electrics

[Fossilrider]

Well guys I'm back on my Sebring project. Who knows, I might actually finish it this time (?). I got frustrated months ago with trying to switch from the "square-ish" bodywork and trying to fit other pieces without modding the frame. I have the early Sebring rounded tank and a Riverside tank and the stock seat (for the square tank) and a fiberglass seat/tail section but of course no combination works, either having a big gap between the seat and tank or the combo being too long. I have ,I think, decided to go with the Duc tank and the glass seat/tail. But... I want to switch the electric box (reg/rect) from the top to the bottom of where it is mounted to let the seat sit on the frame without a big gap between the seat and frame. Problem is, the stock battery is too tall. All that to get to my question(s). The stock battery is a 6 volt 13.5 amp hour unit. I have found a Yuasa that will do what I need but is only 11 amp. Will this work, or does it need to be an 13.5 amp unit? Or am I wasting time and should start over and switch to 12 volt? Any help would be great. Thanks, Steve (Foss)

[DesmoDog]

I can't help with the electrics since I'm just starting to consider similar things on my project... but I saw you wanted to lay the seat on the frame. Will the rear wheel still have enough travel if you do that? I ran across that issue on another project, the shape/height of the seat didn't allow the rear suspension to fully compress.

[Ventodue]

The stock battery is a 6 volt 13.5 amp hour unit. I have found a Yuasa that will do what I need but is only 11 amp. Will this work, or does it need to be an 13.5 amp unit?

'Yes, it will' and 'No, it doesn't'.

Amp-hour ratings are a measure of a battery's power output when no re-charging is taking place. 1 amp hour means that the battery can supply 1 amp for 1 hour. Or 10 amps for 6 minutes. You get the drift ...

The difference between 11 a/hr and 13.5 a/hr battery is 18.5 %. That might sound a lot, but in practice:
1. These values are purely nominal and don't reflect reality. Much more important is the battery's original quality and its current condition.
2. Your battery is in any event being re-charged as you're riding along. As said above, this isn't taken into account with amp-hour ratings.
3. Even with your 25 watt headlight blazing , your electrical consumption will not exhaust your battery that quick. A quick and dirty calc suggests that, even with the brake light activated, your power requirement shouldn't go over 9 amps (25W for the headlamp + 3W for the tail + 15W for the stop + 10W for the ignition, instrument lights, losses etc). So you should have at least an hour to get you home ...

Or am I wasting time and should start over and switch to 12 volt?

Ah, this old cheshnut.

All really depends on how you see yourself using the machine. THE big advantage of switching to 12 volt is to get a headlamp that might actually illuminate something . But if you don't intend using the bike at night, I can't see the need. My SCR is still 6 volt.

[Fossilrider]

Thanks for the replies. The seat/tail section I am using has the hump behind the seat that will swallow the rear fender/tire, so clearance won't be a problem. As for the electrics, great news that the smaller unit will work. The bike will be more of a "Sunday afternoon ride" bike, like it seems all my bikes have now become, Sadly. Life has really gotten in the way of my riding in the last few years. All the kids are grown, I have been retired for 10+ years, and I am busier than ever! Don't ask me how that happens! Regards