Topic: 1973 cb350f best battery and best battery mintenance

[zcb350fb]

Hey guys. I am looking for a new battery for my 1973 honda cb350f. It is all stock so its not a cafe racer or anything. I am just looking for good recommendations on a brand and type of battery that this bike was designed to use.

I am also new to motorcycles and have been riding for right at a year. I would like to know, what are the proper techniques/procedures for maintaining a good running battery for the bikes as well.

The reasons for my questions is that i got stranded on the side of the road today with a bad battery. It hadn’t been that long since a full charge so i thought it was safe to go. I was wrong and that was my fault. My wife had to come give me a jump to get the bike running again.

Thanks in advance everyone

[Clinto]

I bought a gel battery probably 4 years ago and love it. I'm sure leaving your battery on a trickle charger is beneficial for it, but I never do and I've never had any problems with mine. Just my experience.

[HondaMan]

Yuasa makes a 'maintenance free' battery for it (and the 750) that works exceedingly well. It's not a gell-cell, but never needs water, either.

[zcb350fb]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Clinto-do you know what. Rand of battery yours is?

HondaMan-do Any of the big name retailers carry what you’re recommending in a store or will it be better if i order it online

[zcb350fb]

I meant to type brand not rand

[calj737]

I meant to type brand not rand

Try a Scorpion brand AGM. Runs about $60, reliable, and correct size available. Avoid lead-acid batteries if you can.

[Deltarider]

Avoid lead-acid batteries if you can.

What wisdom is that? Last year I replaced my conventional battery that had served over 8 years by a dito one, after carefully examining tests and experiences of newer types. I was not convinced at all the new ones offered me anything that I needed. I can't remember that in over 42 years I did shorter than 7 years with a lead-acid battery. As long as you have the venttube connected (mine is still the original Honda put on in 1976, stonehard now) there's no problem. If looking after the distilled water every now and then (usually in the last year of its lifetime only!) is a problem, Hondaman's suggestion looks like a good alternative. All newer type batteries seem to have their own problems like terminals that need extra adapters (I hate that), risk of overcharging and what not. Just read the various posts here in this forum. And if you want to save weight, start with your self. Much more satisfying. My policy remains the same: I only change things for newer if they are better in all aspects and not just one that happens to be stressed in advertisements.

[zcb350fb]

Deltarider - how often do you trickle charge your lead acid batteries? How necessary is trickle charging?

Everyone - how often do you trickle charge a maintenance free battery? Or is it even necessary?

[evinrude7]

Deltarider - how often do you trickle charge your lead acid batteries? How necessary is trickle charging?

Everyone - how often do you trickle charge a maintenance free battery? Or is it even necessary?

keep the revs up and the short trips to a minimum and you won't need a trickle charger.  maybe for winter only. 

[flatlander]

i have a motobatt AGM. dimensions are the same as the stock yuasa, terminals fit, no adaptations to the charging system needed and no worries about acid leaking ever.
i never use a trickle charger, not even during the 2 or 3 months in winter when i hardly ride. 

[Deltarider]

Deltarider - how often do you trickle charge your lead acid batteries? How necessary is trickle charging?

Everyone - how often do you trickle charge a maintenance free battery? Or is it even necessary?

Good question. I've never believed in leaving your battery on a trickle charger constantly. Why? Well, it's a battery and not a baby. So why waste power (with always the danger of overcharging and even fire) by believing what is stressed in advertisements. During hibernation I monitor the battery every now and then and when (after > 6 weeks) voltage at the terminals has sunk to 12,4 V, I connect it to a multi-phase charger that was designed for motorcycle batteries (max output 1A). There are even more sophisticated now (and deadcheap). Within 15-20 hours it is 100% charged and even underwent a (usually not needed) desulphatisation program. I don't do short rides which I consider a waste of time and so far all my batteries have served 7 years or more.

[Airborne 82nd]

I meant to type brand not rand

Try a Scorpion brand AGM. Runs about $60, reliable, and correct size available. Avoid lead-acid batteries if you can.

+1 mine is 7 years old and it may be close to its death but stills holds 12.6

[TwoTired]

I bought two Scorpion AGM batteries, one for a 550, and one for a 750. A year later they both had to be replaced.  Neither one saw service in bike.  I won't be buying from Scorpion again.

The problem with battery maintainers is they usually don't allow for temperature changes.  Due to the chemistry of the battery, the actual full charge voltage varies with temperature.  A cold battery produces less voltage than a hot battery at the same charge saturation percentage.  A charger that does not compensate for this change will overcharge a cold battery and/ or undercharge a warm battery, leading to its early demise.  I can no longer find a charger that employs a temperature sensor to monitor battery temp or monitor ambient temps.  Therefore, time on the charger must be limited by the operator, even when "automatic" chargers are employed.

Cheers,

[ADW]

I have a DEKA ETX15 in my 350F. It's an AGM battery, so no worries about water level or acid spills. About $75, well worth it. I've used DEKA batteries for years and they've been great. No association with the company, just a happy customer.

PS: You're going to think it's jusssssst a touch too big to fit. It's not, keeping fiddling and you'll find the one way that it will slip in the battery box.

[zcb350fb]

Thank you for all of the replies everyone. I think I like deltarider and evinrude7’s advice the best

[PeWe]

I have cheap GEL batteries. Still OK, but have not tested a long ride, but I have constant voltage supervision by a LED that indicate OK charge, overcharge and too low so I know when I need to use parking light when cruising around on low rpm for a longer period. I also adjusted the regulator that could cause overcharge now and then.

I installed an 11Ah battery since it is lower so I could stack the Hondaman ign module on top of it under the battery rubber strap. The 14Ah Gel  battery will enter my K2 build. I hope battery will feel fine then. It has  been connected to my CTEK MXS 5.0 charger (bike setting) for several days now, almost a week,  time for disconnect.

Battery get 24-48 hours charge every month, sometimes every 2:nd month. Max 1A. Mostly due to my service and hard use of the starter.

Yuasa is otherwise a typical Honda std battery. I'm sure SOHC purists with stock bikes use them.