I can change a battery in a few minutes - NOT!

[Therapy]

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!

 

[Red Rider]

Your alternate title says it all. Sucks to have to play engineer for such a simple task. (been there done that)

 

[rippin209]

Try and save a few bucks, sometimes it works out and some times it's a headache.

with all the posts about having some kind of problem with your NC (especially the DCT models) that ends up being a bad connection at the battery or a dying battery I chose to go with a reliable brand that worked right out of the box, and I'm pretty frugal

I got a Motobatt brand battery over the counter for $65 or so (it was awhile ago)

From this location Battery Systems of San Jose
504 Dado St, San Jose, CA 95131
(408) 432-3263
Google Maps

 

[1wiseguy2]

I get all my batteries from here. The scorpion LiFePO battery is really good and no problems. The lead acid battery fits nice too.

Batterystuff.com
Quick shipping hassle free install and less than OEM.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[Therapy]

Do the lithium batteries have voltage regulators? My son's lithium in a 2012 failed in a short time. Over voltage kills, right?

 

[showkey]

Do the lithium batteries have voltage regulators? My son's lithium in a 2012 failed in a short time. Over voltage kills, right?

Not to mention: They are at a completely different price point ($164- $180) compared to the Walmart battery at $35

 

[1wiseguy2]

Do the lithium batteries have voltage regulators? My son's lithium in a 2012 failed in a short time. Over voltage kills, right?

I have three lithium iron phosphate batteries. One in a NC, ST1300, CBR 1100XX. No problems. And a shorai in a 1985 Honda rebel. Will sit all winter and I didn't put a charger on the ST (which has a parasitic power draw from the electronics-computer clock etc) and it fired off after a 4 month winter hiatus like I had ridden it yesterday. Same with the rebel... no computer on it though.

In answer to another post:
Yes, I put the cheaper 45 to 55 dollar batteries in for years. Yes, the LiFePO batteries are a different price point. I find my time and effort worth something and I would rather ride than change out batteries. A high end lead acid battery will cost you what batterystuff.com charges you for a good lithium battery. That is why I mentioned them.
I put that they have good lead acid batteries (AGM- maintenance free ) for a very decent price that will most likely last longer than a Walmart battery and they will fit your bike perfectly. No modifications need to be done as the OP mentioned and that he stated that he didn't want to do again.
Just passing information along so people may have options available that they might not have known about.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[Therapy]

Just passing information along so people may have options available that they might not have known about.

I appreciate it.
My son must have gotten a bad Lithium battery.
I am going to put a motor on my bicycle and would prefer lithium for that.

 

[Chabon]

I put in an Anti-Gravity Lithium, not cheap. Had same problem with hole not lining up. Ended up grinding 2 or 3 mm from bottom of connector, took a couple hours to put in new battery! Contacted Anti-Gravity and they never heard of this problem??? Mine is a 2015 DCT, maybe some connectors are not standard size? It fit the stock battery fine though, the posts on new battery were slightly lower..

 

[Therapy]

I put in an Anti-Gravity Lithium, not cheap. Had same problem with hole not lining up. Ended up grinding 2 or 3 mm from bottom of connector, took a couple hours to put in new battery! Contacted Anti-Gravity and they never heard of this problem??? Mine is a 2015 DCT, maybe some connectors are not standard size? It fit the stock battery fine though, the posts on new battery were slightly lower..

Heh!
Can't blame cheapo Walmart now huh? Anti-Gravity is the bomb.
A silly millimeter shorter.

 

[Junkie]

Do the lithium batteries have voltage regulators? My son's lithium in a 2012 failed in a short time. Over voltage kills, right?

I've been running Shorais since 2012 and they've always worked great. I believe the battery I first bought is still in use in a bike I recently sold.

I put in an Anti-Gravity Lithium, not cheap. Had same problem with hole not lining up. Ended up grinding 2 or 3 mm from bottom of connector, took a couple hours to put in new battery! Contacted Anti-Gravity and they never heard of this problem??? Mine is a 2015 DCT, maybe some connectors are not standard size? It fit the stock battery fine though, the posts on new battery were slightly lower..

The fact that multiple people have had this problem makes me wonder if Honda used a connector with out of spec hole location.