Topic: Battery Relocation 550F Something Different...

[Kenzo]

I needed to come up with a different place to relocate the battery. The custom pan & seat I'm making will not allow it to mount under the seat without a large box hanging below the frame. So here's what I came up with, 1/16" x 1" aluminum bar stock with the mounting point the upper engine mounting bolt. This was the first design and it came out pretty good but time will tell. I may upgrade to 1/16" aluminum plate or even stainless steel if strength is a problem. I made it oversized in case I switch batteries down the road but I really like the EVO2 8 Cell Ballistic battery which I highly recommend. Closed cell foam and zip ties secure the battery to the bracket and prevent it from moving around. It was made with basic hand tools and pop rivets for fasteners.

Now it's time the fabricate an electronics pan/tray, relocate the electrical and new fuse block under the seat.

Cheers,
Kenzo

[mrfish2]

That's a neat mount you've made, but it seems to me like kind of a "hot" place to mount a battery.

[calj737]

Might I suggest a battery hold down strap be run over top from engine side, to wheel side. This will prevent the battery from wanting to "flip up and forward" under any bumpy riding conditions. And make that strap from something more robust than zip ties. Zips fatigue due to heat and weather  Just use some aluminum flat stock, bent and drill a hole for a fastener on either end.

[Kenzo]

Thermally I have no concerns, the EVO2 is rated for -18°C (0°F) to 60°C (140°F) operating temperature. The bracket design provides an air gap from the transmission/case, it does not act as a heat sink(draw heat from the engine) and has significantly improved air flow over the stock location.

I avoided an unsprung (wheel/swingarm) location or connection by design. Even though we run these EVO2's on our dirt bikes where they get the crap beat out of them the sprung (frame) side just makes engineering sense. The bracket didn't move or swing up much prior to connecting the battery cables and it's not going anywhere once connected. I will run my old GoPro down there just to be sure. 

All that being said if I make another one I'll probably use a full width aluminum or stainless steel stock VS the bar stock under the battery and to the mounting bolt. Maybe lower it 1/2" on the bottom increasing the brackets depth but I don't think ether of these modifications is required. I'll upgrade to stainless steel ties/straps sometime in the future.

Now if I had decent welding skills...but no, just a hack. 

Cheers,
Kenzo