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Smart chargers and maintenance chargers

5.7K views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  lightning  
#1 · (Edited)
l changed the battery in my Duke 390 for a lithium one.
My maintenance charger was a Ring Smart Charge 4
Which apparently can’t be used on lithium batteries due to various charging parameters and voltages.

So, l just invested £40 in an Optimate 1 Duo
Which claims to be good for “12v lead acid/12.8v lithium (LIFEPO4) batteries”

I came to connect it and on the top of my “lithium” battery is says “lithium ion”

The new charger instructions say “Do not use for NiCd, NiMH, other Li-ion or non-rechargeable batteries”

What does this mean, l take it Li-ion is the same as Lithium ion.
So this charger is no good either?

All the “lithium” bike batteries l have looked at are actually “lithium ion”
Am l reading it wrong?
 
#4 · (Edited)
I see that.

But the charger claims to charge “lithium” motorcycle batteries and no motorcycle batteries are lithium

They are all lithium ion phosphate

It’s a bit like engine oil, there used to be one type for all engines, Castrol GTX.
Now there are dozens and you can spend hours online fretting about ash content and saps.

As there was once one type of battery charger and now l’ve got three different types of chargers, and nobody can tell me which one l can actually connect to the battery in my vehicle
 
#6 ·
Hi there l had forgotten about this thread!

l've been using the Optimate "lithium" battery charger for over a year and nothing has happened so it must be OK

It was a bit confusing though, lithium, lithium ion, lithium ion phosphate.

Makes me almost wish l hadn't bothered.

Oh, and in temperatures below freezing the bike doesn't want to start, l have just read you have to turn the ignition on for a minute first to get the battery to wake up.