"Double the power, double the features" - OptiMate Lithium 4s 10A
Lithium batteries have made the jump from being a novel aftermarket accessory to becoming a commonplace essential for performance and adventure motorcycles.
Their use has created the need for fast and safe charging and for providing support during PDI and service diagnostics.
A relatively unknown advantage of lithium starter batteries is that they can be charged up to three times faster than AGM lead-acid batteries, the current popular 'stock' battery choice. As a direct comparison, the fastest charge an 8Ah AGM battery (e.g. YTX10) can accept is around a third of its true rating, therefore 2.66 amps, but a lithium ferrous phosphate (LiFePO4, the technology used for lithium starter batteries) rated at a true 8Ah can accept 8 amps!
OptiMate has recognised this in the architecture of its OptiMate Lithium 4s 10A (part no: TM-274 in Europe, TM-275 in North America, TM-276 in the UK). It can deliver up to 10 amps of fast charge but can also automatically adjust its charge rate down to what a smaller battery can accept; its AmpMatic (lithium tuned) charging method takes care of that - bigger batteries get more, smaller batteries get less, all automatically.
"But that's not all," says TecMate CEO/CTO Martin Human, "like every OptiMate battery charger, there is always more built into the advanced circuitry.
"Firstly, and obvious for any OptiMate battery saving charger, it will safely and effectively save lithium starter batteries from as low as 0.5 volt. Its smart algorithm actively tests and confirms battery health until it has recovered sufficiently to receive a fast charge - very important for such dense energy technology.
"Secondly, it offers battery management system reset at the press of a button. Increasingly, lithium battery manufacturers are adopting vital protective measures for their performance batteries. The most important being deep discharge protection, or, in simple terms, low voltage cut-off, i.e. the battery turns off if discharged too low. When that happens it then needs a special reset signal to turn it back on - delivered at the push of a button by the OptiMate 4s 10A.
"Finally, the new 4s 10A includes a TUNE mode - a stable 13.6V that supports the lithium battery during diagnostics and troubleshooting when the engine is not running."
A 10 amp battery charger for motorcycle starter batteries might have sounded over the top even as recently as two years ago, but in 2021 it suddenly makes a lot of sense, especially when it comes to the lithium (LiFePO4) technology that is increasingly being embraced by motorcycle manufacturers.
TecMate is not new to this technology, its first OptiMate Lithium 4s 5A was introduced in 2010, in response to the "at the time" exotic new lithium starter battery technology that was beginning to be embraced by a handful of leading-edge custom bike builders and racers.
"Lithium starter batteries have come a long way since then, and quickly," says Martin. "They have become 'mainstream' and OptiMate Lithium already has over ten years of experience in how to charge them fast and right."
TECMATE
www.tecmate.com
www.optimate1.com
