MotorcycleJazz -

Ballistic EVO 2 Battery

By Martin Hackworth

Bye bye lead, bye bye wetfulness...

Photo: Ballistic Performance Components

Consider 3.2 lbs located way up high in the frame - weight that you can feel. That is the most salient item in any response to the question "Why do I need a Ballistic Performance Components EVO 2 Lithium-Ion 8 cell battery for my motorcycle." When we pulled the 8 cell EVO2 out of the box and compared it to a new YUASA YTZ7S for our CRF450X, everyone at Pocatello Power Sports was stunned by the weight difference. The EVO 2 is less than half the weight of a conventional sealed lead-acid unit, yet it possesses superior energy storage and cold cranking power.

Ballistic Performance Components batteries are made using lithium ferrous technology which has the ability to store tremendous amounts of energy per unit weight. The battery cells are housed in an impact-resistant ABS case with stout brass hardware that appears very durable. Since the cells are dry the battery may be mounted in any position - and there's nothing to leak even if the case were to be compromised. Cold cranking power for the 8-cell model (the most widely used) is 275 amps (compared to 130 for the OEM YUASA). The starter motor winds up with discerably more authority with the EVO 2 in place. The EVO 2 requires no trickle charger and will lose less than 10% of its static charge over an entire year with no maintenance. The EVO 2 may be charged with a standard automotive charger as long as it has a low-current setting. The EVO 2 comes with a limited 3-year warranty.

Our biggest initial complaint with the EVO 2 is that installation was not, as advertised, drop in and go. The terminals on the EVO 2 are sufficiently different that OEM battery to require relocation of the stock cables (at least on the CRF450X), and care must be taken not to ground the positive terminal against the frame (the resulting damage would not be covered under warranty). Nonetheless, all of this took only 20 minutes and required nothing more special than zip ties and a bit of insulating material - the latter just to ease our minds.

Not only does our CRF450X crank over much more rapidly than before but our 100-watt HID lighting system will run at idle much longer than you'd ever need for it to. This would have been a feature worth the purchase price alone during our $25,000 recent night riding adventure in the desert.

Nothing sells the Ballistic Performance Components EVO2 battery quite like holding one in your hand. Get to your nearest powersports dealer asap and check one out. Low weight, superior cranking power, low maintenance and competitive pricing make these attractive when it's time to replace your current battery.

After 11 months of constant use our EVO 2 wouldn't hold sufficient charge anymore. We exchanged the battery for a new one without a bit of hassle. Their warranty was as good as claimed. Unfortunately the second battery also went dead about six months later. In both cases, the battery went bad after a few weeks of not being used and would then not hold a full charge. The second time we had a much more difficult time with the warranty. We now suspect that the long-term reliability of the EVO may be suspect.

Specifications: EVO 2 Li-ion 8 cell battery

Dimensions: 113mm x 60mm x 100mm
Weight: 730 grams, 1 lb 10 oz
Voltage (charged): 13.6 Volts
Amperage: 4.6 Amp Hours
Cold Cranking Amps: 240 Amps
Operating Environment: 0^o F to 140^o F (according to the specs - we have our doubts about the lower end of this range).

The Good: Lighter than OEM.
The Rad: More powerful than OEM too.
The Gnarly: Makes us feel even less ashamed of electric start.

Price Paid: $159.95, Pocatello Power Sports

Get your Ballistic EVO 2 right now at Competition Accessories.