customer service hasnt responded to my voicemails in weeks. Asking around i get different answers. can i use battery tender pigtails on a Shorai lithium battery or do i need to buy their charger? if needed, the model is Shorai LFX14A2-BS12 Extreme Rate Lithium Iron Powersports Battery
Yeah, their charger can do a proper balance charge but just charging via the big pos/neg lugs is totally fine.
Standard LiFeO4 charging note: If you use a charger designed for a lead acid battery you may not get to full charge due to different target voltage set points. You will get close enough to not be an issue though. Do NOT leave a lead acid targeted battery charger connected in float/tender mode after the initial bulk charge is done. This WILL overcharge your battery if you're not paying attention.
that's good to know, thanks Kurlon. BBK motor for the Grom requires one of these bigger batteries. i've never messed with one before.
You want the technical answer, or the flippant one? Most reg/rects are set to float voltages that are appropriate for flooded lead acid batts, as of the options that's the lowest of the available options, and for a long time was the ONLY option. AGM and LiFePO4 batts can survive on that target decently, but may not be 'fully' charged by it. You can get reg/rects with adjustable voltages though... and some LiFePO4 batts have management modules that will protect from overvoltage or try to protect from excess drawdown. Some bikes are shipping now with lithium batts, I've not dug in to see if they've actually updated the reg/rect to account for this and therefore would overcharge lead acid batts?
And I'll add, as we're talking about possibly race bikes, there may not be a charging circuit active on the bike in question.
