Battery recommendations

Information relating to the Matchless G12 or AJS Model 31 650cc twin
mjf65
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Location: United Kingdom

Battery recommendations

Post by mjf65 »

The battery was missing when I aquired my model 31 DL, any recommendations on what to get and from where?

Thanks

Mike
Mollbhan
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Location: Perthshire UK

Re: Battery recommendations

Post by Mollbhan »

I recently bought a new battery for my G12 a PS670 6v 7ah from flea bay cost £12.50, seems ok but early days yet, don't see that they need a high spec battery, there is no starter motor and magneto models don't need a battery for ignition, if your dynamo is good you should always have power for the lights.
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Duncan
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Re: Battery recommendations

Post by Duncan »

Hi Mike

You will need to confirm if the bike is on the original 6v or converted to 12v first, the bulbs should give an indication as the voltage will be written on them, another clue will be the type of rectification/regulation on the bike.
mjf65
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Location: United Kingdom

Re: Battery recommendations

Post by mjf65 »

I've checked my electrical system and it's still on 6V but not sure whether it is still positive earth or it has been reversed as I believe that is a common mod? So Fleabay it is for a new battery, any ideas on amps/hour and dimension to fit in the battery/tool box?

Thanks

Mike
Mollbhan
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Location: Perthshire UK

Re: Battery recommendations

Post by Mollbhan »

The battery I mentioned above will fit in the battery box when lying on its side, sealed battery can be put in any way, 7 amp hour is not a lot but should be adequate, you would have to change the connectors though. Not a lot of choice for 6v batteries nowadays.
Mick D
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Location: Aberdeenshire

Re: Battery recommendations

Post by Mick D »

Hi

You don't say which year your bike is but it is probable that it would have originally have been fitted with a Lucas MLZ9E or PUZ7E, 6V 12 AH battery, if you search the interweb using the Lucas numbers you will bring up many equivalents.

Regards Mick
Andy51
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Location: BERKS UK

Re: Battery recommendations

Post by Andy51 »

Hi,

I use 2 x 6V batteries from the VMCC shop, held together by a rubber band made from an old inner tube - a tip from a fellow E Berks member. They fit neatly in the repro Lucas battery cases, and you can connect them in series or parallel for 12 or 6 V. Although it means extra connections, I use Lucar double connectors, one for + and -. Short pieces of wire ending in brass bullets connect to the battery terminals, and 2 +ve or -ve are plugged in to one end of the Lucar connector, with the approprite power lead from the wiring harness pushed in to the other end. If you use a modern solid state AVC, you must have some charge in the batteries; they need a small amount of power to work, unlike the Lucas electromagnetic original. With the arrangement described, you can remove both batteries as a unit for maintenance charging. Andy
alanengineer
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Re: Battery recommendations

Post by alanengineer »

I wouldnt want to connect a simple gel battery to an alternator bike without wiring mods / additions. The output of the alternator is probably more than the battery can take. On a pre alternator battery almost anything will do. I use a kiddies car battery on my bike. It has a lead from the battery and is fused with a standard modern car type. (and its cheap and goes in a standard rubber box)
If yours is an alternator bike, dont buy a cheap battery of any description, they just seem rubbish these days, spend a bit more and be happy
Mick D
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Re: Battery recommendations

Post by Mick D »

alanengineer wrote:If yours is an alternator bike, dont buy a cheap battery of any description
Agreed - I bought a Yuasa 6N11A-1B for around £25 - it's the same size as the original and fitted straight in :)

Regards Mick
56G80S
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Re: Battery recommendations

Post by 56G80S »

I've also been using the Yuasa. I pack it in that relatively high density foam that things are sometimes deliverered in and that seems to work well so long as I check the level and top up. As well as making sure that I give it a charge now and again over winter. When I was towing the trailer behind the Matchless I had a spare battery and LED headlight so could complete almost any journey even if dynamo failed.

Johnny B
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