Ballistic EVO2 Lightweight Battery

I purchased the 8-cell Ballistic EVO2 battery from Ebay for about $150 shipped. Here is the official website:

http://www.ballisticparts.com/products/batteries/8cell.php


STOCK SPECS:

# Volts: 12
# AMP-HOUR: 6
# Length: 4.5
# Width: 2.79"
# Height: 4.26"
# Weight: 4.5lbs
# Chemistry: Sealed Lead Acid AGM
# CCA: 90
# Warranty: 1 Year


8-Cell EVO2 SPECS:

Dimensions (Metric): 114MM (L) x 61MM (W) x 112MM (H)
Dimensions (Standard): 4.5" (L) x 2.5" (W) x 4.25" (H)
Negative Terminal Location: Right
Weight: 768 grams (1.7 lb)
Voltage (Charged): 13.6V
Amperage: 15 Pb-eq A/H
Pulse Cranking Amps: 275 CCA
Operating Environment: -18°C (0°F) to 60°C (140°F)
Typical Applications: 1000cc and under multi-cylinder motorcycles and 550cc and under singles cylinder dirt bikes, scooters, and ATV’s.


It also comes with a 3-year warranty. It is almost the exact same size as the stock wr250 battery, except its about half an inch thinner in width so I used a small peice of the packing material that came with the battery to make it more snug. The terminals are opposite on the EVO2, and the holes in the stock terminals were too small for the bolts on the EVO2 so the installation requires some modification to the positive and negative leads. If you decide to get this battery, be prepared to buy new terminals as well. Over all the installation was harder than it should have been, but still relatively easy. I say a 4/10 difficulty. For the higher electrical performance and 3 lb weight savings, I highly recommend this mod.

If all you are looking for is weigh loss, Ballistic also makes a 4-cell battery that weighs less than a pound, is only about $100, and still out preforms the stock battery in Ah and CCA. I chose the 8-celll because I installed a 12-volt outlet on my bike to use for charging my phone, running an air compressor, GPS, etc. and I wanted the higher Amp hours.

Opinions?

I forgot to mention that Ballistic also sells a Quick Disconnect that hooks up to a unique port on the battery. It costs about $50, but looks like it would make life a lot easier on the install since you wouldn't have to modify the stock cables.

Another plus is that these batteries are lithium ion, and only lose 10% charge after a year of not being used or charged (called static use). This mean there is no need to hook it up to a battery tender for the winter. In fact, they recommend NOT using automatic chargers on these batteries.

What happens if they do get totally discharged? Are they still useable. I have heard of this type of battery getting VERY hot if it is discharged to far.

I have a Dewalt drill with Lith Ion batterys. It is light. However, when the battery hits a certain discharge the drill just stops dead (no pun intended) to prevent heat buildup in the battery that COULD cause it to explode. Rumor?? Maybe. Any of you peeps heard of this before?

I sure would love to lose the weight though. The local Yamaha dealer has them for sale. $169 for our bike I believe is the cost.

I think your question may be partially answered in their FAQ:

http://www.ballisticparts.com/tech/faq.php#5

The batteries are lithium ferrous... Much more durable and stable than Ion. I would not put Lithium Ion in a motorcycle, to unstable for extended use

That's a good amount of weight savings for one part. Good amount of money too.

IAmABug wrote:

What happens if they do get totally discharged? Are they still useable. I have heard of this type of battery getting VERY hot if it is discharged to far.

I have a Dewalt drill with Lith Ion batterys. It is light. However, when the battery hits a certain discharge the drill just stops dead (no pun intended) to prevent heat buildup in the battery that COULD cause it to explode. Rumor?? Maybe. Any of you peeps heard of this before?

I sure would love to lose the weight though. The local Yamaha dealer has them for sale. $169 for our bike I believe is the cost.

I have accidentally left the lights on a few times and drained the battery completely. After poppin the clutch it charges right back up and it still works fine. I am sure if it stays dead for a long period of time it will kill the battery though.

Well... I let it die one too many times. I think this is about the 4th time it has totally discharged. Now it will not hold charge longer than 48 hours, and it is getting worse by the day. The battery is done for, and Ballistic will not replace it because it is my fault I guess.

This battery was great, but you have to be careful not to let it discharge. I didn't think it would kill the battery so easily, but it did. I guess its back to the black brick.

I have a SHORIA in my R and it is lite and doing a great job, kindy of pricey. Berwyn

Thread revival...
I have an EVO 8 cell in my DR650 and it works great. Saved 8 lbs over the stock setup. I was also able to remove the steel battery box and use heavy zip ties to mount it saving another 2lbs. My 1st battery went bad a month after the purchase and Ballistic overnighted me a replacement no questions asked. They were great about it. The replacement has been perfect for a year now. Holds a charge for a very long time as well, much longer than the OEM lead acid boat anchor. Hope this helps.

these batteries are Lithium IRON not Lithium ION.

they will be damaged if they get fully discharged (like fall below about 12V) . then they cannot be recharged.

this can happen with phantom draw, like a clock... my shorai did this after sitting for about 5 months.

they have very low self-discharge rates but if there is any sort of phantom draw they can become unrecoverable. so tender it if you are not riding for a few months.

this kind of information is reflected on the battery company web sites.

wes