Exhausted

jwarriner

jwarriner

Been Around the Block
Last night I reached the end of my creativity and the abilities of myself and my tools trying to figure out what to do with the battery on my CB500.

It's a smallish battery and I'm still having issues. I'm using a K&N cone filter off the stock airbox with an adaptor so the space between the side covers (not running covers) isn't totally open. Due to the filter I can't really figure out a way to hide all my electronics and mount the battery. At first I was going to strap the battery to the swingarm with a leather belt. But I didn't like how insecure it seemed.

The best way to do this is to have a shallow box above the K&N and below the seat (gives me about 2" to work with) for the electronics and then put the battery elsewhere. Problem is that I don't have a welder, a nibbler or a sheet metal brake. I'm really limited by my tools.

I may revisit the swingarm location but try to mount it better.

I don't know. I usually accomplish a lot each evening but last night I spent $13 at the hardware store and by the end of the evening I was worse off than when I started. I hate that.

I wish I knew more about metal working / fab or had better tools. I wanted to get the bike going this weekend, instead I am totally discouraged and thinking about working on my Mustang this weekend instead of fucking with motorcycles.
 
Yup. One step forward 2 steps back. Oh brother... I've been there! :p

Maybe it would be better to drop it and work on the 'Stang.

Call a buddy. Bounce some ideas around. Take a critical look at other custom bikes. Take a few steps back from it and just gaze at it.

Something will come to you in time, and you'll be energized to get back at it. :D
 
I am afraid that if I lose steam I won't be back for a year. That's what happened last time. Got pissed at bikes and they sat from October to this summer. I've got a lot of momentum and I don't want to lose it. I have no obligations for this weekend or next so I was hoping to get a lot done. Get the 500 going and start digging into the 650.

Here's a pic of a bike with the exact same filter stetup as me.

I have a question and maybe this is something 500 / 550 specific but is it possible for the bike to ever bottom out enough for the rear tire to cross the line of the frame? If it doesn't that opens up some possibilities, I think.
 

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How about pics of your bike, so we can see what you're up against. No seat bump to hide the stuff in?

A battery box hanging from the frame below the swingarm would be better than mounting directly to the swingarm, as the amount of vibration/impact the battery will get if mounted directly will be huge. Might last a while, and will be better if say a Lithium battery, but still won't likely last more than a couple of seasons.
 
Mounting the battery to the swingarm is the worst idea EVER. The battery would be quickly ruin from all the impact of the swingarm movement. What would possess you to mount an electrical component on something that moves? The wires would have to break eventually.

If you use an AGM type of battery, you can mount the battery on its side. AGM batteries can be mounted in any position except upside down. That could give you a little flexibility. As far as "hiding" all your electrical stuff, rethink your priority on that. Instead, make it a "feature." Get some thin aluminum diamond plate, and fabricate a box. Put it together with pop rivets.
 
If you upgrade the regulator to a newer solid-state model you can go with a lithium ion battery, which are extremely small. The newer regulator is a must, though. LiIon can't take voltages over 14.5V and survive for very long.

If it were me, I'd go with AGM (like ADC, said) and mount it sideways underneath the seat, but above the pod filters.
 
I have a solid state regulator-rectifier.

It's this battery:
http://www.dimecitycycles.com/vintage-cafe-racer-caferacer-bobber-brat-chopper-custom-custom-motorcycle-electronics-parts-medium-12v-sealed-trugel-battery-78-0542.html

I may revisit the box thing. I have a rivet gun. I just need to figure out a way to cut and bend metal that is less flimsy than what I have. Perhaps a metal blade on my jigsaw and a brake made out of 2x4s and c-lamps would do it. Maybe I could do 16ga. Will a jigsaw with a metal blade do that or will I just vibrate my balls off?

Stuff that I was coming up with yesterday was really ghetto. I want to be able to lift my seat up without being embarrassed.

AlphaDogChoppers said:
What would possess you to mount an electrical component on something that moves?
Click to expand...

I saw someone on here do it. Right at the fulcrum. Nobody said anything bad about it. I considered the movement but it seemed like nobody here had a problem with this mounting location.
http://www.dotheton.com/forum/index.php?topic=15683.msg171686#msg171686
 
I like this but I don't think I currently have the ability, and perhaps the space, to pull it off.

http://www.bikeexif.com/kawasaki-kz400
 
If you don't have the ability to fab/mount a battery box. You could run a peice of sheet metal alond the frame under the seat, put some Wide enough "slits" in the metal and get some heavy duty velcro straps and lace the straps though the slits and secure the battery on the underside of the panIf you use the velcro straps and do say 2 or 3 of them. you would have to be a gorilla to rip the battery off you can get them to secure very tight/close to the battery unlike a "leather" belt or even rubber. and they are virtually unmovable. Just a thought.
 
AlphaDogChoppers said:
Mounting the battery to the swingarm is the worst idea EVER. The battery would be quickly ruin from all the impact of the swingarm movement. What would possess you to mount an electrical component on something that moves? The wires would have to break eventually.

If you use an AGM type of battery, you can mount the battery on its side. AGM batteries can be mounted in any position except upside down. That could give you a little flexibility. As far as "hiding" all your electrical stuff, rethink your priority on that. Instead, make it a "feature." Get some thin aluminum diamond plate, and fabricate a box. Put it together with pop rivets.
Click to expand...

Totally disagree here. Our battery is mounted under the swingarm. Not attached to the swingarm. There is room depending on the dimensions of your battery. We made a small box that holds the battery and its protected from the elements. Check out our website WWW.cafefabrications.com if you look close in the pics you can see the battery box. It can be done. Eastwood has a bench top metal brake for $40.00 that will do the job. Good luck and don't give up.


Grant Salter
 
I have almost no fab tools either, but I don't let that stop me. It just means I have to be a lot more creative.

You don't need anything as thick as 16g steel. use 20g sheet from the hardware store. Then grab an empty cereal box and open it flat (or something similar like stiff card) and draw out your box onto the cardboard. The way I usually do it is to start with the shape of the bottom. Take the time to get that right. Then I "add" sides, front and back to the drawing. It should look like a box with a rectangle with a small rectangle along each side.

Stay away fro complex shapes and make it rectangular or trapezoidal (rectangle that's thinner at one end than the other).

The last thing you would need would be the top parts that sit over the frame rails, so "add" more long thin rectangles along the sides and front and rear. Cut out your cereal box (or stiff card) and bend first around the bottom and then put the second bends around the top flanges. If all goes well, it will look amazingly like a real battery tray.

If the sizes are not quite right (that's normal) make a second box out of another cereal box. Repeat until you get it right. Outlay so far zero or at most a couple of bucks for sheets of stiff card.

When you are happy with the card box, transfer the dimensions to your sheet of steel with a sharpie and ruler. Cut out the new box with tin shears or a dremmel cut off wheel or hacksaw (that's harder to do).

Bending those lines can be done in your bench vice, or use two short lengths of wood and clamp the box between teh two bits of wood close to the first bend. bend the sides up and then bend up the front and rear (wood may have to be cut to length). Last bends are the top flanges. Clamp the flanges this time and bend the box down.

It's easier with laser cutters and press, but you can do a passable job manually. You need to work out how you'll attach your new battery tray. Solid mount or welded means the battery and electrics need to be rubber mounted. Rubber mount the tray and the electronics can be solid mounted, but battery still needs a rubber cushion to isolate it from vibration.

You will make teh first card mock up in less time than it took me to type this.
 
gsalter said:
Totally disagree here. Our battery is mounted under the swingarm. Not attached to the swingarm. There is room depending on the dimensions of your battery. We made a small box that holds the battery and its protected from the elements. Check out our website WWW.cafefabrications.com if you look close in the pics you can see the battery box. It can be done. Eastwood has a bench top metal brake for $40.00 that will do the job. Good luck and don't give up.

Grant Salter
Click to expand...

That's been done for years successfully on Tritons etc where the centrally mounted oil tank had no where to fit a battery. Good suggestion if the exhaust isn't too close.
 
The first bike i ever built was slow too i mounted the box to the swing arm it worked fine
a6b50350-1ee5-7c19.jpg


Sent from my PB99400 using Tapatalk 2
 
teazer said:
grab an empty cereal box and open it flat (or something similar like stiff card) and draw out your box onto the cardboard.
Click to expand...

This is what I call "CAD."

(Cardboard Aided Design) :)
 
I also use Analog Photoshop
Translation: Printed picture and a box of colored crayons/makers/pencils.
 
axeugene27 said:
If you don't have the ability to fab/mount a battery box. You could run a peice of sheet metal alond the frame under the seat, put some Wide enough "slits" in the metal and get some heavy duty velcro straps and lace the straps though the slits and secure the battery on the underside of the panIf you use the velcro straps and do say 2 or 3 of them. you would have to be a gorilla to rip the battery off you can get them to secure very tight/close to the battery unlike a "leather" belt or even rubber. and they are virtually unmovable. Just a thought.
Click to expand...

Where do you get velcro straps locally? Hardware store? Target? Fabric store (going on Saturday to get my upholstery)?

You guys have made me feel a lot better. I'm going to give it another go this evening. I'm going to stop in at Home Depot at lunch and see what they have. Normally I go to True Value or Ace but maybe I'll see what Home Depot has.

Home Depot Motorsports!
 
jdub said:
You guys have made me feel a lot better.
Click to expand...


That's the best thing I've read here all day!!

It's what these guys do best!! 8) 8)
 
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