining a lead acid battery completely is definitely not good on it (as lethal as it is on a lithium battery), and this was just reinforced to me by the GPS tracking security device in my work van killing the battery permanently after it sitting for 5 weeks while I was recovering from knee surgery... 2yr old battery that was very strong. "ran when parked!"

I recently had a bad ground that leached my AGM battery super, super low, my trickle charger couldn't even bring it back to life. I took it to the place I bought it from and they were able to bring it back to life. It's a fairly new battery though. I was told that my AGM can withstand being drained that low a handful of times.

 

[Steve]

Above is the exact reason I decided not to go with Lithium. I've upgraded my R/R but for now I don't want to have to upgrade the rest of the charging system. Maybe someday. ...

Just for reference, here is a list of all the parts in the charging "system":
Stator
R/R
Battery

Technically, the battery does not do much for charging, it is there as a buffer for the output and a reference point for voltage. Not sure what all else you think there is, but there is nothing else in the charging system. Yeah, there's quite a bit more to the electrical system, but they are loads, have nothing to do with charging.

.

 

[RustyTank]

Just for reference, here is a list of all the parts in the charging "system":
Stator
R/R
Battery

Technically, the battery does not do much for charging, it is there as a buffer for the output and a reference point for voltage. Not sure what all else you think there is, but there is nothing else in the charging system. Yeah, there's quite a bit more to the electrical system, but they are loads, have nothing to do with charging.

.

I'm pickin up what you're putin down Steve. Honestly, even though I've been riding bikes for a decade I'm new to the electrical and charging portion of a motorcycle. I've just never dealt with it before, so I'm definitely still learning. I appreciate your breaking the charging system down simply though. Also, my perspective at present is this, I have a long list of things I'm doing/changes I'm making to my GS right now. I hadn't thought about replacing the stator and the thought of adding one more thing to the list is mind numbing. I hear ya though, sounds like I've one more thing to replace in updated the charging system, easy peasy, lemon squeezy :lemo:


Sorry Eduardo, I didn't mean to hijack your post

Oh and don't use a lithium battery, or do...I don't know :highly_amused:

 

[Steve]

You don't have to change the stator, unless it needs it.

Test the overall output. If it's good, ... GREAT!!

If it's not so good, find out why, but know that you really only need to check stator, R/R and several connectors between them.

.