American Motorcycle Dealer AMD 248 March 2020 | Page 51

Get Smart
Martin Human, CEO and CTO of TecMate,
answers a common question - why is a
different battery charger needed for a
lithium battery if it works in a
motorcycle that originally came with a
lead-acid battery?
As with many things to do with battery
types and motorcycle electrics, diagnostics
and charging, the answer is not as simple as
many people expect.
The safe working voltage range for both
lead-acid (Standard lead-acid, AGM and Gel)
and lithium LiFePO4 (LFP) battery types is
12.8V to 14.5V. As long as voltage is within
that range, yes, a lithium battery works fine
in the same system as a lead-acid battery,
but below this safe voltage range, lithium
and lead-acid batteries need different care.
An over-discharged lithium battery will
accept charge at low voltage, but the
healthier cells demand all the charge and
weaker cells keep on falling behind.
Charging at high current will damage that
battery. A gentle low current pulse charge
brings all cells back to good health
simultaneously - once above 9V-10V the
battery is ready to receive normal charge.
An over-discharged lead-acid battery is
unable to accept charge at low voltage due
to a high concentration of lead-sulphate
that inhibits the ability of all cells to accept
charge. To ‘convince’ the battery to once
again accept charge, a higher pulsed
voltage is required to break through.
A single battery charger that can
differentiate between battery chemistries
and deliver the right recovery method for
the connected battery would be ideal, and
fortunately the OptiMate 1 DUO fits the bill.
OptiMate 1 DUO recovers batteries from as
low as 4V; the smart programming
automatically figures out which recovery
program is right for the attached battery,
never mind the chemistry. A deep
discharged lead-acid battery receives a
higher voltage pulsing mode up to 14.5V, so
it remains safe for lithium, and a deep
discharged lithium battery receives a mild
pulsing current that gently recondition the
cells until they are equal and the battery
recovers to above 9V - then a suitably
higher charge current is delivered.
Here is a valuable tip learned from many
years of experience - below 4 volt batteries
need care from a chemistry-specific charger;
OptiMate Lithium 4s 0.8A can safely recover
lithium batteries from as low as 0.5V and
test battery health as it does so. The best
option for lead-acid batteries is the
OptiMate 4.
OptiMate 1 DUO’s 24-7 maintenance
program is also adaptive, it can sense what
is required. In a parked vehicle a lithium
battery needs protection against total
discharge by that vehicle’s system and the
OptiMate 1 DUO delivers when needed. On
the other hand, an AGM battery - the most
popular lead-acid in powersport – receives
hourly maintenance to remain at full charge
and prevent lead-sulphate build-up that
weakens the battery.
Best of all is that the OptiMate 1 DUO has
no buttons, no need to guess what battery
is in the motorcycle. Simply connect to the
battery and let that smart charger do the
thinking.
In today’s world everyone wants ‘easy’.
OptiMate 1 DUO is as EASY as connect and
forget, no more battery problems - and that
is what people want and need these days!
As time goes on, more and more reputable
brands are choosing to partner with
OptiMate 1 DUO for their diagnostics,
maintenance and charging - the latest to
offer the OptiMate 1 DUO is Moose Racing -
and the Moose Racing OptiMate 1 DUO is
distributed by Parts Europe, Parts Unlimited
and Parts Canada.
TECMATE
Tienen, BELGIUM
Tel: [phone]
www.tecmate.com
www.optimate1.com
www.AMDchampionship.com
PARTS AND ACCESSORIES
AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - MARCH 2020
51