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[Eqcons]

Basically don't trickle charge a lithium battery and after a steady short charge on a lithium, disconnect the charger.

Are the battery maintainers sold as being for LiFePo4 batteries smart enough to not trickle charge them?  That is, is it OK to leave them connected over winter, as with a normal Lead Acid or AGP battery maintainer?

[porthole]

Basically don't trickle charge a lithium battery and after a steady short charge on a lithium, disconnect the charger.

This is really dependent on the battery and charge equipment.

HD does not specify on their website if the "LiFe" battery is LiFePO4 chemistry. Can only assume that it is.
https://www.harley-davidson.com/us/en/shop/lithium-life-8ah-battery/p/66000175

My experience is with high quality commercially available LiFePO4 100Ah 12 volt batteries, Specifically Battle Born. There are several "builders" now supplying batteries to the RV and alternative energy sector (and many of those builders all started out together).

My batteries are pricey and come with a 10 year warranty. The manufacturers states it is ok to be left with a maintenance charger connected (with the proper profile).

Under the proper charge profile the battereis can be left on "float" charge indefinitely. But there is no need to do so if the battereis are not in a an active environment, eg connected to various vehicle parasitic loads.

LiFePO4's can be left on a float charge of 13.6 volts, which is why conventional SLA chargers should not be used.

If disconnected from the vehicle LiFePO4's can be left 6-12 months with no chargers connected and best practice it to store the battereis at 50-70% state of charge. Apparently continued 100% SOC storage can degrade the batteries over time.

Even if left in a circuit which has a draw, the built ion BMS, battery management system should "turn off" the battery when the voltage drops to a point where any more discharge could harm the battery.

I have done this once so far with our RV. I leave everything on when not in use, any 12 volt systems and a 3000 watt inverter for the fridge, outlets etc and depend on solar to keep the battereis up. I had once fault with the solar controller and the batteries where not being charged.

The battery is not really dead, just turned off. I simple jump start from another 12 volt source will turn them back on and be ready for use.

[RivRaptor]

Are the battery maintainers sold as being for LiFePo4 batteries smart enough to not trickle charge them?  That is, is it OK to leave them connected over winter, as with a normal Lead Acid or AGP battery maintainer?

As others have stated and myself not stating that there are different types of Lithuims in a (Family) of batteries out now all with different charging profiles and safety issues.  Basically if you charge this (family of batteries) wrong you could have issues.  Now that being said I did keep a lithium specific charger on my Ducati's back in the day all the time (didn't know any better at the time) and had no issues. It was the proper charger for that battery, but there is no 100% guarantee and  because I stored some of these bikes in my house I decided that it wasn't a good idea after hearing about some fires from my battery suppler (They were Anti Gravities and were probably the result of bad Regulators on the bikes themselves and not the maintainers but I just wanted to be on the safe side).  Now my 17' CVO is coming up on needing its first battery and after shopping around I'm probably going with an Odyssey 100% pure virgin lead battery because weight is not an issue with HD and no cold start issues, lasts as long or longer, no charging maintaining issues, price and have had good luck with these batteries in my boats.  If you get the manufactures recommended charger and with the safety circuits in the newer batteries you should be fine, but an email to the battery manufacturer couldn't hurt!  If you get an answer please post it. 

[Eqcons]

an email to the battery manufacturer couldn't hurt!  If you get an answer please post it.

I haven't got one personally - I went for a high CCA AGP replacement, but my friend went for the HP Lithium one.  He did buy a good make charger/maintainer that is said to be OK for Lithium, so was wondering on his behalf, if you see what I mean.

[rayson56]

 Now my 17' CVO is coming up on needing its first battery and after shopping around I'm probably going with an Odyssey 100% pure virgin lead battery because weight is not an issue with HD and no cold start issues, lasts as long or longer, no charging maintaining issues, price and have had good luck with these batteries in my boats.  If you get the manufactures recommended charger and with the safety circuits in the newer batteries you should be fine, but an email to the battery manufacturer couldn't hurt!  If you get an answer please post it.
[/quote]

Is that a PC 925 LMJ?

[Threephase]

I understand the need for the trickle charger for the new Harley lithium battery. The pulse, no over charging and all. But I still have not seen any good reason that compensates for the charging system of the bike. It does not know that it is charging a lithium battery. So what keeps the bike from over charging the battery? Seems like it would be no different than a regular battery charger. If I ride 8 hours a day, the bike is producing more electrical energy than is needed. So what protects the battery from the bikes charging system?

[CVO Couple]

When your bike is running and charging it’s also using electricity to run the bike and it’s accessories. The voltage regulator will increase or decrease the amount required.

I know it don’t answer your question if the bike knows what kind of battery it’s charging.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[RivRaptor]

Is that a PC 925 LMJ?
[/quote]
Yes, sorry for the delayed response didn't have time to install until yesterday so wasn't totally sure of fitment.  Nice battery has a metal casing around it and looks well built but it did throw me for a loop at first because you have to install it on its side to equal the dimensions of the stock battery, then you need the install these little "L" brackets supplied in the hardware pack so you can match the stock terminals orientation.   Therein lies my bitch...Odyssey should have sodered/welded/machined a nut underneath the "L" bracket cause its a bitch to get the nut & lock washer under the bracket (impossible) so had to use the bolt coming up from underneath with some tape/bent flat blade & a helper to get the lock washer, nut & dab of lock tight fastened down with the battery cables.