International Dealer News IDN 147 February/March 2019 | Page 44
PRO GuIDe
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 realise 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 that 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 programme accordingly.
“Best of all, the maintenance programme 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: +32 (0)16 805440
www.tecmate.com
www.optimate1.com
‘Laminator’ touring jacket
The new ‘Laminator’ jacket from Clover is a
100% waterproof long-range technical
touring jacket with PPE (Personal Protective
Equipment), CE certified to prEN17092:2017
at ‘AA’ level.
The jacket has a fully waterproof outer
shell, therefore does not need an internal
membrane, but instead has ample
ventilation zones. These allow
conversion from a fully waterproof
jacket to ventilated simply by
opening two panels on the chest
and back, secured with a
waterproof zipper.
Clover says: “What differentiates
‘Laminator’ from other similar
products on the market is the
softness of the textile, an
extremely difficult feature
to achieve when
laminating garments. This
is achieved by the
absence of the
intermediate layer of the
membrane and using
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INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019
“new high-tech materials” for the outer
shell and adding a removable thermal
lining.”
‘Laminator’ has reflective inserts on all
sides, removable shoulder and elbow
protectors, CE “certified level 2 T+ T-”,
designed to accommodate a level 1 or 2
back protector. Equipped with five
waterproof pockets: two on the outer
shell at the front and three internally,
two of which are in the thermal layer
(a synthetic quilted jacket that can be
worn separately).
The jacket is available in three
colour combinations, all also
available in ladies’ cuts, and the
range also includes matching
trousers, again also available in
ladies’ sizes.
CLOVER IT S.R.L.
Cornedo (VI), ITALY
Tel: +39 0445 446642
[email protected]
www.clover.it
www.idnmag.com