Shorai LFX Lithium Battery Review

Pretty impressive so far, right? Well, there’s more. Shorai says the LFX can hold a charge for an entire year without maintenance, thanks to a much lower self-discharge rate than normal batteries. And it purportedly has a service life two to four times that of a lead-acid battery. It’s also claimed to recharge quicker than a conventional battery.

All great things, to be sure, but the most impressive feature to me is how much faster the LFX18A1-BS12 spins my 1992 Ducati 900SS’s motor. Having already eaten several batteries during its 1.5 decades in my stable, the recalcitrant old Duc finally turns over at the speed of a contemporary engine and fires up much more readily.

Ducati owners often treat carbon-fiber accoutrements like platinum jewelry, but swapping to a Shorai battery will save more weight (about 7 pounds) than a half-dozen c-f parts. Sure, no one can see it, but it’s still a notable weight saving. And the thing is so small, I could store an extra set of gloves where my giant old battery used to live! The LFX is shipped with foam padding to fill the extra space for a snug fit.

Shorai (Japanese for “the future”) boasts that its batteries are superior to other lithium-based batteries because they “all use an off-the-shelf cylindrical cell originally intended for low-rate tool applications.” The LFX’s prismatic lithium-iron innards are said to deliver more energy faster, with less weight and with less damage to the battery per start cycle than any other brand or technology. Shorai also notes its LFX cells have been formulated specifically for engine starter duty.

While it’s difficult to confirm all of Shorai’s impressive claims, we can report this is easily the best battery ever installed in my old Duc. I like how it’s massively smaller and lighter than conventional batteries, but more than that, I appreciate how it is able to quickly spin up the Italian V-Twin despite not being run for weeks.

At its $187 asking price, the LFX18A1-BS12 has a significant price premium over a typical lead-acid battery, but there is no doubt of its superior technology. And with its expected longer life backed up by a two-year warranty, it’s possible that it could last long enough to be installed in your current motorcycle and your next bike. The Shorai LFX series runs from $99.95 to $349.95, in Ah-equivalent sizes from 7Ah to 36Ah.