350 electric start battery

[vincent]

Hello all,
Can someone tell me the correct battery for a 350 electric start? The spec. seems to be 18Ah, and CCA about 170. Ive seen reference to a PC680, but ideally would like a Yuasa equivalent. The Yuasa part finder says one that is 85mm wide, which I don't think will fit, so not sure to trust it. Closest I can find is YT19BL-BS, anybody use this?
Thanks
Tim

[nicko]

I have just recently removed from a 1980 Strada a YB18L-A battery whose size was 160mm x 180mm x 87mm. You probably can't go much bigger than this. Personally I went for a smaller battery and padded the space out, mainly due to my local shop having one in.
Nick

[Ming]

I used a Motobatt, cant remember which, but fitted easily (on a K2 Sport). - See recent posts on the same subject.

['It must be a .....']

Hi, I am not a great fan of the yellow Motobatt, although on a KTM after a year and just out of the guarantee it could no longer crank the engine over even when fully charged.
I bought it mainly as it was recommended by a local bike shop; an expensive mistake.
The original Yuasa lasted 7 years, so that's what replaced the Motobatt.
A friend's Motobatt didn't even last a couple of months, but he did get a replacement which appears to be fine.

The ODYSSEY PC680 is very good but expensive, yet they crank well and last for years.

I shopped around and got the Yuasa at a good price as it is used in many Hondas, the same battery for a KTM was double the price!
Also it is best to buy from a supplier who has a quick turnover in batteries.

Ive also found over the years that lead acid batteries often last longer than sealed type batteries.

Good luck with the quest

[MickeyMoto]

I also like Yuasa lead acid batteries. Try Halfrauds, I got a good deal on a 29AH for a Laverda.

[Richard]

I found that the battery on my K2 always spun the starter quite well and the engine always started straight away when cold. For some reason it spun it fast but would not start the engine when hot, even though one kick would always work. I have recently fitted a Yuasa YTX20HL-BS battery which has a CCA rating of 310A and it now starts it fine hot or cold.
Bought on eBay from Tayna Batteries who gave such good, quick service that I bought another one from them for my Norton Commando; starter struggled to take the cold engine over compression even with a new Lucas Liquifix (LYTX20LBS), but the Yuasa spins it quite fast.
N.B. There is a Yuasa YTX20L-BS battery which has a CCA of 270.

[P.I. Staker]

I find the Odyssey PC680 to be a good fit in the tray and spins the engine over nicely

[rossguzzi]

Has anyone tried a Lithium ?
I only ask as I have a Camel which has a tiny battery tray to hold a 6v battery, but I may change things to go 12v. Ive had a lithium in a KTM 990 and am aware of having to warm it before it works well in cold weather.

['It must be a .....']

Hi Ross, there is enough room under the seat on the Camel with a new tray to fit a larger 12V battery.
I can't really see the advantage in converting to 12V and using the same size battery as the 6V system even when using a Lithium battery.

The main advantages of 12V are brighter lights including a constant 12V DC headlight plus the compatibility and increased capacity to supply other 12V systems like phone charging, coil ignition, heated grips/vest, sat nav etc.
I've never used a Lithium battery on a bike so I can't really comment on their performance; how cold can it get in your part of OZ?

[Steve Brown]

Has anyone tried a Lithium ?
I only ask as I have a Camel which has a tiny battery tray to hold a 6v battery, but I may change things to go 12v. Ive had a lithium in a KTM 990 and am aware of having to warm it before it works well in cold weather.

Yes, me! I have one on my Camel. It was the only way to get a battery to work the electric starter I fitted to a model that was kickstart and mainly 6 volt. It lives where the original tool box went. Not everyone is a fan of these batteries I know, but it was the only way I could see to do it. So far it's working fine and the charging system seems fine too. The voltage always remains in the proper range when running, lights on or not. It's about a year old now but the bike has only been on the road for a few months and not that many miles.
One of the concerns with Li-ion batteries was the charging system designed for a lead acid batterie would slowly mess up the new fangled batteries. so I asked a few of the battery manufacturers at a bike show in Cologne and they all said the same thing. That most current (ha ha) Li-ion batteries would have a built in charge controlling function to adjust things suit the job. So that as long as your bike could supply enough juice then the battery would sort out the supply itself. I prefer to use the electric start most of the time, just to test the theory out and this seems to be working fine. Mine is a Landport brand but there are many other makes out there. I did buy a special Optimate for it too. It has only needed this charger when I accidentally left the ignition switched on for a week or two and it seems when the battery voltage falls below some pre set level the control function inside the battery disconnects the battery to protect it from being wrecked.
So far, so very good.

[Steve Brown]

[quote="'It must be a .....'"]Hi Ross,
I can't really see the advantage in converting to 12V and using the same size battery as the 6V system even when using a Lithium battery.

Hi Ian, I did this mainly to allow the fitting of the electric starter. otherwise I would leave it as standard too.

[vincent]

I found that the battery on my K2 always spun the starter quite well and the engine always started straight away when cold. For some reason it spun it fast but would not start the engine when hot, even though one kick would always work. I have recently fitted a Yuasa YTX20HL-BS battery which has a CCA rating of 310A and it now starts it fine hot or cold.
Bought on eBay from Tayna Batteries who gave such good, quick service that I bought another one from them for my Norton Commando; starter struggled to take the cold engine over compression even with a new Lucas Liquifix (LYTX20LBS), but the Yuasa spins it quite fast.
N.B. There is a Yuasa YTX20L-BS battery which has a CCA of 270.

Thanks to all for help.
Richard, The Yuasa website specifies a YTX20L-BS, as you mention, for the 350 electric start, but says it is 87mm wide, which would not fit the carrier, I think 80mm is about the max. My bike is a1982 350 Strada K. Would you mind measuring your battery and tray width to see if the YTX will fit my bike? Length 175mm and height 155mm are ok I think.
Many thanks
Tim

[rossguzzi]

I should have added, I`m wanting to add a starter motor as Steve did.

Carry on !

Oh, it can get cold here. Try waking up in the desert (we have a lot of it) in a swag on the ground with ice covering everything ........ Yep, proper cold

[Richard]

Tim,
My machine is a 1986 K2, don't know if the battery tray is the same as yours. Also please note that I used the 'HL' battery, but I would imagine that the case is the same as on the 'L'.
Height was no problem, but cannot speak for the battery strap as mine seems to have a cobbled together DIY effort.
There was room to spare lengthwise.
The Yuasa website would be correct to state an 87mm width, this is exactly what I measured it as at the top (the 'cap' where the terminals are located). However the main body of the battery, and therefore the base, measures 85mm. I could not get an accurate measurement of the width of the tray but I have at least 2mm, maybe 3mm, clearance. If yours is only 80mm width then it sounds as if it is a different tray.

[JonD]

This thread has gone off track a bit. I have just replaced the battery on my 1979 3 1/2 electric start sport - an Italian import. None of the batteries listed by Yuasa for an electric start sport would fit in the battery tray - mostly to wide. The original Morini handbook gives the battery as 12v 15 a/h but not the battery reference. My battery tray will take a battery 200mm long x 80mm wide x 170mm high. The closest I could find to these dimensions is a BMW R75/5 battery 51913 or Motobatt equivalent MB51814. A YB16AL-A2 would also go in being slightly longer but narrower that the 51913.
The battery store in Swindon has a good website with all battery dimensions listed - just takes a bit of time to trawl through all the batteries trying to find the one with right dimensions. www.thebatteryshop.co.uk

Before buying a battery check the actual dimensions because they seem to vary between manufactures for equivalent batteries. Just a side note I ended up with smaller battery which fits the tray (would be better if longer) and starts the bike ok - will go for the 51913 next time!

Hope this helps with your battery search.