Vibrations.....

[inkjunkie]

Bike has an AGM battery. It is retained by a large rubber band type of strap. When it is running the battery is moving around quite a bit. Recently had the + terminal meet the oil tank....and toast the battery. I am thinking of getting a rubber pad to put under the battery and fabricate a simple metal strap type of restraint system. Will basically just had some 1/4" all thread with a nut above and below the "battery tray". Will have a simple 1/4 strap across the top of the battery retained by nuts on the all thread. Wondering if mounting the battery more solidly is going to shake it to death. Sure, it will not be jiggling around but will being solidly mounted onto the bike be better than jiggling around? Make any sense?

 

[Abodybomber]

Ink,perfect sense. Sell a lot of AGM batteries. One of the advantages is,more resistance to vibration. The Exide Orbital,Optima,and most high end AGM batteries state so.

 

[ramenth]

Ink,perfect sense. Sell a lot of AGM batteries. One of the advantages is,more resistance to vibration. The Exide Orbital,Optima,and most high end AGM batteries state so.

More resistant to vibration...

But even in the end, vibration on a battery is bad for the battery.

 

[cudavert]

Isn't there some way to make some sort of "shims" to completely prevent the battery terminal from coming that close to the oil tank?

My old Kawasaki GPZ1100 had about 3 very thin strips of wood installed on one side of the battery tray area to do just this. They are about 4" X 2.5" and do an excellent job of preventing any side-to-side movement of the battery whatsoever. Maybe you could find one of those little rubber insulator boots for the top of the positive terminal too.

 

[inkjunkie]

Isn't there some way to make some sort of "shims" to completely prevent the battery terminal from coming that close to the oil tank?

My old Kawasaki GPZ1100 had about 3 very thin strips of wood installed on one side of the battery tray area to do just this. They are about 4" X 2.5" and do an excellent job of preventing any side-to-side movement of the battery whatsoever. Maybe you could find one of those little rubber insulator boots for the top of the positive terminal too.

In the past I had heater hose stuffed in front of the battery.....just looking for something more permanent. Have been looking for a boot for the cable, have yet to find one that would work...

 

[inkjunkie]

More resistant to vibration...

But even in the end, vibration on a battery is bad for the battery.

Bike vibrates....nothing I can do about it. Just wondering if mounting the battery more rigidly is a good idea.....

Never understood the rubber band hold down. Have to be a magician to put it one. And when enough heater hose is stuffed between it & the battery it stretches a short while.

 

[scuba0331]

I don't foresee mounting it more rigidly to be a problem.

Here's a few ideas:

1. Buy a larger battery to fill the hole in the oil tank so it can't move around as much.
2. If a larger battery isn't possible you could use a rigid foam to fill the void in the oil tank to prevent movement.

3. Cover the terminals so if something does contact it will not create a connection. My 2005 Ultra has caps over the terminals.

 

[inkjunkie]

I don't foresee mounting it more rigidly to be a problem.

Here's a few ideas:

1. Buy a larger battery to fill the hole in the oil tank so it can't move around as much.
2. If a larger battery isn't possible you could use a rigid foam to fill the void in the oil tank to prevent movement.

3. Cover the terminals so if something does contact it will not create a connection. My 2005 Ultra has caps over the terminals.

Thanks....I looked into the next size up, dimension wise for the battery. It will not fit under the seat. I think I may have a piece of rigid foam in the garage, if so I will use it until I get around to making a better restraint system.
When I was at NAPA they did not have a boot that would work. Cables on my bike are side mounted so they are resting on the lip just the under the terminals. The boots I have tried just do not fit well. After a few hundred miles they have normally shaken themselves loose.
When I have some time on one of my trips to town I am going to stop at a couple of shops that rebuild alternators to see if by chance they have a boot that will work.
I am not overly concerned with the battery shorting out again, it was my own stupidity that caused it to happen a couple of weeks ago. Just concerned with all the vibrations that the battery will see if it is rigidly mounted. Wondering which is more harmful to the battery, visibly shaking like it does or being rigidly mounted. Guessing that if I rigidly mount it the battery will be absorbing all of the shakes.....instead of just being along for the ride so to speak....

 

[scuba0331]

The caps on my bike are similar to the Straight insulators on this website. http://www.delcity.net/store/Insula...vers&mp_mt=b&gclid=CKiSoPva_7cCFdBDMgodjQkAQA

Also, my battery from the factory (2005 Ultra) is held down by a metal bracket.

My shovelhead had a battery inside the oil tank and I used the foam wedge method I listed above and never had an problems. It also sat on a piece of foam. Then I held it down with the rubber tie down probably similar to what you have mentioned.

I basically pushed the battery away from the oil tank and shoved the foam in between.

 

[cudavert]

Hey man, here's a thought......I like this stuff.