Lithium starting battery

I have an antigravity in my BMW F800GS motorcycle. Love it. It doesn't like cold weather though, it'll drain quickly at 25degrees and below when trying to start. I'll usually bump the start once or twice to warm up the battery and get it flowing before really trying to start the bike and it seems to work. I'm guessing the larger car/truck batteries having larger cells are able to support cold temps better than my small moto battery.

Otherwise it's been flawless in like two years of daily driver usage. Albeit on a motorcycle but still..

 

Tech guy i talked to definitelly mentioned getting juices flowing before cranking. He said turn on the headlights or something similar to get the juices flowing.

 

Yeah, unfortunately on my bike headlight doesn't turn on unless the engine is running, just a parking lamp, so I had to do something else, hence the tiny bumps of the starter.

Here's a video in case you're interested:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86zkt7WqV98

 

As multiple people have stated, you can't CHARGE a lithium battery below freezing. You can absolutely discharge them, so that -4 to 140F is more than likely DISCHARGE. The companies coming out with batteries that can charge at lower temps first warm themselves up by either using their own power, or the power of whatever is available to them, such as from your alternator. The battery will NOT charge until the battery management system is happy with the battery temperature. Some people use battery blankets to keep batteries warm, picture that but built into the battery.

 

Nay say?

I do not think anyone is saying anything about the potential for Lithium Ion Batteries is negative.

In fact, you have just confirmed what I stated in Post #10 above:

This is exactly why you will encounter problems at low temperatures, having multiple high amperage drawing events (starting the engine frequently and using high amperage equipment like a winch).

And this post says the same thing:

All I have read in this thread is people pointing out the pitfalls of using Lithium Ion Batteries as they are currently available; your vendor has supported everything that people are cautioning about as to the suitability of these batteries as a direct replacement for AGM or lead acid batteries; not quite ready for prime time at the minute. But, it sounds like there is a lot of development work going on and that some folks who do not have the requirements that the majority of us do have will be willing to take the plunge and be testers for these batteries. I'm all for it. This is the way things will improve and some day in the immediate future we may well see something that will work for those of us who require more than the current technology can deliver.

Regards,

Jim

 

I found antigravity to be the only company that designed their Lithium batteries to withstand operation under the hood. Better chemists than I may refute that claim for various reasons. They have a pretty good shelf life though in race vehicles.
Unfortunately they don’t yet make one with an Ah capacity that competes with an AGM alternative. Hopefully someday for those of us that own Taco’s made of tinfoil.
The remote battery jump feature was a nice touch.

 

LiFePo4 lithium batteries are better than the typical standard lithium batteries in cold weather but they still have limitations. Here’s a more honest appraisal from a battery vendor:
https://www.batterystuff.com/kb/art...sport-batteries-cold-weather-performance.html
Bottom line get a lead acid and save money and avoid cold weather problems, cheaper and reliable for a few years. One day lithiums, just not today for a truck.

I like lithium batteries, I have them for emergency lights, flashlights, laptop, and know the temperature ratings, how to safely charge, etc. But I don’t have them in my truck or car.