24volt (26v?) Starting System

[HiYaBruceA]

I've got the hot starting problem with my new Brock top end drop in kit on the standard displacement. I bought a new 14v battery but that's not solving the problem. Searches here and elsewhere indicate that a second battery is needed, but these are based on two 12 volt batteries.
Question 1: Can I add a secondary 12 volt battery to my 14 volt heavy duty battery, or do I need to dumpt the 14 volt for a 12v main battery?

Question 2: Can both batteries be wired so that they both charge when the engine is running?

Question 3: What is the best way to mount the second battery?

I would really appreciate your input. I work out of town during the week so every issue takes a week to resolve. My busa's been in the shop for a month. Ugh!

 

[Professor]

1) Are you sure you have a 14 volt battery? If you are talking about a YTZ14 it is a 12 volt battery. I've seen a few 14v batteries in race car applications but never in a bike. It would take a special charging system.

2) Yes, with a switch to swap back and forth. Schnitz carries a wiring kit to make it a bit easier. Most just use a battery tender on the second battery ever once in a while. I'm surprised no one has done it with a time delay relay to automatically switch it.

3) There are a few places ways to mount the batteries. Above the trans, on the lowering links. I think the best is in the tail. Schnitz has a pretty nice mount kit.
http://secure.mycart.net/catalogs/catalog.asp?prodid=4322146

 

[HiYaBruceA]

Professor,

Thanks for the reply. I don't have the shop work order for the new battery but the model number on the heavy duty battery did have a 14 in it rather than a 12 in the stock battery. I assumed that represented the voltage. If not, then what makes the '14' battery heavy duty? And is the heavy duty battery compatible with a secondary battery, such as the Schitz kit, which comes with a 12v battery? I'm electrical-aptitude challenged.

I've seen the Schnitz kit and will probably do their whole nine yards, including the relay harness.

 

[Wrath]

In order for it to be a 14V(14.8v) it would have to have 7 cells. Each cell is 2.1v Times 6 cells = 12.6volts. would be interested to see one that is 14v. Maybe running batterys in parallel (Positive to pos, Negitive to Neg)would give you the cranking amperage your looking for. So then you would have 12.6v @100Amps X2 in Parallel = 12.6V @ 200Amps.

 

[rdx4me]

Your going to have to run them in Parallel to get the xtra amps your looking for (you don't want 24V's, probably fry your electrical system...)

 

[HiYaBruceA]

Follow up and thanks to the folks who responded to my plight. I ended up adding the Schnitz kit with the harness that allows both batteries to charge while riding or on a Battery Tender. It solved my problem.

 

[boney1]

Follow up and thanks to the folks who responded to my plight. I ended up adding the Schnitz kit with the harness that allows both batteries to charge while riding or on a Battery Tender. It solved my problem.

on a scale from 1-10 what was the difficulty in mounting it all up?

 

[Commuta_Busa]

difficulty is very low. It's just determining where you're going to mount the aux batt. If you buy the whole kit then it's easy to just remove the tail, take the seat off, and raise the tank on your bike and wire things up. "plug-n-play".

 

[HiYaBruceA]

On a scale of 1 - 10 I'd say about $100 'cause I had my dealer do the work. I used the Schnitz Racing system as pictured above in the Professor's message. It did require that a small section of the undertail be opened for the aux battery to fit. I don't know if there was a better way to do that or not. The shop never consulted me before doing the work, probably because they knew I would prefer a different solution.

 

[johnnycrash]

On a scale of 1 - 10 I'd say about $100 'cause I had my dealer do the work. I used the Schnitz Racing system as pictured above in the Professor's message. It did require that a small section of the undertail be opened for the aux battery to fit. I don't know if there was a better way to do that or not. The shop never consulted me before doing the work, probably because they knew I would prefer a different solution.

How's it start now? I have been just BARELY getting by with a YTZ14S battery - when it's hot there's a 50/50 chance it won't start, and if any of my Harley buddies are around it becomes a 100% chance that it won't.

I have a 13:1 1397

 

[Commuta_Busa]

How's it start now? I have been just BARELY getting by with a YTZ14S battery - when it's hot there's a 50/50 chance it won't start, and if any of my Harley buddies are around it becomes a 100% chance that it won't.

I have a 13:1 1397

You really need to switch to 24v. You'll kick yourself for not doing it sooner.

 

[HiYaBruceA]

How's it start now? I have been just BARELY getting by with a YTZ14S battery - when it's hot there's a 50/50 chance it won't start, and if any of my Harley buddies are around it becomes a 100% chance that it won't.

I have a 13:1 1397

Commuta_busa is right. You'll love the 24v setup. Mine starts explosively, every time, hot or cold.

 

[AndySV1K]

Just to clarify peeps, are you upping the bike voltages in order to overcome a higher compression ratio?

i have little knowledge of tuning, but i know electrical and know batteries pretty well so if i can help, just shout.

to answer one of the OP questions, dont mix 12v and 14v batts, atleast not by simply connecting them together, at best you will kill the 14v battery by it disscharging. At worst you will turn the bike to a pile of ash from a cell exploding.

Has anyone played with using lithium ion cells instead, if you need more capacity, you can get around three times more and not increase weight. You would just need to add a specific lithium charge circuit as they cant be charged normally (they tend to burst into flames)

Andy.

 

[Commuta_Busa]

Just to clarify peeps, are you upping the bike voltages in order to overcome a higher compression ratio?

i have little knowledge of tuning, but i know electrical and know batteries pretty well so if i can help, just shout.

to answer one of the OP questions, dont mix 12v and 14v batts, atleast not by simply connecting them together, at best you will kill the 14v battery by it disscharging. At worst you will turn the bike to a pile of ash from a cell exploding.

Has anyone played with using lithium ion cells instead, if you need more capacity, you can get around three times more and not increase weight. You would just need to add a specific lithium charge circuit as they cant be charged normally (they tend to burst into flames)

Andy.

yea, I've doodled with some Li-po batts before. The charging side is the biggest problem. Any thoughts on how to get the bikes rectifier to charge it up?

 

[johnnycrash]

Commuta_busa is right. You'll love the 24v setup. Mine starts explosively, every time, hot or cold.

Yeah you guys are right - looks like I need to ante up and go 24V. Thanks for the replies.