Short Term Deltran Battery Review

[Gottagetone]

So I recently purchased the Deltran battery found in the link below and for some reason its not on the Battery Tender website anymore.  

 

There have been some opinions about batteries here and I wanted to share my short term impressions with all.  

 

My previous battery was measuring at about 12.6 volts and when it got cold in my garage it had problems starting the bike.  I had to keep it on the trickle charger all the time during the winter months to even have a chance of it starting the bike so I decided to go for a new unit.  

 

The Deltran unit has four posts, one on each corner that make it easy to add other connections or flip the battery if polarity is an issue.  When it showed up I measured the voltage and it was at 13.3v and as recommended I hooked it up to the new charger over night.  In the morning I was measuring right at 13.5v.  

 

Installation was straight forward and I usually hate the hookups like these but Deltran put small foam sticky blocks on the back of the nuts as well as tabs to help hold them in place while hooking up the cables.  These basically hold the nut right where it needs to be to make your connection...pretty smart.  

 

Initial fire up was strong as expected.  I wanted to see how it would hold up and temps here have been seasonably average with lows in the 30s and 40s.  I have been in and out of town with work and not able to touch the bike for a week as it set with no charger connected.  Today I went out and boom, it fired right up without hesitation.  I warmed up the bike then shut it off and checked to voltage...13.33v.  

 

I know its new and short term reviews are not all that helpful but if you are looking for a new battery I would suggest the Deltran.  It weights 2.1 pounds and is the same size as stock.  You can get a smaller one the pumps out 240cca but I oped for the larger and am happy I did.  

 

If anything changes I will report back but for now I give it a thumbs up!

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender-BTL18A300C-Lithium-Phosphate/dp/B00GOW4068

[docc]

Just to be sure: this is lithium-iron (Li-Fe) ion technology?

 

And while the original V11 Spark 500/ Odyssey PC545 is 150CCA, this one has what CCA?

[Gottagetone]

Yes, this is a LifePo battery that requires a special charger.  The battery that I purchased puts out 300cca and is rated at 16 - 18ah and weighs in at 2.1 lbs.

 

I also opted for the USB charger attachment which allowed me to get rid of the cigarette lighter attachment that I had installed under the seat so I could put a USB charger in.  

[docc]

I never thought of a USB connection as being rated for much amperage (?)

 

What is the amperage output of the charger?

 

(BTW, that kind of CCA makes me kinda jealous . . .   . . . like double the PC545 . . .)

[Gottagetone]

Output is 2.1amps max and simply plugs into the same harness that the charger plugs into.  I have an extra harness that I could also hook up if I wanted.  

 

http://www.batterytender.com/Accessories/USB-Charger-QDC.html

[docc]

I've always used that "SAE" connector (rather than "cigarette lighter' connectors which can vary considerably).

 

So, the Li-FePo doesn't need more than 2 amps to charge ( I ask because the PC545 needs 6 amps minimum)?

[Gottagetone]

Hey Docc, I think I misunderstood your question.  The USB plug puts out 2.1a which ensures not overpowering stuff like an iPhone.  The battery charger itself is a 12v @ 750ma charger that goes through a 5 step process according to the stats shown here:

 

http://www.batterytender.com/Motorcycle/Battery-Tender-Lithium-Junior.html

[Kiwi_Roy]

Just a minor thing to be aware of with a four post battery, it's easy to hook it up backwards. The safety diode will protect the ECU from harm.

 

 

Sent from my shoe phone!

[Gottagetone]

Thanks Roy, the battery does ship with red and black caps installed on to the posts to help with that and the markings are very clear.