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Battery/AirBox Mod (Read 3006 times)
Bubbasan
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Battery/AirBox Mod
01/22/11 at 17:16:13
 
I was going to detail and post the whole process of my mod but once I got into it I realized it kept changing as I went along.  So here is a description and pics of what I did.

- Removed front of airbox and cut out chamber to house a fabbed battery shelf.
- Made battery shelf out of 18ga with front lip to bolt onto existing battery mount holes.
- Discovered that stock battery was a little large so I bought a 12A-A battery from Farm and Fleet. Fit perfect.
- Made front cover with lip to fit into the 1/16"opening on the airbox lip where I had removed the front.
- Made provisions to mount the tool case on the front of the new front cover. The tool case is now mounted sideways.
- Made metal plate to fit in the right side cover to locate the rectifier.
- Removed rectifier from rear fender and rerouted wiring to locate it in the side cover.
- Made a wire to ground rectifier plate to right side airbox mount bolt.
- Bought chrome M6 bolts, washers and rubber washers from hardware store to mount fabbed shelf and front cover to the old battery mount holes.
- Put cone filter on and fired it up. Works and looks great.
https://www.bikepics.com/pictures/2136759/



I spent a silly lot of time doing this and figuring out how to do it but I am real happy with how it came out. I originally thought I was going to fab the whole thing then realized that maybe I could maintain the old airbox and side panels, and modify the airbox to hold the battery.

This got started by wanting to put a cone filter on. Then I saw what they had done with the Ryca. So I jumped in to get the battery between the frame.

I am very very happy with this. Now on to other things. Drag bars. Longer shocks. I'm thinking about the Dunstall 17" reverse cone muffler. Chopping up the fender. Getting rid of fender chrome and so on.

Please feel free to contact me if anyone has any questions. Happy riding.
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« Last Edit: 02/27/16 at 08:34:12 by verslagen1 »  
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verslagen1
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Re: Battery/AirBox Mod
Reply #1 - 01/22/11 at 18:05:00
 
That's really nice work.

A+

The only bit of criticism I have is the location of the rectifier, out of the airflow, not attached to a big metal part to serve as a heat sink.  Always thought that I'd mount mine on the bottom of the fender if there's room.  With your mod, a good place would be under the tool box.
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« Last Edit: 01/23/11 at 08:25:10 by verslagen1 »  
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Re: Battery/AirBox Mod
Reply #2 - 01/23/11 at 09:36:59
 
Okay, here we go. Hope this isn't all too boring. At least for humor you can see an old Schlitz box in one of the pictures. Made in Milwaukee.

Tools
- jig saw with metal blades
- angle grinder
- various metal files
- various clamps
- small combination square
- scribe
- bench vise
- small brake from Harbor Freight. Pretty much a piece of crap but I managed to get bends done with it by clamping down the top bar.
- other obvious small tools
- razor knife, hacksaw, drill and bits (not pictured)
- friends MIG welder

Materials
- 18ga sheet metal from Menards
- 22ga sheet metal from Menards, only used on sides of battery box
- small piece of 16awg wire
- 16awg disconnect crimp connectors
- 16awg crimp ring connectors
- emery cloth
- body putty and plastic applicator

Process
- First I cut up the airbox. You can pry the front off. Do not cut it off or you will loose the groove that the front cover will fit in. Use a razor knife and hacksaw to cut out the back housing that fits between the frame but leave the bottom and the captured screw tab on the bottom. This allows you to still mount the box with all original mounting points. The opening will be 3 1/2" wide by around 7" tall.
- I mocked up a wood shelf to make sure everything would fit together and mount properly.
- The dimensions for the parts are in my drawings but I can not swear that they exactly accurate. Maybe between the pictures and drawings you can tell what was bent and what was welded.
- It was a long process of cutting up the parts, making bends where necessary, making sure it all would go together properly, and welding it up. I have cut up pieces of metal left over that I did not like the way it fit or was not happy with.
- Welds: I made all welds on the front cover from the back side and all welds on the battery box were made on the outside
- Bends: I made some bends on the brake, a couple in the bench vise, and the longer rolling bends on the side panel I basically formed around a pipe.
- Tool case holder: I did not cut the edges off the tool case holder. The top lip lands on top of the front box and I cut a slit in the front box for the bottom lip to fit in. I had to make and weld a couple of plates to the side of the front cover that would accept the tabs on from the chrome tool box cover. The front plate of the new cover also was cut so that the key latch flange was a part of it.
- I used 10-31 screws and welded 10-32 square nuts for mounting the tollbox plate and the rectifier.
- I used silicone caulk to hold the rectifier plate in the side cover.



There is a picture of an extra front shelf plate. I made 2 in case I needed the thickness. I didn't need it.
The notch is for the cables to pass through. It is in the plate and the bottom of the front cover.

I think that's it.
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« Last Edit: 02/19/12 at 08:27:18 by verslagen1 »  
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Re: Battery/AirBox Mod
Reply #3 - 01/23/11 at 10:00:12
 
Verslagen.  The rectifier move was something I wondered about and gave quite a bit of thought too. I was not exactly sure if it was a good move. It fit so nice in the cover and the wires routed to it perfectly.

2 things popped up to me when considering this. Cooling and grounding. I really did not know the importance of either. I figured the scoop on top of the airbox, which is now open will allow plenty of airflow through the battery and side compartment. Also I wondered how much cooling it got mounted under the rear seat pad. My other consideration, grounding. I am not sure if it requires more than a 14ga jumper to be properly grounded.

Do you know how hot these get and how much grounding it needs? What kind of problems could this cause? Just failures or other things?

I could not mount it under since I had to leave the bottom of the airbox on to retain some strength and to hold the bottom captured mounting nut. There is no room on the back or side of the shelf. I could move it back up on the fender or somewhere else.

Once warm weather gets here and I can get out and ride ride I'll have to keep and eye on it. At least it is in an easy location to get at.
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Re: Battery/AirBox Mod
Reply #4 - 01/23/11 at 10:56:14
 
I don't think it needs any grounding.
Plenty installs where they've said to have 'dropped' it in the airbox.
So I assume no connection at all.
I've have mine loosely positioned behind the seat for awhile now w/no issue.  But at least open to the air.  And haven't noticed anything hot back there.   Shocked

Stories go it will get hot if you have a charging problem though.  Not sure if it is caused by corroded connections.  But if your boiling batteries, then your rectifier will be hot.
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Re: Battery/AirBox Mod
Reply #5 - 01/23/11 at 16:10:35
 
Oh yah I see what you were talking about, under the toolbox. I thought you meant under the airbox. You're right it could go under the toolbox. I'd have to get the wires out the front. I've also been considering installing remote battery terminals under the toolbox.
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Re: Battery/AirBox Mod
Reply #6 - 01/23/11 at 16:18:48
 
Make a hole that when the rectifier is installed, it covers most of the hole for the wires.
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Re: Battery/AirBox Mod
Reply #7 - 02/06/11 at 21:15:34
 
At the request of someone on the forum, I made up a set of drawing, description, and parts on how to do this.  So if anyone would like them send me a message and I will email it to them.
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Re: Battery/AirBox Mod
Reply #8 - 10/15/14 at 01:06:46
 
Have you considered making these to order?  Could be a great product considering the amount of people that want to ditch the air box and go to a cone.  It just look too funky with no air box and the battery staying put. The finished product looks almost stock.  

Best mod I've seen for this though.
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Re: Battery/AirBox Mod
Reply #9 - 10/19/14 at 17:43:09
 
Sorry. I've been gone for a while. Not much new here. Still enjoying my 650. As for producing these battery boxes: I must admit it has worked out great and I love the look. Producing and offering these would be fine but I really don't have all the proper tools to punch, fold, weld and fab them. I'm just a winter basement tinkerer.
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