Therapy
Member
I can change a battery on an NC in a few minutes even though it is pretty well packed away and has a ridiculously short positive wire and the rubber retaining strap is tricky to re-install - NOT!
Alternate title "You Get What You Pay For".
So my battery failed to start the bike twice. Many rides apart. A click and nothing. One time at home. Once out and about. Tested 11.8~9. Oops. Both times charged up and was fine for a while. 12.7 after a couple of days sitting. Hmmm. But this time I decided to play it safe and ordered cheap $35.- KMG from Walmart. I don’t mind changing a battery every couple of years if they are cheap.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/seort/145095382
The first battery arrived in a package that when upright, the battery inside was actually upside down. It leaked. I righted it and opened up to see how much electrolyte was left and found it was low. I added some and found it was also cracked. So they sent another. Only another week or so of communications, photos, emails, shipping, etc.
The second battery arrived upright and in good condition. Odd that it tested at 13.7v. Yep, 13.7.
So let’s put it in.
Out with the old and in, well errr, not really, with the new.
The batter terminals are lower in the battery just enough that the big Honda contact hits the battery case and will not seat. Dismantle the bike to shave some off the bottom? NO. Return the battery? Nah. Ream the hole higher? Why not.
Well….then the positive terminal ring I have for a direct battery connection would not quite fit over the case either. I filed the inside of the battery terminal so the nut could rise up just a tad more.
I had to put foam behind the nuts also because as you know there is nothing behind them so the screw pushes the nut in and does not find purchase. Why do they do that?
So my 8-12 minute battery change took about an hour. It’s only an hour I know but I no longer get satisfaction from tinkering with something that should be able to be installed instead of customized first.
So. I think I will pay over the counter price for a battery next time so I can insure a proper fit. Maybe one 10 times as much labeled OEM. Gak!
Alternate title "You Get What You Pay For".
So my battery failed to start the bike twice. Many rides apart. A click and nothing. One time at home. Once out and about. Tested 11.8~9. Oops. Both times charged up and was fine for a while. 12.7 after a couple of days sitting. Hmmm. But this time I decided to play it safe and ordered cheap $35.- KMG from Walmart. I don’t mind changing a battery every couple of years if they are cheap.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/seort/145095382
The first battery arrived in a package that when upright, the battery inside was actually upside down. It leaked. I righted it and opened up to see how much electrolyte was left and found it was low. I added some and found it was also cracked. So they sent another. Only another week or so of communications, photos, emails, shipping, etc.
The second battery arrived upright and in good condition. Odd that it tested at 13.7v. Yep, 13.7.
So let’s put it in.
Out with the old and in, well errr, not really, with the new.
The batter terminals are lower in the battery just enough that the big Honda contact hits the battery case and will not seat. Dismantle the bike to shave some off the bottom? NO. Return the battery? Nah. Ream the hole higher? Why not.
Well….then the positive terminal ring I have for a direct battery connection would not quite fit over the case either. I filed the inside of the battery terminal so the nut could rise up just a tad more.
I had to put foam behind the nuts also because as you know there is nothing behind them so the screw pushes the nut in and does not find purchase. Why do they do that?
So my 8-12 minute battery change took about an hour. It’s only an hour I know but I no longer get satisfaction from tinkering with something that should be able to be installed instead of customized first.
So. I think I will pay over the counter price for a battery next time so I can insure a proper fit. Maybe one 10 times as much labeled OEM. Gak!
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