SuzukiSavage.com - Battery misfit

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Battery misfit
05/26/12 at 19:30:55

I ordered a new glassmat battery from an outfit who said it fit Savage and S40, all models. However, it doesn't! My 2009 S40 has a chamfered battery box along its bottom, which matches a chamfered stock battery. In other words, if you were to looking into the empty battery box, the chamfers would run along the bottom in the direction the battery slides in. The new battery is squared off (not chamfered) on the bottom which causes it to be too high to fit in the box. I'm wondering if all years of Savages & S40 have the chamfered box or is it a more recent "innovation"? It's important because I now have to return this battery (and pay shipping both ways), then get another, and I want it to fit.

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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Battery misfit Reply #1 - 05/26/12 at 19:34:39 Take a piece of cardboard & cut it to fit in the box.. ship that with the return.. I had NO idea they changed the battery box.. What is on the bike that fits in the chamfered area? Would another box fit & could you get it for less than freight both ways on a battery?
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Oldfeller--FSO Serious Thumper ModSquad Offline Hobby is now "concentrated neuropany" Posts: 12637 Fayetteville, NC Gender:	Re: Battery misfit Reply #2 - 05/26/12 at 19:36:13 Got caught by this a year ago, took a piece of 2X6 and a pry bar and jacked the battery box open just a tad so it would go in. I got lucky, the lid went up and the tabs unfolded just a tad (and the welds held). Your mileage may vary (or your welds might bust before the top moves up enough).
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Battery misfit Reply #3 - 05/26/12 at 19:38:34 Or, you could have a look at the Open Carry battery box that ( dang, cant remember his name now), built. He also built the front pulley cover.
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Oldfeller--FSO Serious Thumper ModSquad Offline Hobby is now "concentrated neuropany" Posts: 12637 Fayetteville, NC Gender:	Re: Battery misfit Reply #4 - 05/26/12 at 19:45:17 Like I said, I got away with it, so my box now holds old standard and the new taller squarer glass mat batteries
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Battery misfit Reply #5 - 05/26/12 at 19:48:33 I was typin while you were postin,, Id give it a go,, fix it or bust it,,Ill bet you can get a used on for cheap if ya wreck it.,. Pssst,, Mite ask around before ya get too crazed,.. JIC, yaknow?
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Re: Battery misfit
Reply #6 - 05/26/12 at 20:33:55

Oldfeller, you sound like some of the old knucklehead owners I've known; i.e., "by god, I'll make her fit!" LOL. Honestly tho, I was tempted to do just what you said, but would rather keep things as they are (I just sold a 1980 Honda CB125 (thumper) that looked like I rolled it off the showroom floor). The cardboard idea is a good one tho, to show the distributor the difference. If they have the right battery, I'd take that over a refund, but they probably won't.

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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Battery misfit Reply #7 - 05/26/12 at 20:38:15 Why dont ya ask if anyone would sell ya a battery box,, Ill bet that would cost less than freight X2..
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360k+ Serious Thumper Offline Savage heart of darkness Posts: 680 Cartersville, GA Gender:	Re: Battery misfit Reply #8 - 05/27/12 at 06:55:36 I found boxes all the way back to '87 (eBay) and they all have the chamfered bottom, so I'm wondering why these aftermarket companies are claiming they fit? I really don't want to stay with a lead/acid battery, and its associated maintenance, but may have to.
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Battery misfit Reply #9 - 05/27/12 at 08:24:22 Maybe someone has one thats later model,, Who did the recent mod that he built his own? I dont think mine is anything but squared off,, its an 05.
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Re: Battery misfit
Reply #10 - 05/27/12 at 09:12:02

If you check the chart from Yuasa, the wet cell is a 14 and the sealed equivalent is a 12... or they used to be. Been a few years since I memorized the conversion charts. And there was no direct fit from the factory backwards terminal standard battery. I know the stock battery for my 98 fits Savages and a couple models of Honda, is stupid high from anywhere and doesn't last long... which is why I notched my battery box to fit an industry standard 14LA2. Which does have an absorbed glass mat equivalent for $50 at Wal-mart.

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Re: Battery misfit
Reply #11 - 05/27/12 at 10:02:27

Something about this issue just doesn't seem right? What I mean is, I can't believe this isn't being sqwaked about more often here on the forum? In any case, here is a box from a '95 clearly showing the chamfered bottom, but I've looked at many from different years and they all seem to have the chamfer characteristic...

At least for the AGM battery I bought with its squared bottom, the chamfer raises the battery up in the box so it won't clear the top of the box framework. I measured the stock battery and the AGM battery and the square side-by-side measurements are exactly the same, but the stock battery has a chambered bottom on its case which matches the box. At this point I've looked at probably 25 batteries "guaranteed to fit" and they all seem to have the squared bottom. The round trip return postage (if it fits, it ships) is about $25, so you can see why I don't want to repeat this too many times.

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Re: Battery misfit
Reply #12 - 05/27/12 at 10:06:44

The cardboard profile will protect you from having a problem, or should,

Now that I see that, Im wondering if they arent all that way,, I wasnt exactly looking closely, but dang if that dont look like what I Think I remember seeing..
Give Skeebo a holler, he built his own, maybe you could get his old one & try the OldFeller bash on one,, or see if you like the Skeebo "Open Carry" battery box & maybe he would build ya one,,
Gotta be more than one way to skin this cat..

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skeebo Senior Member Offline Ride It Like U Stole It........ Posts: 328 Fresno, Cali Gender:	Re: Battery misfit Reply #13 - 05/27/12 at 10:53:54 justin_o_guy2 wrote on 05/26/12 at 19:38:34: Or, you could have a look at the Open Carry battery box that ( dang, cant remember his name now), built. He also built the front pulley cover. For Yuasa AGM mid-size
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skeebo Senior Member Offline Ride It Like U Stole It........ Posts: 328 Fresno, Cali Gender:	Re: Battery misfit Reply #14 - 05/27/12 at 11:35:24 My bike is a 96 and the box is identical to yours.....open type hold down is simple....security might be a question for some.
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