Hiding battery in airbox / Lithium batteries

[ywouldi]

Right, I have my bike fully stripped and am ready to get it coated etc but one thing I want to investigate is hiding the battery. I hate the location of the stock battery especially when there are no side covers.

Boxermetal's under frame unit looks good but a little pricey when postage to the UK is considered so I've been thinking about other places to put the battery.

How about the airbox? I intend to use pod filters anyway as this will be a fair weather form over function machine.

The little lithium batteries seem ideal and should fit in there nicely and then the cabling can be routed through the holes left in the airbox.

Anyone see any problems with something like this?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lithium-Io...item337dd39347

[chasbmw]

If you are removing the airbox, then do put the battery there, longways Is best, otherwise with the airbox removed there is a big empty space that just emphasizes the spindly nature of the BMW frame.

Unless you have a short wheelbase bike, you will have to fit some sort of sidecovers, otherwise you will have again a big empty space that needs to be filled.

iMHo etc etc

[ywouldi]

Originally Posted by chasbmw

If you are removing the airbox, then do put the battery there, longways Is best, otherwise with the airbox removed there is a big empty space that just emphasizes the spindly nature of the BMW frame.

Unless you have a short wheelbase bike, you will have to fit some sort of sidecovers, otherwise you will have again a big empty space that needs to be filled.

iMHo etc etc

I intend to keep the airbox to keep that engine shape. As you say, I think it looks weird without and I'm not keen on those bikes where the battery is just bolted in place of the airbox. I reckon that one of those lithium batteries should fit, I need to make a cardboard mock-up really.

[benthic]

if the battery fits, i don't see why there would be any problem hiding it in there if you're going pods. my concerns would be mounting it inside the airbox so it isn't loose, and then fabbing up some sort of cap for the stock airbox holes just for aesthetics...

I like this idea - I too think that the airheads look a little weird without something finishing off that airbox area.

[DiabloADV]

Originally Posted by chasbmw

If you are removing the airbox, then do put the battery there, longways Is best, otherwise with the airbox removed there is a big empty space that just emphasizes the spindly nature of the BMW frame.

Unless you have a short wheelbase bike, you will have to fit some sort of sidecovers, otherwise you will have again a big empty space that needs to be filled.

iMHo etc etc

I think the empty space looks elegant. In my rebuild, the battery is getting tucked up under the seat so the middle of the frame is see-through.

I would eliminate the airbox, but I've not come up with anything that doesn't look hacked together to replace the air filtration. I think I'll be keeping it in place. Pod filters just aren't suited to a bike made for actual traveling -- not the best solution for dust, rain and puddles.

[bmweuro]

What about something like this.

[Big Bamboo]

While in theory I like the idea, anytime someone eliminates the air box, I wonder what the loss of cooling does to the electrical components. How do the lithium batteries handle heat?

[TomInVt]

Originally Posted by bmweuro

What about something like this.

I like it !That looks pretty cool.
Is that set-up for sale yet ?

[bmweuro]

Originally Posted by TomInVt

I like it !That looks pretty cool.
Is that set-up for sale yet ?

It is. 70-79 models and 80-95 models

[Jon-Lars]

Originally Posted by bmweuro

What about something like this.

You really don't want to load on a threaded section like that.
On top of that, they appear to be cut threads.

[Sutherngintelmen]

Originally Posted by Big Bamboo

How do the lithium batteries handle?

Here's some data

[bmweuro]

Originally Posted by Jon-Lars

You really don't want to load on a threaded section like that.
On top of that, they appear to be cut threads.

I don't understand?

[digger440]

Originally Posted by bmweuro

I don't understand?

I dont get it either you could use a 6x1.0 to hold that small load and it would never fail. In fact most "ah-murican" vehicles only use a 1/4-20 or 6x1.0 with a shitty wedge to hold the battery in and it whieighs in at 35-40 lbs.

Oh teh noes someone cut some threads; that will snap off like a 13 year old fat ginger in a 25 cent peek-a-booth.

seriously man it is a very light static load held by larger than necessary, yet stylish, hardware.

ETA it looks like 6X1.0 after I re calibrated my eyes, which make no difference in what I said

[Jon-Lars]

Originally Posted by bmweuro

I don't understand?

Consider what happens when the bike accelerates and decelerates.

The battery's momentum is applied to the structure in the direction of that acceleration. You are side loading those threads, with the length of the shaft acting as a lever.

The cut threads are notch points that focus the force, and the base plate attachment gives the lever a fulcrum point.

[ywouldi]

Originally Posted by bmweuro

What about something like this.

It's a nicely made bit of kit but I don't like the way the batter looks sitting there really. If there was a fibreglass cover or something that hid the battery it would be perfect but I just don't fancy it much!

I will be ordering the choke pulls from you at some point though!