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/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Battery Relocation Feedback /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1373334614 Message started by savagebob on 07/08/13 at 18:50:14 |
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Title: Battery Relocation Feedback Post by savagebob on 07/08/13 at 18:50:14 Ok so SavageBob needs a new battery, the existing one is an old style battery which would go flat if I left it a few days. I can't stand flat batteries. I've bought a trickle charger and will use that. But, while I'm building the bobber I'm thinking I might relocate the battery to the swing arm bracket as I've read about on here. What I want to know is reports from anyone who has done this surrounding any electrical issues. I know the battery has to be smaller than factory spec so I'm assuming that it might come with some compromises for this? I can't stand battery problems so if the reports on this mod are compromising I might reconsider doing it. |
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Title: Re: Battery Relocation Feedback Post by Charon on 07/08/13 at 19:08:24 If your battery is going flat in a few days, you have a problem. Either the battery is shot, or you have an electrical problem allowing the battery to discharge. Easiest way to check is to disconnect either cable from the battery. If it still goes down, the battery is shot. If not, start troubleshooting the electrics. If you have an electrical problem, the new battery of whatever type and wherever located will not cure it. |
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Title: Re: Battery Relocation Feedback Post by savagebob on 07/08/13 at 21:42:44 I'm fairly sure it's the battery.. it's pretty old! and yeah it discharges without being connected. Before I do the relocation mod I just want to hear from people who have done it and see if there are any issues. Cheers |
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Title: Re: Battery Relocation Feedback Post by HondaLavis on 07/08/13 at 22:56:00 I completed this mod with some great success. I used an AGM battery, and it works well. It has enough CCA to turn the bike over easily, but significantly less Ah. Don't leave the battery on for more than 5 minutes and you'll be fine. The Li ion batteries that are now available should be even better choices. You should be able to find a battery with comparable CCA and Ah to the stock battery in a similar sized package to the AGM batteries. Some of them have special balancing circuits already installed, so they don't require any special care. The only thing about the Li ion batteries is don't ever let it FULLY drain. One time will kill it. Back to the mod... I kept it mine on the swingarm bracket. It's made out of 1 1/4" strap steel. Rather than welding threaded rod to the bottom, I pressed a carriage bolt through the steel and ground most of the head off. I didn't weld a strap to the back of my battery box, so when I have to take it out all I do is remove a zip tie. Use some rubber like a bicycle inner tube to insulate the battery from vibration. I also did this mod WITHOUT extending any of my battery leads. The negative lead was relocated to one of the former battery box mounting holes. For the positive lead, I relocated the solenoid onto a bracket I made from the left side of my air box. A clear shot of the solenoid: http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee291/Lavis325CL/20120927_124247.jpg The wiring all tucked away neat. You can also see where my negative terminal is frame mounted: http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee291/Lavis325CL/20130306_180139_zps83611662.jpg A look at the outside of the bracket. Here you can see where the hardware mounts: http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee291/Lavis325CL/20120927_124013.jpg Any other specific questions? |
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Title: Re: Battery Relocation Feedback Post by savagebob on 07/09/13 at 02:34:17 nice. just interested if you were putting the battery there, where the air box was, why didn't you put a std size battery in? so as long as you don't leave battery on without it running you don't notice any difference in starting or how long you can leave it |
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Title: Re: Battery Relocation Feedback Post by HondaLavis on 07/09/13 at 15:28:57 I didn't put my battery where the airbox is. I put it below the swingarm and behind the engine. You can see the blue zip ties holding it in if you look just above the muffler: http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee291/Lavis325CL/20120927_124403.jpg A shot of the battery from above: http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee291/Lavis325CL/20120927_124300.jpg One of the reasons I did this is because I plan to make a tool storage box out of the right side of the airbox. Here are some pics of how I cut it: http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee291/Lavis325CL/20120927_124815.jpg http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee291/Lavis325CL/20120927_124807.jpghttp://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee291/Lavis325CL/20120927_124802.jpg It will still mount from the bolt on the top: http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee291/Lavis325CL/20130306_180037_zps1b245416.jpg My thought is to make it out of fiberglass, I just haven't done it yet. The side cover and airbox door will still be held in with normal phillips head screws. For me, this is fine as I always have my leatherman on me. The tools in here will be wrenches, more screwdrivers, a small fuel siphon, and a few other things. I mostly haven't done it yet because I don't know how well the fiberglass will stick to plastic. I figure I'll take it to a boat body shop and ask a few guys for advice since they should all be fiber-gurus. Again, I've just been too lazy to do so. Sometimes when it's below freezing, she'll turn a bit slower when you start. Never any problems, though. If I leave the bike sit more than a week I plug it in to my trickle/float charger just to be safe. ;) |
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Title: Re: Battery Relocation Feedback Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/09/13 at 16:53:50 Much as I appreciate a zip tie, Id probably be a bit skittish to have them exposed to uv, heat, vibration, metal edges & not have them doubled. |
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Title: Re: Battery Relocation Feedback Post by HondaLavis on 07/09/13 at 19:54:36 FWIW: there are actually two zip ties there, each connected to the other. The only metal they touch is the spot shown in the picture, but on both sides. The battery is triple layered in inner tube rubber, and that provides good vibration insulation. There's not much light there at all, and it's not hot enough there to damage the battery - let alone the zip ties on the other side. I pulled the battery recently to check over everything and replacement some corroded terminal hardware. (I didn't spray apply any protective fluid when I installed it. ::) ) The zip ties weren't cut, brittle, or damaged in any way. They sat there for over a year without a problem. I'm all about over-engineering things. I feel that this is juuuuuust right. ;) |
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Title: Re: Battery Relocation Feedback Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/09/13 at 20:24:02 mmkay, looks like one zip thru the hole, your call, |
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Title: Re: Battery Relocation Feedback Post by ToesNose on 07/10/13 at 18:47:24 HondaLavis drill some holes in the plastic so that when you add the resin it will have places to get a hold from, two holes near each other will increase the hold since it will have more points to build strength from. Basically you are making holes and filling them with the resin to make a virtual dowel into the plastic ;) |
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Title: Re: Battery Relocation Feedback Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/10/13 at 18:54:19 also, if it wont intrude in your plans, you can lay something on the inside flats that will overlap the cut. |
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Title: Re: Battery Relocation Feedback Post by savagebob on 07/10/13 at 20:45:55 ah right so it's mounted where the emissions breather tank thing is. when you remove that, how you do route the breather tubes? Also, what dimensions does the smaller battery need to be? |
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Title: Re: Battery Relocation Feedback Post by HondaLavis on 07/10/13 at 23:20:33 Ah, you must be in CA! I'm in TX, so I never had a charcoal canister to remove. My bracket was empty, just waiting for me! I'm 99.99% positive that this is the same battery I used. It's definitely the BatteriesPlus brand equivalent to the one Boule'tard used in his mod: http://www.batteriesplus.com/product_search/33984-Xtreme-Permaseal-High-Performance-AGM-Motorcycle,-Powersport-Battery-DASH--DASH-XTAZ7S.aspx http://www.ebay.com/itm/BATTERY-Xtreme-AGM-Permaseal-XTAZ7S-/280490248547?pt=Other_Vehicle_Parts&hash=item414e858963&vxp=mtr I included the ebay listing because it gives the dimensions. There DEFINITELY wasn't a lot of room to work in there, so I wouldn't recommend anything much bigger. Here is a lithium ion battery meant to replace the AGM one I just suggested: http://earthxmotorsports.com/products-page/motorcycle/etx12a/ Instead of a measly 6Ah, it has 12! And it's even a bit smaller, making everything easier! http://earthxmotorsports.com/products-page/motorcycle/etx18b/ This one might work, but it might be a bit tight. it's about .75" longer than the one I used. There could be room... but like I said, tight. ToesNose: Thanks for the tip! That makes a LOT of sense! My thought is to shape the rest of the box out of chicken wire, scuff up the plastic, drill some holes, and fiberglass the whole thing. I'll probably so it inside and outside for added rigidity. JOG: I'm not sure I entirely follow you. Are you talking about smoothing over the inside of the box? |
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Title: Re: Battery Relocation Feedback Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/10/13 at 23:32:07 I was talking about running a strip of ( pick something) around the inside, across the cut, epoxy.. thin metal would glue on with some good epoxy, holes drilled in the metal. |
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Title: Re: Battery Relocation Feedback Post by savagebob on 07/11/13 at 14:18:33 795E5F55507D50475842310 wrote:
Bit further away than CA.. I'm in NZ. Cheers for those links I think a li-ion is the way to go |
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