I wish someone would write up a how to on how to make a smaller battery for your bike or do a battery eliminator kit for it... i know they both can be done i just do not know how to do it! frustrating! you can make a SUPER small battery to work on bikes our size as they do not need much for cold cranking amps!
small CL 360 project
- Thread starter troybilt
- Start date
CCRider
Coast to Coast
troybilt said:Derek, I'll grab a couple of photos next chance I get.
I have a question about batteries. I need to find a much shorter battery. Mine is about 6.3" tall and produces 12 ahr, ccr is 113. If I can't find something shorter I'll have to mount it at the swing arm
Does anyone know what the least/smallest I can get by with? A gell battery won't help. There is no more room horizontal than vert. I'll be running a starter, head and tail light, Plate light (probably a couple LEDS) and spedo light. Any help would be appreciated. I thought about ordering a few of these....LOL http://www.tekbattery.com/battery_prices.html
My God they're proud of those batteries!!! I guess they're Li-Po's?
Have you looked here? http://www.batterystuff.com/motorcycle_battery_list.html
Lot's of batteries of all different sizes. I have not ordered from them, but the prices look good and shipping is included.
CC
Thanks for the link. This looks like it would fit in my space and it has close specs except for cranking amps.CCRider said:
Technical Specifications
Dimensions: 6" L x 3 7/16" W x 4 3/8" H
Polarity: [+ -]
Actual Weight (lb.): 8.4
Shipping Weight (lb.): 9
Amp/Hr: 11.2
C.C.A.: 230
OEM Ref: YTZ14S
Manufacturer: Scorpion
My current battery has 113 CCA. Would this thing smoke my starter with more than double the cca?? I would think so???
Kinda strange, when you get back into lowerer CCA, the batteries grow in size and amps/hr gets lower. ???
Anyhow, My next thought is to go kick start only. If I do this any idea of my amp/hr needs? I'm sure there has to be a formula somewhere, but I don't know what everything draws. Troy
JRK, I think you have to be right. We don't need much in the way of CCA. It's the Amps/hr that gets us. Common sense tells me that all we need is a few small batteries wired in parallel. I think I read somewhere where ChrisF did small batteries on one of his bikes.JRK5892 said:
Flugtechnik
My bike is not transportation, it is a respite
As long as you don't think you can throw some LiPos on there. They can not be charged from the bike. LiPos require special chargers so that they do not explode.
Derek4Real3
"pillow talk" 73' Honda CL450
This is what i decided to use, i have some buddies using them and they can start (with the starter) a yamaha XS 650.
http://www.advancedbattery.com/itemdesc~product~gs+portalac+px12090+-+12v+9.0ah+sla~ic~12v9t2gt-px~eq~~tp~.htm
http://www.advancedbattery.com/itemdesc~product~gs+portalac+px12090+-+12v+9.0ah+sla~ic~12v9t2gt-px~eq~~tp~.htm
LOL the chargers are probably about as much as the batteries. ;DFlugtechnik said:
Derek, this may be the ticket. It is the right height. I'll have to make sure I haveDerek4Real3 said:
Derek here are the photos you requested of the light. (I figured out how to post thumbnails that you can enlarge if you wish.)
JRk here is the stop lignt and mirror. The stop light is brand new and never installed. It just needs cleaned up (sorry, I don't have it in the mail yet)
Ok seems the cheapest thing to do is go kick start only and that opens up a bunch of options for cheap batteries. He is my battery box spotted in
Next I will need to weld in a plate for the electronics. They will go between the seat brackets.
This next step is going to cause lots of raised eyebrows. But I figured WTF, I'd give it a try. The bike can not be rode with the stock pegs. That was a give in. I have to be very frugal with everything I do so I started looking at the rear brake set up and came up with somethng that I think will stay. It is free and it seems to work just as well as stock (for me). I rotated the main brake shaft upside down (like this
) and cut and rewelded the brake lever (like this
) . The throw is much shorter but you are over top of it now and can easily put as much weight on it as you wish. In the stock position the lever was in a position in front of you and mostly you use your calf muscle to operate it. You did have the advantage of a long lever, and it was engineered back in 1975 to allow a 155# man to lock up the wheel. But now you sit over top of it and it is lined up under your leg, so you can operate it by pressing with your entire leg if you wish. JRK will understand this. It's like the difference of a seated calf press and a leg press. The throw is all of about 1.5" and I can lock up the back wheel by pushing down with my thumb. I can't push the bike around with my thumb on the brake lever. I realize the bike is not going 90mph but I think I can get more leverage with my leg than I can with my thumb, so I should be good to go (or stop, haha). I don't like the idea of bending linkage rods and not expect them to bend back straight under load. I'm a pretty big guy (215#). This way all the linkage is still is straight and there is no way I'd ever bend anything trying to ge the bike to stop.
It was very critical to get the angles correct. The brake lever is positioned so that as it rotates you you are pressing in a downward motion (the arc is very short so you don't notice its circular rotation) which allows you put weight on it if needed. I don't think it will get to that though. Besides in the end, Brakes just slow you down anyway. lol
I plan to change the foot rest to bmx stunt pedals and will be fabing a shift lever and doing up the linkage. In the end, if the rear brake doesn't live up to what I think it should do, I'll change it.
JRk here is the stop lignt and mirror. The stop light is brand new and never installed. It just needs cleaned up (sorry, I don't have it in the mail yet)
Ok seems the cheapest thing to do is go kick start only and that opens up a bunch of options for cheap batteries. He is my battery box spotted in
Next I will need to weld in a plate for the electronics. They will go between the seat brackets.
This next step is going to cause lots of raised eyebrows. But I figured WTF, I'd give it a try. The bike can not be rode with the stock pegs. That was a give in. I have to be very frugal with everything I do so I started looking at the rear brake set up and came up with somethng that I think will stay. It is free and it seems to work just as well as stock (for me). I rotated the main brake shaft upside down (like this
) and cut and rewelded the brake lever (like this
) . The throw is much shorter but you are over top of it now and can easily put as much weight on it as you wish. In the stock position the lever was in a position in front of you and mostly you use your calf muscle to operate it. You did have the advantage of a long lever, and it was engineered back in 1975 to allow a 155# man to lock up the wheel. But now you sit over top of it and it is lined up under your leg, so you can operate it by pressing with your entire leg if you wish. JRK will understand this. It's like the difference of a seated calf press and a leg press. The throw is all of about 1.5" and I can lock up the back wheel by pushing down with my thumb. I can't push the bike around with my thumb on the brake lever. I realize the bike is not going 90mph but I think I can get more leverage with my leg than I can with my thumb, so I should be good to go (or stop, haha). I don't like the idea of bending linkage rods and not expect them to bend back straight under load. I'm a pretty big guy (215#). This way all the linkage is still is straight and there is no way I'd ever bend anything trying to ge the bike to stop. It was very critical to get the angles correct. The brake lever is positioned so that as it rotates you you are pressing in a downward motion (the arc is very short so you don't notice its circular rotation) which allows you put weight on it if needed. I don't think it will get to that though. Besides in the end, Brakes just slow you down anyway. lol
I plan to change the foot rest to bmx stunt pedals and will be fabing a shift lever and doing up the linkage. In the end, if the rear brake doesn't live up to what I think it should do, I'll change it.
If I had to guess I'd say the lens is 2" and the gromet/gasket is a good bit larger. A 2" hole saw was way too small and I had to use a drum sander to make it the right diameter. I'll give you a measurement as soon as I can. BTW, TSC is very good about taking things back.
Thanks guys. The brake conversion is real fast and very easy to do (and cheap). But like I said, the angles are very important. Also understand that I don't have the spring attached which would add a bunch of resistance. I may not run the spring, but you could burn up a set of brakes real quick if you rode with your foot on the brake pedel. It does sit in toward the frame away from your foot. you would have to almost be trying to ride with your foot there. Also, you could get by with not flipping the lever over, but then the pedel would be pushing instead of pulling the mechanics. I think pulling is much better. Anyway,here is another photo of the brake lever
Brake actuation
And ride position (I warned you I was a pretty big boy)
JRk, I used to live in a gym. I even moved to FLA because of the lifting scene. That was years ago ;D
Brake actuation
And ride position (I warned you I was a pretty big boy)
JRk, I used to live in a gym. I even moved to FLA because of the lifting scene. That was years ago ;D
Man, I'm sure you already know, but make sure the thing will stop you before you really need it. (Just my disclamer, lol)hanly2 said:
I've thought of flipping my shift lever backwards too, but it is about 1.2-2" too short to be comfortable. The angle is kinda funky as well. the lever arm would need to come back straight and flat and then come up. Not sure that makes since ??? Troy
Like everwhere else, it's freakin cold here. I've not done too much to the bike. Today I took all of about 20 minutes to make a shift lever. Please don't laugh. I have about $4 in it with the exception of the foot peg. But suprisingly it doesn't look too bad. I just wanted to make something that would allow me to ride the bike (when the time comes). I went to my local hardware and bought a steel strap (mild steel, zinc coated and pre drilled) ,a couple of brass washers, a brass sleeve (not sure if it needs the sleeve), and a clevis pin?? I was planning on just hitting it with some paint but I think I'll sand out the grinder marks and polish it and clear it. For the linkage I picked up some thread all ($1.19). They had 3/8" ball joint things but they look too bulky, so I ordered 1/4" ($3 each). All in all if I had to do it over I would have drilled the holes more symmetrical but at the time I figured it was only temporary and didn't care what it looked like.
These pegs aren't what I was looking for but they're all that was available locally. I may order different ones.
These pegs aren't what I was looking for but they're all that was available locally. I may order different ones.
Thanks JRK, I decided to make the shift lever photos bigger. I hate those friggin little pics! Anyway, If I end up clearing the levers can I still polish or will it not give the clear enough tooth?
Oh yeah I'm a meat head! But I've not been in a gym in a long time (I live in a pretty rural area now). I have a few weights here at the house (about 500# free and a complete set of dumbells up to about 100#s). It's enough for an ol man like me and besides, I do more whitewater kayaking and mountainbiking than anything else.
Oh yeah I'm a meat head! But I've not been in a gym in a long time (I live in a pretty rural area now). I have a few weights here at the house (about 500# free and a complete set of dumbells up to about 100#s). It's enough for an ol man like me and besides, I do more whitewater kayaking and mountainbiking than anything else.
I was thinking of laying the rear shocks forward a little. It would raise the ass end about two inches and would give me alot more tire clearance. I would cut the gusset at the top shock bolt and re-guesset and lower the top mounting position. It would take a little bit of work but I think it would look a lot different. Do you all think it would be too radical of a change? I'll try to get a photo of a mock up.