MkIII Battery

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phil yates

phil yates

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Doing a lot of lot of local riding through the week, I can be starting and stopping 8 to 10 times a day.
The starter sucks hell out of the battery. I refuse to resort to pre MkIII techniques. Though obviously can if needed.

I trickle charge the battery over night every three days or so.

Haven't yet looked at the battery, but sure it will be lead acid. Boys at the Mittagong bike shop say the new batteries are sooo much improved. Going back in two hours to pull out the battery and measure it. They have no record of a size for any Commando. They mentioned a new battery named I think SSR, or similar. Maintenance free.
I hate lead acid, if it explodes you have ruined a lot of inaccessible paintwork. I hand painted my Dominator frame but never again thank you.
Also whilst in the workshop I will fit my chain guard extension. No more laughing from Al.
They let me in the work shop because they know me so well from many years of dealings, dirt bikes etc.
They look after me and I look after them. If you don't look after your local bike shop, you will eventually lose it.

Any other suggestions on a better battery?
Two hours to answer, then I'm gone. Detonating the entire forum on departure.
 
phil yates said:
Doing a lot of lot of local riding through the week, I can be starting and stopping 8 to 10 times a day.
The starter sucks hell out of the battery. I refuse to resort to pre MkIII techniques. Though obviously can if needed.

I trickle charge the battery over night every three days or so.

Haven't yet looked at the battery, but sure it will be lead acid. Boys at the Mittagong bike shop say the new batteries are sooo much improved. Going back in two hours to pull out the battery and measure it. They have no record of a size for any Commando. They mentioned a new battery named I think SSR, or similar. Maintenance free.
I hate lead acid, if it explodes you have ruined a lot of inaccessible paintwork. I hand painted my Dominator frame but never again thank you.
Also whilst in the workshop I will fit my chain guard extension. No more laughing from Al.
They let me in the work shop because they know me so well from many years of dealings, dirt bikes etc.
They look after me and I look after them. If you don't look after your local bike shop, you will eventually lose it.

Any other suggestions on a better battery?
Two hours to answer, then I'm gone. Detonating the entire forum on departure.
Click to expand...

And I want my avatar back.
Some MkIII Fastback hater stole it, I think he lives in Virginia.
Jerry says he's very apologetic but will get me another one.
 
phil yates said:
I hate lead acid, if it explodes you have ruined a lot of inaccessible paintwork. I hand painted my Dominator frame but never again thank you.
.
Click to expand...

Even without an explosion, lead acid bats can cause a lot of damage with acid boil over caused by overcharging. I lost chrome on primary chaincover and left side silencer. Best to use a Boyer power box or Podtronics equivalent to regulate voltage when using unsealed lead acid bats.

I do not have any experience with shorai bats....they may be your solution.....maybe someone will chime in.

Slick
 
I'm using Motobatt MBTX14 AU on both my mk 111 Commandos. They are AGM . Work very well, not as small/light as Shorai, but a damn site cheaper.
sam
 
Thanks guys but all too late before I departed. And detonator obviously failed.
I fitted an SSB $110 battery, looks good and maintenance free.

Does anyone want to know how to fit a rear chain guard extension?
I have no idea. Took it to the bike shop and was about to fit it when some guy came in to collect his Suzuki 1100. When he saw the Norton he strode straight past his own bike (had to ask where it was later, never even saw it) and wanted to yak to me about old Norton days. By the time I turned around, young 20yr old Chris had taken it on himself to fit it. Then the cheeky little bugger wouldn't tell me how he did it, not that I cared, it was on.

Chris is a great young kid and is looking forward to working on the Norton when it needs it. I told him it leaks a little oil, not like the bikes he is used to. He said all Nortons leak oil, if not you would be looking for any oil in the engine. Or the oil tank in our case. Mind you, after 3.5 months transport from America, no oil was showing on the dip stick. I fired her up and waited breathlessly, sure enough oil started pumping back from the tank return. Fresh clean oil from the Iowa workshop, filled before its journey to Australia. My last combat leaked virtually no oil, but builder Pete had put an awful lot of effort into achieve that.

Young Chris will do mechanical work for me, aided by my workshop manual. They have the tools, I don't. After five house moves, a lot has disappeared unfortunately. I had a tiny grease gun with nozzle to fit tiny nipples. I used to take it to Pete's regularly and tempt him with noises about selling it but never had any intension of doing so. He was intrigued and badly badly wanted. Eventually I think I gave it to him. Pete sadly passed on so god knows where it is now.

I don't mind doing small mechanical jobs like pumping up tyres and adjusting rear vision mirrors. But bigger jobs, Chris can have. I used to do all and everything myself on my Nortons. But somehow lost all mechanical interest. Just ride it and love it to death. And pay the bike shop for all else. Disgustingly lazy!!

Won't work on his bike.
Won't go on rallies.
Likes no one in the world but hobot.
Fights with everyone.

But loves his Norton.

Forget my signature below, it's bullshit!!
 
A 3-phase 180w alternator chucks out more power than the standard Mk3 alternator at low revs. Worth checking which one you've got as the battery may be ok. 3-phase have got 9 poles, single phase 6 poles seen on the inside circumference of the stator. The standard battery is 14 amp hrs.
 
Al-otment said:
A 3-phase 180w alternator chucks out more power than the standard Mk3 alternator at low revs. Worth checking which one you've got as the battery may be ok. 3-phase have got 9 poles, single phase 6 poles seen on the inside circumference of the stator. The standard battery is 14 amp hrs.
Click to expand...

Thanks Al
I've got the big mother.
 
phil yates said:
Al-otment said:
A 3-phase 180w alternator chucks out more power than the standard Mk3 alternator at low revs. Worth checking which one you've got as the battery may be ok. 3-phase have got 9 poles, single phase 6 poles seen on the inside circumference of the stator. The standard battery is 14 amp hrs.
Click to expand...

Thanks Al
I've got the big mother.
Click to expand...

Al
I went back through my long Norton file and found I was wrong.
I am not always right and almost always wrong. That's going to be my new signature.
I will advise Jerry of the unfortunate reality.

Baxters built my bike nearly six years ago now. The owner put about 10 miles on it and came back wanting a BSA.
I bought it late last near. My records show the alternator was not upgraded. Only my regulator/rectifyer to solid state.

So yes I see your point precisely and the alternator light is always on below 1100rpm idle speed (BTW you can adjust this whilst sitting at the lights with a single Mikuni)

My usual procedure when arriving at the pub is to hit the horn which alerts the publican that I have arrived and to have a cold frosty waiting on the bar. Then I swagger in in my 1975 English leather jacket from London looking like Marlon Brando gone horribly wrong. There is never a beer waiting for me and the blokes all treat me like a piece of shit. I go home upset and eat a warmed up McDonalds hamburger for tea. No wonder I hate the world!

Last night the motor was still cold and idle was around 1000rpm. I hit the horn, nothing. I increased rpm to 1200 and the horn blasted the rats out of the street drain, as a MkIII horn will do. Motor off, ignition on, no horn at all. So the horn is living off the alternator, not the battery?? The battery was fully charged.
This is weird stuff to me.

Hobot……….help!!!!
 
P.S Check the battery and frame earth connections, should be clean and free of rust and grease. Haven't heard of Baxter's. The only Baxter's we've got in the U.K make soup - anything to do with them?

P.P.S With a multi meter connected across the battery you should get 13.5 - 14.5 volts at approx 2,500rpm, I think. Charging system must be working to some point as there's additional power when you rev the engine. As the new battery is new check all the wiring connections by pulling them apart and reconnecting. They need to be 'tight'.
 
concours said:
AGM battery is the only powersports (gaggle of 'em) I'll buy now. Some light reading here: http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=757934
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Thanks concours, interesting reading.
I don't like adding any weight if avoidable. The MkIII is already heavier than the earlier Commandos.
All sounds good but I won't worry. My new maintenance free $110 battery will do me.
You can't ask for a better start, any more would lift the head clean off.
It might mean trickle charge every six or so days instead of my current three, fine with me.
I sleep with my Norton and can monitor the slightest upset when it is sleeping.
 
Al-otment said:
P.S Check the battery and frame earth connections, should be clean and free of rust and grease.
Click to expand...

Nothing wrong Al, in my opinion. 30 starts in three days with very short rides and a standard MkIII alternator, what are we expecting?
The battery doesn't actually go flat, just comes off the boil a bit on day three. Trickle charge over night tops it up and away we go again.

My new battery should be a lot better time wise between charge top ups.
My Kawasaki 450 dirt bike needed constant charge, such a pissy little battery for weight saving.
 
Al-otment said:
P.S Check the battery and frame earth connections, should be clean and free of rust and grease. Haven't heard of Baxter's. The only Baxter's we've got in the U.K make soup - anything to do with them?
Click to expand...

Norton Chicken Noodle Soup.

Will be better than endless warmed up McDonald's hamburgers.

Baxter's in Marne (population of 120) Iowa are well known in classic British bike circles.

Also in soup kitchens.
 
Good point. Go the long way around where ever you're going to and/or get the high output stator as and when. You can still go the long way even if the battery dosen't need the extra charge. You don't need an excuse to ride these bikes - just a reason. I'm feeling all philosophical recently.
 
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