How Many Amps Does Starter Need?

The Shorai Lithium battery is rated at 220 cold crank Amps. The Ballistic Li batteries say they have 275 CCA.

How much does the starter need on a typical stock bike like a 750 twin?

Obviously more is better, anybody know if the Shorai batteries are "weaker"?

Kinda depends on the state of the engine: good compression, & cold thick oil will all add up the draw. Then what shape is the starter in? Worn brushes & carbon buildup will (I'd think) draw more current. I'd guess 80-100 amps(could be wrong), and then if the battary cables have internal corrosion(if flexed, and feel "Crunchy", it's time to replace them).

I wonder because I have read stories about how the Li batteries are not as strong for starting. And one of them (Shorai?) had some info on how the battery crank would "improve" as you tried to crank because it warmed up the battery.....

I have a ballistic performance 8 cell lithium Ion battery installed on my modded 1135cc high compression engine. The stock battery would barely turn it over when it was cold. It always sounded like a low battery but it was fully charges and healthy. The ballistic battery spins it really fast, night and day difference.

Off the top of my head I am not sure what the starter's wattage rating is, but would assume it is somewhere between 700 and 1000 watts. Since watts = volts x amps the would mean the starter is pulling somewhere between 60 and 80 amps.

Keep in mind that the starter does not care how it gets the required wattage (watts=volts x amps), just that it gets it. So if it can not pull enough amps it will attempt to pull more volts, and likewise if it can not pull enough volts it will attempt to pull more amps.

Dawg, are you trying to figure out so you can get a new one or are you curious?

I want to know if the 220CCA on the Shorai is "plenty" or if the extra 275CCA rating on ballistic is worth the money.

The way a battery works is that it's voltage declines based on current draw due to the battery's internal impedance. A brand new charged lead acid battery on mine will drop it's terminal voltage to about 10V when cranking the starter. That's what any car/bike battery does. As the battery ages, the voltage drops more because the internal resistance increases until it won't crank any more.

So I wanted to know if I buy the 220 CCA Shorai will I get a good fast starter crank or if the 275CCA is worth the extra $.