Battery options...

[hardtailed77]

I'm re-building my hardtailed XS400, and want to run the smallest battery that I can get away with. I am only running a headlight and tailight at the moment, along with the kick and electric start. I may add a nuetral light this go around also, but not sure yet. Does anyone know a battery (brand, part number, etc.) that is smaller than the factory replacement battery, but will still give me enough power to run the bike with no problems? Thanks guys

 

[Travis]

Since you're still planning to use the electric start, you're kind of limited as to how small of a battery you can go. I don't think you can really go any smaller than the stock size unless you decide to eliminate the electric start. Even then, finding good small batteries isn't easy.

 

[hardtailed77]

Thanks for the reply. I definitely want to keep the electric start, so I guess I will find something creative to do with the battery.

 

[Ringo]

Hey hardtailed, Travis is right, your choices are very limited with keeping the electric start. However, this battery is a couple inches shorter than stock (same length/width) and it's got 12v/12ah and 246 cold cranking amps, which is plenty.

Edit for the link: http://www.apexbattery.com/compaq-t...12ah--ups-batteries-compaq-ups-batteries.html

 

[drewpy]

you'll need something like a gel-tech the AGM batteries as they are smaller for the same am etc.

 

[drewpy]

this choper guy has built his into an electric box

 

[hardtailed77]

Hey hardtailed, Travis is right, your choices are very limited with keeping the electric start. However, this battery is a couple inches shorter than stock (same length/width) and it's got 12v/12ah and 246 cold cranking amps, which is plenty.

Edit for the link: http://www.apexbattery.com/compaq-t...12ah--ups-batteries-compaq-ups-batteries.html

Thanks for the link Ringo. The smaller, the better for me really....I would love to run no battery at all, but I know thats not gonna happen. What is the differance in battery needed if I do decide to get rid of the electric start? As far as the cranking amps, etc.?

 

[hardtailed77]

you'll need something like a gel-tech the AGM batteries as they are smaller for the same am etc.

WOW!! Those are some pretty expensive options! lol If it came down to it, I know I can make a decent mount/box for my battery...just exploring my options beforehand. Thanks for the link though Drewpy.

 

[hardtailed77]

this choper guy has built his into an electric box

Yeah, that's pretty much how mine is set up now. I have my battery on the bottom rail (mounted, but not covered), but all of my electrics are just mounted in that general area (Ran out of time before Spring and just wanted to ride! lol). I'm trying to stay away from the whole "fake oilbag" look, since it's very common these days. I'd love to get rid of the battery and just build a small box along the bottom framerails for the electrics, but I need a battery, so I have some thinking to do. lol

 

[Ringo]

Well, if you get rid of the electric start, cold cranking amps will be a non issue. But you will need a battery as this bike needs one to run. With no electric start, you can go way down in size but you need to know how many amps your charging system produces. If you choose a battery with too few amp-hours, it will overcharge and boil/explode. I'm sure someone here knows how many amps the xs400's charging system produces. But if you wanted to measure it, you can get a piece of 8 gauge cable about 20" long (measuring point has to be at 19.1")
Disconnect a battery lead and connect it in as extra cable then measure in parallel in millivolts, it's a direct indication of amps in lead.
Don't remember if you divide by 10 or 100 though? (eg 800mv = 8a or 0.8a?)

Either way, you should be safe keeping your battery's AH at about four times the amps of the charging system. So if you get 1.5 amps charging you'll be fine with a 6AH battery. Hope this helps.

 

[hardtailed77]

Well, if you get rid of the electric start, cold cranking amps will be a non issue. But you will need a battery as this bike needs one to run. With no electric start, you can go way down in size but you need to know how many amps your charging system produces. If you choose a battery with too few amp-hours, it will overcharge and boil/explode. I'm sure someone here knows how many amps the xs400's charging system produces. But if you wanted to measure it, you can get a piece of 8 gauge cable about 20" long (measuring point has to be at 19.1")
Disconnect a battery lead and connect it in as extra cable then measure in parallel in millivolts, it's a direct indication of amps in lead.
Don't remember if you divide by 10 or 100 though? (eg 800mv = 8a or 0.8a?)

Either way, you should be safe keeping your battery's AH at about four times the amps of the charging system. So if you get 1.5 amps charging you'll be fine with a 6AH battery. Hope this helps.

Yeah, it makes alot of sense to me now that the cranking amps wont matter much, since I'd be kickstarting instead of using the electric start. lol What you've posted definitely clears the confusion up for me, and hopefully it can help someone else in the future on the site as well. I think for now, I'm going to try to keep the electric start and just use some good ole' creativity to try to fabricate something to mount/hide the battery and electrics, while trying to stray away from the normal "fake oil bag". I will post up some ideas I come up with, and hopefully you guys can give me a few opinions about them. Thanks for all the help Ringo, and especially for the formula.

 

[drewpy]

some peeps use the power pack from the cordless tools. nice and small and have the amps.
in the TCU, I know of a guy who has a cig packet sized battery, so it can be done!

http://www.thechopperunderground.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=50146&hl=\tiny+battery\

http://www.thechopperunderground.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=36508&hl=\tiny+battery\

 

[Ringo]

Very cool, Drew. I'm going to have to look into this.

 

[CadXS]

Like Drewpy says people are building their own batteries out of the A123 cells that you can find in cordless drills. There are loads of "how to" video's on youtube from RC guys and also people selling them on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/8-cell-A123-motorcycle-start-battery-13-2v4-6ah-12v-new-/200535674575?pt=US_Batteries&hash=item2eb0db8ecf

There seems to be a big saving in size and weight.

 

[hardtailed77]

Those are awesome ideas. I would love to run the cig-sized one. I have to admit that I don't know much about batteries at all though, or the 650's for that matter. Does the 650 have the same type of charging systems as my 1977? If they do, then I should be able to use the cig-sized battery also, right? Would I just connect it like a normal battery, or have to do some other type of modification to get it to work on my bike? Where would I get one of those?

Sorry for all the questions, but like I said before, I am lost when it comes to this type of stuff. Thanks for all the help guys!

 

[Travis]

Yes the XS650's have a similar charging system.

 

[hardtailed77]

Yes the XS650's have a similar charging system.

Thanks Travis. Hopefully I can get away with that type of battery. I've never been a big fan of seeing a huge battery in between the frame rails.

 

[drewpy]

xs400's are brushless where the 650's have brushes!

 

[hardtailed77]

So does that mean that a battery like the cig-sized product won't work on the 400's?

 

[drewpy]

not sure, I put a 2.8 amp hr alarm battery on mine