Topic: '76 Honda CB550F: Suggestions for Better Battery Life?

[scottly]

I just find it hard to believe that it 'can't be done' like some are making it seem.

Yes, it can be done, and with the small battery.

[BomberMann650]

However, they will suffer from lack of use.

This applies to most, if not all motorcycles.  Especially carbureted models.  Especially in a land with corn added fuel.

Hell, been leaving my fjr out in the equipment shed.  The recent cold snap seems to have caused a slow cranking start.
Even with it's post-millenium newness, it's ready time for the 40k valve inspection and throttle body sync.  Probably wouldn't hurt to bleed the hydraulics while it's on the table.

These are standard protocols for any bike.  Moreso with a vintage, tappet valve, carbureted road sporting machine.  All the future tech in the world hasn't changed those basic needs.

[Deltarider]

Four miles is the distance most here prefer to do on bicycle. That's why our kids, instead of inactively sitting in some schoolbus, growing fat munching, are not obesed. Every year Dutch children are #1 in the ranking list of happiest children in the world. Do a search, it is true. Normally I take these ranking lists with a grain of salt, but since it's every year and Danmark usually #2, it has me led to believe that maybe this cycling (in both countries) has something to do with it. At a crucial age in your development, you are in control and can - literally - give self direction and experiment. Also we have the most beautiful women in the world, but I admit that that's subjective. There are far more bicycles in Holland than there are inhabitants and overhere you're not considered a socialist if you prefer to stay fit instead of lazy sitting in some oversized toy producing childish gurgle-gurgle sounds at traffic lights. Honda's CBs, which are known to be coldblooded, will never reach a proper working temperature in these short distances and - as Flatlander already mentioned - this may result in crud and eventually mayonaiselike engine oil. Your choice.

[robvangulik]

Yes, and that's why the streets around every school are blocked with cars around nine every morning!
Yes, that's sarcasm!

[Deltarider]

Yes, and that's why the streets around every school are blocked with cars around nine every morning!
Yes, that's sarcasm!

Every school, Rob, every school? You are free to be sarcastic, but don't tell us lies.

[flatlander]

I am not disregarding any information given to me, as I obviously know everyone here knows much more than I do, however what I can't get a sense of is the severity of what's being described. Some people are telling me to sell my bike and get a scooter, while others are politely offering ways in which I can help my situation. I understand this bike is not ideal for commuting, but I just find it hard to believe that it 'can't be done' like some are making it seem. And for the record I plan on taking it for long rides on the weekends; its not just a bike I got to ride to work everyday.

alright, i mean no harm to you. if i did i would not waste my time typing up messages here.
as i said, you can use your bike for commuting. if it makes sense or not is your choice. if it's good for the bike or not depends on the circumstances and from the various answers i think you will be able to make up your own mind.
nothing is black and white. and nobody tells you to get rid of the bike. it's yours, it's up to you what you do with it or how many other vehicles you use next to it. there may be better alternatives for some uses, that's all.

more interestingly, what are you going to do next? have you checked the charging system? get a different battery?

[magner]

Four miles is the distance most here prefer to do on bicycle.

I have been a cyclist for many years now, and for the last 3 years I have been commuting by bicycle in downtown Los Angeles. In that time I have been hit by several cars and assaulted by homeless people. My new commute is up in the hills, and takes me over the river on a bridge that has no sidewalk or bike lane, but is instead 40mph traffic around a blind corner. I’m not telling you this because it is in ANY way relevant to the question I asked, it is only because you seem to have deemed yourself fit to judge everyone’s lifestyles without knowing a damn thing about them. Yes I would gladly bike 4 miles in a city like yours literally designed for it where car traffic has no choice but aknowldedge the mass amount of cyclists on the road. I have 4 bicycles that I have built that I love riding, but you obviously don’t understand the risks I put up with in a city designed for the car with citizens who have ran me over from behind telling me “I just didn’t see you.”

I appreciate your advice with my CB, everything else you can keep to yourself.

Hopefully my multimeter arrives today and I can perform the checks and report back! I am planning on returning this small battery and buying one with more amps. Can anyone recommend something stronger that still isn’t as large as the stock battery? My PO hasn’t left me with much mounting options. Thanks for the help everyone.

[Deltarider]

 It is true gasoline is much more expensive here than in the US. Every country in the world needs US dollars to be able to buy oil. There's only one country however that can print as many dollars as they like... Read Barry Eichengreen's Exorbitant Privilege, the rise and fall of the dollar and you'll understand how we in fact finance your cheap gasoline. For years and years the US manages to consume more than it produces. Ever thought of how that is possible? Let me quote US treasury secretary under Nixon, John Connally :
"The dollar happens to be our currency and your problem."
As for Holland, we're doing fine. We're at least as rich as Americans, only wealth here is distributed differently. Nobody but the police and military needs arms and we live, in Franklin Delano Roosevelt's words, free of fear. Social mobility is far higher than in the US. Read Nobel prize laureate Joseph Stiglitz (also an American) on this. So... as far as the American Dream... dream on! We're also free of the bombardment of advertisements one can not escape in the US. Last summer my hand had to reach for the dashboard every ten minutes to mute the radio and the continuous: 'have more for less' hysteria.
Our pension funds are about the biggest in the world and sit on a sum twice the GDP, a situation Americans can only dream of. Also we produce a lot. Any idea where the steel for the chassis of your pick-up trucks comes from? In spite of the tarifs, carmakers like Ford still want it, because there are no steel works in the US that can deliver the same quality. Steel works in the US are still the open furnace type. We had them too... in the Middle Ages. If you want to know more about our steel, why it is 17% lighter and yet stronger, I'll be glad to inform you.

[BobbyR]

It never fails. A guy asks a simple question. He receives about a page of very good advice and then the whole thing turns to #$%*. It never fails.

[flatlander]

Hopefully my multimeter arrives today and I can perform the checks and report back! I am planning on returning this small battery and buying one with more amps. Can anyone recommend something stronger that still isn’t as large as the stock battery? My PO hasn’t left me with much mounting options. Thanks for the help everyone.

lithium ion (ballistic, antigravity and other brands) or lithium iron (shorai). you can check on their websites what capacity and size options they have, to find something suitable.

lithium ion has stricter requirements for charging voltage than the original lead/acid or an AGM battery. you would need to get a solid state regulator/rectifier that works for it. i think rick's makes one if i remember right?

[BomberMann650]

Now that we know Magner is a seasoned bicyclist - bet they'll do just fine as a motorcycle commuter. 

The instinct to distrust cagers is already there!

[magner]

Now that we know Magner is a seasoned bicyclist - bet they'll do just fine as a motorcycle commuter. 

The instinct to distrust cagers is already there!

Yeah for the last few years I commuted through downtown Los Angeles on a brakeless track bike (sure its dumb I know), but without brakes you learn to predict and imagine every possible traffic scenario in order to dodge it instead of braking. Of the very few accidents I’ve had, it was either someone pulling out in front of me, or hitting me from behind (nothing I could’ve done). So I’m hoping most of this translates to motorcycling in helping me be super defensive! Either way it’s eroded my trust of cars..

[Stev-o]

It never fails. A guy asks a simple question...

Thought Sweden had the World's most beautiful women?!!

[scottly]

The bike is fairly stripped down due to some cafe mods the PO did (no turn signals, just Headlight and Brakelight), and it has a smaller battery installed in order to be hidden from sight

It would help if we knew more about the PO's mods. Please post some pics. Is the wiring harness based off the stock harness, or something wired up from scratch?
Yes, there are smaller batteries with a greater capacity, but lets not get into that now. Your 4-AH battery is big enough, at least for kick-start only applications.

[magner]

Totally forgot to share pics; apologies! I really like the bike for the most part as is. I hate the muffler, and want to put something more classic on. I know the pods are troublesome but I really dig them personally; the PO rejetted for them at I believe 102 or so. I know the wiring harness is custom but I don’t know enough yet to give any more info! That’s all I’m aware of so far.

[BomberMann650]

Huh, i run 105 mains with the stock airbox. 
You're gonna wanna get intimate with this bike and start taking notes.

Don't even stress about the pipe.  There are tons of really nice options for that.  Alas, pipes don't charge batteries!

[Deltarider]

Nice looking bike, Magner. I happen to love those 'flatface' headlights. My CB500K2 (ED) came with it. You may need some sort of a frontfender or brace however, to stiffen up things in the front a bit (not trying to be obscene here ). Yes, you can do with a small battery. I once rode without and made it home. Where you live, it's probably law to have the headlight on at all times. A solution that may suit you, is here: let me first find it, ah, here it is: http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,174212.msg2028439.html#msg2028439 Would be perfect if your headlamp is equipped with the small pilot lamp we have here in Europe. Then, waiting in neutral at a traffic light you would at least have light, be it modest and as soon as you engage a gear you'll have back the whatever you have. Anyway, that's what I'd do. Such a relay is a small investment.

[BobbyR]

Pretty nice looking bike. As mentioned you may want to add some sort of fender to keep you clean since the wheel does pick up crap and will throw it up. The fenders are also a fork brace which helps handling. If a fender is not part of you vision, you can do a search here and some guys have bought or fabbed up braces.

Since you are kick starting you don't need much battery, but you cannot bump start these with no battery as you may know. I carry a Wee Go jump starter in my cars and I ride with one. I have jump started a lot of cars and bikes with it.

I see what you mean about the exhaust, I think it looks pieced together which may have been the intent. Something smoother may look better.

Pods are a hot topic, but if you do a search you can find people who have successfully dialed them in and explained how they did it. You may have to wade through the debates, but, their experience can move you along faster. I have stock everything on my 78K and I am jetted at 120 to get rid of a dead spot in the the torque curve, I have no real carbon buildup on the plugs. Good luck with you project and ride safe.

[BomberMann650]

Damn Bobby, now you make me wonder if I'm underfueled with 105's!

[BobbyR]

Damn Bobby, now you make me wonder if I'm underfueled with 105's!

I had the head off recently and no real carbon. I have no vacuum leaks, it just runs better. It is said Honda began under jetting for the EPA.
 

[scottly]

Totally forgot to share pics; apologies!

How about some pics of the battery and charging system components like the regulator and rectifier?

[RAFster122s]

Give us models off of the Reg/Rect if they are not clearly visible in the picture when enlarged.  Is it running stock coils or are they something else. A peek at them would be good. They are up under your tank on the backbone. Going to need to check them to see if they are 3 ohm or 5 ohm coils. That with lower revs can be enough to cause issues too. Pull your headlight and check the bulb to find out the size headlamp wattage you are running.

While LED headlamp bulbs in a stock housing are not legal, that could be a way to have a 25W bulb with high output, if it focuses the light in a usable way for your reflector. Otherwise, putting a new LED headlight in when you have sorted out the rest of the system is a good idea.

I wonder if the stock components were relocated under the tail cowl or he replaced the reg/rect. with an aftermarket unit.
If aftermarket, I hope it has survived. Running known good wiring from the alt. coils or isolating that wiring and running voltage checks on it will tell you if you have resistance in those circuits. Vintage Connections has a good quality crimper for mechanical ratcheting crimps that are gas tight and do not require soldering. Superior to soldering. They have connectors if you want to use the stock bullet connectors which work well when clean.

Scott and others can guide you well and we can help you figure out where things are sideways on your bike.
Hopefully it is kick starting very easily in the mornings. Being in warm LA area, is a positive in that regard. If it is in good tune it should be kick starting very easily.

Charging your battery to full charge and putting it on a battery maintainer is advised if you are only taking short hops of 10 minutes. Hopefully you are able to do this.
What brand battery did you purchase?

Time to get a book to document what you find about your bike and to take notes on what you change and what components are on the bike. It can help you in the long run.

Nice bike.

Welcome to the SOHC/4 family.
As you have seen we have our dysfunctional relationships as evidenced in your thread already. Most everyone wants to be helpful though.
Just disregard the bickering.

[BobbyR]

This is true Cal. The main jet on my 750 k8 was 110 and they all had a flat spot. This I read was to mollify the EPA and the engine was "leaned out" compared to some of the early models. I realize we are talking about a 550 and I used my jetting as an example to say you can go up without doing harm. I had to replace the gaskets this spring and had  the head off. With 20 years of running 120's there was no carbon to speak of on the heads. I did expect there could be a lot. Around town I pick a gear that will keep the motor at about 4K for charging and throttle response and not just go into 5th and potentially lug the motor. Most of us have become accustomed to our cars with tall overdrives.

As you know from the "POD wars" jetting is very important I neither like them or hate them, I prefer the airbox and enjoy my old girl.

[BomberMann650]

Reddits "justrolledintotheshop" has taught me a little something about carbon build up.
It's not the gas that does it.  Volkswagens are notorious carbon collectors.  Seemingly on account of their crankcase oil rebreather system.
I know its for the environment, but damn.  There's got to be a better way to collect crankcase vapors!

[Deltarider]

Reddits "justrolledintotheshop" has taught me a little something about carbon build up.
It's not the gas that does it.  Volkswagens are notorious carbon collectors.  Seemingly on account of their crankcase oil rebreather system.
I know its for the environment, but damn.  There's got to be a better way to collect crankcase vapors!

I was to comment with something cynical on the EPA now run by Andrew Wheeler and the 'carbon' (= coal) industry he has always worked/lobbied for making millions, but... sorry, I can't. SAD! Anyway, if I ever acquire a CB550 with this blowby gas recirculating thing on it, the first thing I'd do, would be to disconnect that breather tube from the airfiltercase. There's nothing positive to say about it. Interestingly enough, when you study the fiches at CMSNL you'll see that even the later CB650 European models at least had this different than the US models.
Leaning the CB's (like the CB550K3) was a mistake and they ended up with horrible carbs. These simple engines have to be at 6% CO or they won't run right.