American Motorcycle Dealer AMD 234 January 2019 | Seite 52

OptiMate 1 DUO
Lithium starter batteries are
said to be the coolest, lightest
batteries available and able to
deliver way more cranking
power than lead-acid batteries,
which is all true. But one thing
they both have in common is the
need for maintenance when the
engine is not running – when the
motorcycle is parked or stored, short or
longer term.
In fact, what a lot of people don’t realize is
that a lithium battery, for all its advantages,
needs charge maintenance more than a
lead-acid one, and there are two main
reasons why.
First, the amp-hour capacity of the lithium
battery is typically a third of the equivalent
lead-acid battery; it runs down faster due to
parasitic drain from the vehicle electrics.
Second, once it has run down low, it needs
special charging to bring it back to life, so it
is best to avoid it discharging in the first
place!
The cells in a dead-flat lithium battery are
in a weak and sensitive state and in need of
a slow, controlled charge to recover to a
level (typically 9V-10V) before the battery
can once again receive high charge current.
Receiving a burst of high current via jump
starting or bump starting can cause the
weakest cell in that flat lithium battery to
overcharge and fail – and overcharging is
fatal for lithium batteries.
Even though motorcycles and lithium
batteries are rather hi-tech pieces of
equipment, when it comes to charging,
riders usually just want the easiest solution.
Martin Human, the CEO and CTO of TecMate,
says “most riders do not know and,
unfortunately, many do not care, what type
of battery is in their motorcycle.
“All they care about is the engine starts
when they want to ride. Most (fortunately)
know they should maintain the battery to
achieve that, but then it must be easy for
them, and these days the smart money is
spent on a fully automatic, multi-purpose
charger that can charge both 12V lead-acid
and 12V/12.8V/13.2V lithium (LiFePO4)
starter batteries.
“That is what we designed the new
OptiMate 1 DUO to do – make it easy! All
the rider has to do is simply connect the
charger to the battery. The OptiMate 1 DUO
automatically determines what the battery
needs and adapts its charge program
accordingly.
“Best of all, the maintenance program is 24-
7-365, meaning riders can safely store their
motorcycle for days, weeks or even months.
The OptiMate 1 DUO will keep guard over
the battery, protecting against excessive
drain from the vehicle, which is especially
important for those small lithium batteries.”
TECMATE
Tienen, BELGIUM
Tel: [phone]
www.tecmate.com
www.optimate1.com
Improved ‘Hoglite’ Swingarm
Lexington, North Carolina based C&S Custom says
it has enhanced its high-performance, lightweight,
aerospace-quality ‘Hoglite’ swingarm for late-
model Dyna models from 1991-2017.
The company says that a 10 lb reduction in
unsprung weight is achievable by replacing the
stock swingarm with the ‘Hoglite’ unit – in addition
to giving the engine and transmission less weight
to drive, David Garwood, Owner, points to
suspension improvements as another benefit that
comes from of reducing the unsprung load “since
suspension-related problems are caused by inertia.
PARTS AND ACCESSORIES
“The greater the weight means the higher the
inertia. By keeping the unsprung weight low, the
shocks and springs don’t work as hard to keep the
tires on the road.
“It’s recognized that road handling characteristics
are enhanced by reducing a machine’s unsprung
weight. We manufacture with specially extruded
6061-T6 aircraft-quality aluminum that is
engineered with the highest structural integrity on
the market.”
The ‘Hoglite’ swingarm comes with swingarm,
hollow tube rear axle, axle adjusters and axle nut.
Options include extended length swingarms, air
tank, N.O.S. bottle bracket and spherical bearings.
External treatments include thousands of
powdercoat colors, chrome and contrast cut.
Upgraded bearings and bushings are offered for
maximum performance and extended life on all
wearable parts.
Garwood says that all ‘Hoglite’ Dyna swingarms are
direct stock replacement or custom built to a
specific application. The axle blocks are CNC-
machined from solid billet aluminum and allow for
factory belt or chain adjustment. The axle blocks will
accommodate 3/4”, 25 mm, and 1” axles. Optional
axle blocks from stock chain adjustment to 5” over.
The shock tower placement can be modified to
accommodate aftermarket shock lengths; brake
stop positions can be modified to work with most
aftermarket brake systems.
C&S CUSTOM CYCLES
Lexington, North Carolina, USA
Tel: [phone]
[e-mail]
www.candscustom.com
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AMD - JANUARY 2019
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