Topic: What is the minimum amperage battery necessary to spin a 550's starter?

[Kong]

The question says it all, what is the minimum amperage battery that is needed to spin the starter of a CB550?  I am not interested in what amperage battery the factory recommends, just what it will take to spin and fire the bike.

[CB500_k2]

I have successfully used a 12n9 (I believe a 9 amp hour) battery in my CB500.  I expect it would work in a 550.  To avoid running down the battery the machine must be well tuned to start quickly.

[Kong]

Thanks!  That's what I needed to know. 

I had a 750 back in the day that I dispensed with the electric start on and it had a very small (size of a pack of cigarettes) combined rectifier, regulator, and battery.  I have no idea who made it but I do recall that in 1971 it cost me somewhere around $300.  It worked just fine but  you had to turn on the ignition and kick right now, not later.  Obviously it had some sort of small internal battery to excite the alternator fields, but if the light was on it didn't last long.  That wasn't a problem, I've never owned a Honda that did not start immediately, even cold.

On the bike I'm doing now I would like to keep the electric start but completely hide the battery, hence the quest for the smallest possible.  However if I can't hide the battery, and it doesn't appear that I'm going to be able to, then I have to find the most attractive way to put it in the most sensible place possible.  I am keeping one thing in mind - gel cells do not have to be mounted upright, hidden or not.

[Bluegreen]

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=75570.0

I'm using a 4 cell A123 and it turns the 550 starter with no problems.

[Kong]

I was about to order one, the price is certainly right, and then noticed the little sign that said they would be for sale at this wonderful price until supplies ran out.  That is something that bothers me, not sure just exactly why, but it does.

[Bluegreen]

He was a good guy and very easy to deal with. I bought mine before they went on sale ,then recieved an email saying they had gone on sale and he had $30 knocked off the price for me. I don't think he's a huge outfit.