Featherweight Lithium Battery by WPS

WHAT IT IS:
Featherweight batteries are lightweight replacement batteries that use lithium-ion technology to replace heavy, conventional, lead-acid powersports batteries. They’re 50–70 percent lighter than stock and said to easily provide 6 to 12 times more life cycles than standard batteries. Featherweight batteries can be found either in stock or in the WPS catalog at your local motorcycle dealership. WPS’ multiple distribution locations ensure your dealer can have one in a matter of days.

MATERIALS:
Featherweight batteries feature a durable plastic housing just like conventional lead-acid batteries, but that is where the similarities end. The lithium battery looks the same, but picking it up is more like lifting the empty box that a conventional battery comes in. What’s even more impressive is that the lithium-ion polymer technology uses no hazardous acid or heavy metals. The Featherweight is non-explosive and non-combustable, meaning it has none of the shipping restrictions associated with conventional batteries.

FEATURES:
While the light weight is the first thing you notice about the Featherweight battery, it’s definitely not the only selling point. Lithium batteries provide highly increased cranking amps in comparison to an equally sized conventional battery. They can also be rapidly recharged. A dead Featherweight battery can be brought back to 90-percent charge in less than six minutes. Featherweight batteries continue to provide service through 6 to 12 times more life cycles than conventional or “stock” batteries. Featherweight batteries can be mounted in any position and carry a two-year warranty. Another notable feature of the Featherweight is the included “Battery Capacity Indicator” or gauge strip.

INSTALLATION:
Installation is as simple as it gets. Featherweight batteries are shipped fully charged, and their lengthy shelf life is supposed to give dealers a full year without requiring a recharge. WPS strives to provide more precise fitment with more part numbers than probably any other brand of lithium powersports batteries. We installed a Featherweight in both a Suzuki LT450R and a Yamaha YFZ450R. The Suzuki install was an exact swap with an identical-sized battery; the Yamaha battery was slightly smaller and came with foam block spacers for this application. The blocks have a peel-and-stick adhesive side that sticks permanently to the bottom of the slightly shorter battery. After this 30-second procedure, the swap is just like the LTR’s or any conventional battery.

PERFORMANCE:
As you probably already know, today’s fuel-injected bikes are way less forgiving when you accidentally leave the key on. The EFI system will quickly drain a perfectly good battery, and it seems like it’s 50/50 whether it will last after you charge it back to life. Remembering to turn the bikes off seems to be a real battle around our households, and we had dead batteries on both our personal LT450R and the brand-new YFZ-R test unit. The YFZ-R was left on for a few hours’ drive after loading it into the trailer. We got to our destination and battled with it the entire weekend, trying to get it to hold a charge. This might be the extreme side of it, but the conventional ATV battery had probably four to five hours of total use, and it was fried. Our Suzuki didn’t have the key left on, but it had been sitting in the garage for over a year and was smoked as well.

The YTZ10S battery that was removed from the LT450R weighed 6.7 pounds and put out a claimed 150 cold-cranking amps. The Featherweight replacement battery weighed just under 2 pounds and put out 340 coldcranking amps. This translates to less than one third the weight and over double the power. Our stock Yamaha battery weighed 4 pounds and put out a claimed 80 cold-cranking amps. The slightly smaller WPS Featherweight battery weighed 1.15 pounds (18 ounces) and is rated at 150 cold-cranking amps. With both bikes being stock compression, the weaker factory CCA was always more than enough to fire the machines to life. With both machines, the Featherlight battery offers quicker starting with absolutely no hesitation at the push of the starter button. Straight off the shelf without charging, it is noticeably stronger than stock.

THE VERDICT:
We were already impressed with the minimal weight and the cranking power of the Featherlight, but weight and starting issues were not what sent us looking for a better battery. Our issue had been dead conventional batteries that wouldn’t return to service, and in the case of the Yamaha, a new one as well. To test the Featherlight, we left the key in the Yamaha on for a few hours (just as we had accidentally with the stock battery). It took quite a few hours before the battery was unable to start the YFZ-R. With the battery officially dead, we left it on another hour or so before recharging it. The Featherweight lithium battery held plenty of charge and seemed unscathed. Still wary, however, we left the key on that same night to further stress the battery. Amazingly, we were still able to quickly bring the battery back to life in the morning. While continuing this pattern would undoubtedly finish off any battery in existence, we were impressed with the Featherlight’s durability.

At $100 for the Yamaha and $160 for the Suzuki, the WPS Featherweight batteries are more expensive than offbrand conventional replacement batteries, but not a whole lot more than higher-quality or OEM replacements. With a much better life expectancy and reduced weight, we’re sure that lithium technology batteries will quickly take over the powersports market.