Antigravity batteries?

[cruisin]

Is anyone out there using Antigravity batteries yet? If so; how are they working out for you? Are they worth the price tag? Do they have sufficient voltage to initiate the BMW ABS system properly?

 

[Guest Kakugo]

These are Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries. The technology has been around for a while, especially in military and RC applications so it's pretty well tested.

LiFePO4 for motorcycle applications have been widespread for only a couple of years and they are mostly used on track bikes. They seem to be holding up quite well.

However there are a couple of problems.

First thing, they need a specific charger. You just cannot hook them up to a Optimate or Battery Tender. These chargers are not very expensive but still more money than a high end motorcycle battery charger (excluding the overpriced cheap CAN charger sold by BMW ).

Second thing, to get a BMW boxer rolling properly you'll need either a 20 or 24 cell option. Those are big money: you can buy two Odyssey PC680 batteries for that cash (three if you shop around) and the Odyssey is a well proven design which has been shown to last many many years and have all the power your boxer will ever need.

[Alfred02]

Well, I wouldn't touch those one as the manufacturer gave themselves a "way out" to cover warranty claims.

The argument that they would need a different charger is bogus and won't hold water.

Reason being:

1) If they are suitable for motorbikes, then your motorbike charging system isn't very smart and will charge the battery basically the same as your every day charger will do.

 

2)The battery should have it's own small circuit board installed (usually under the top cover using surface mount components and quite small)which protects the battery against overcharging and monitors the individual cells.

 

Those LiFEPOe4's cell voltage is 3.3Vdc per cell, which will give you a total of 13.2Vdc. That is below what the bike charging system charges to (around +13.8Vdc). So the battery "has to" have it's own internal over-voltage protection and regulation system.

 

3) Claiming that it requires a special charger is a "get out of jail card" for them. Also a great way of creating more profit by selling another special charger.

 

[John in NC]

Does this mean you don't have to strap these down? Do they just float where you leave them?