Manky Monkey Motors

Next in my ever growing list of stupid questions is........

The XL I'm building has both electric start, and kick start.

If I'm thinking of just using the kick start to start the bike, what is the smallest battery I can get away with fitting ampage wise, as I want to reduce the size as much as possible, and therefore 'hide' away.

It has a 12AH battery fitted at the moment, but like I say, can I just kick it??

You are going to need enough to operate lights horn brake lights and indicators if you fit them when you take it for an Mot, so I think if you work out the amperage these will use if all on at the same time you should be able to figure out how big a battery(amp wise)you wil need. I reckon a 10 amp would suffice ans physical sixes can be found on eBay.

Stix

Cheers buddy. Was hoping to drop that down further if I could, just for the size of battery. If I have to go to a 10 amp, I may as well stick with the 12 amp, and use the electric start.

Am I right in thinking, add up all the watts from the lights etc, divide by 12.5 should give me the amperage?

close enough but you can get batteries which are high output but small size ,twisted had a link on his trike build for them and they be mentioned on the savage forum

edit use led indicators and tail lamp to reduce the load

On your own with that mate, lectrics is not my forte, some one on here will be able to tell you what you need and my 10 amp is just a best guess, you could go lower and smaller or just use a bigger battery for the mot then go with the smallest you need to run the bike, once running the alternator should give you enough power to run it, but I don't know if you would need to change the rectifier or any other bits to stop the smaller batt from overcharging and boiling.

Stix

Led's is a good call to lower the draw on the battery.

Stix

Cheers again. Indicators will be LEDs, it's the not overcharging that is also a concern.

As you said, some 'electric head' will be along soon to put me back in my box!! :D

hi clive. this battery might help you out http://www.powervampracing.com/race-batteries/odyssey-pc680-battery.html its the one i have fitted to my reliant trike. is smaller than what i was told was a bike battery but it can run a 3.5L race engine and has a quick recharge time with a ten year life. also very good anti-vibration qualities, its good enough for the US army and small planes. the company is very good to. very helpful on the phone and next day delivery. hope that might help you out.

Cheers buddy, but it's bigger in size than the original one fitted.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MOTORCYCLE-MOTOR-CYCLE-BATTERY-LITHIUM-ION-BATTERY-LBP-3300-MOTOR-BIKE-BATTERY-/281685563635?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4195c498f3

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MOTORCYCLE-MOTOR-CYCLE-BATTERY-LITHIUM-ION-BATTERY-5500-MAH-MOTOR-BIKE-BATTERY-/271865598700?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3f4c73d2ec

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-Yuasa-12N5-5A-3B-12V-Motorbike-Motorcycle-Battery-/300683254227?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item46021e59d3

are these small enough?? are you going to use a seat with a hump? if so can you fit a battery in the hump??

Stix

Thanks mate, yes going with a seat hump, so have ordered a small one, even though it's a 7ah one.................I mean, what's the worst that can happen................boiling sealed battery, sat just by my arse.............

When my daughter's bike battery exploded she was lucky - she'd lent it to someone else.  He was lucky too, he'd finished filling up and was going into the petrol station to pay!  


Right battery, wrong (aftermarket) reg/rec - Hondas don't like em apparently!

ran my xl6 with a 5 amp from a c90, (there are different alternators on the xl,s and mine was kick start only, so the alternator was a slightly lower output)
no indicators, AC headlight, no issues ,,, even with indicators it will be ok, a c90 runs em all on the same battery
there are methods with zenner diodes/capacitors you can even run with no battery

Thanks buddy.