The International CBX Owners Association

Hi all
Just curious about CBXs turned into Cafe style. I notice the battery box is removed. How does the electric start work?

Michael

There has to be one of those new lithium batteries stashed under the seat or rear cowl. They are much smaller and weigh nothing compared to the AGM battery

Must be incredibly small. If it's small and light maybe the old heavy batteries should be replaced?

Michael Vidovic wrote:Must be incredibly small. If it's small and light maybe the old heavy batteries should be replaced?

It is physically much smaller and lighter and just as powerful. You would have to fill a lot of empty space around it in the battery compartment of a stock CBX.

Do they have the same longevity ?

Michael Vidovic wrote:Do they have the same longevity ?

It's definitely something to research. The down side is that they cost more, need special battery charger, don't work well in cold climate and need to be kept above 13v of charge or it will not have enough juice to start the bike.
I live in California and don't have to worry about the weather but i opted for YUASA AGM battery which is still the best option for a motorcycle it seems

cross wrote:

Michael Vidovic wrote:Do they have the same longevity ?

It's definitely something to research. The down side is that they cost more, need special battery charger, don't work well in cold climate and need to be kept above 13v of charge or it will not have enough juice to start the bike.
I live in California and don't have to worry about the weather but i opted for YUASA AGM battery which is still the best option for a motorcycle it seems

Ditto on the AGM, Sasha. I have two (two bikes). They appear to be near bullet-proof. Minimal maintenance. Sit in the garage through 5 months of Michigan Winter. My only recommendation for Li batteries is racing. For that, use a remote starter; and, run Li for the ignition as a total loss thing. [Eliminates starter weight, alternator weight and battery weight.]

Another "justifiable use" for a Lithium-Iron battery is if you plan an "around the world" trip on your adventure bike, like a BMW or KTM. For what you do with a CBX, an AGM is just the best choice. I have been using the Westco GL100 battery in all of my CBXes and I can't say that I have ever tried to look for a better battery. I am getting 6-8 years of use, which is approx. $12-$15.-/year...big deal.

Here's an article that goes over some pros and cons.

Li-ion batteries are awesome for sure, but I wouldn't run one in a non-OEM application except for racing. For my cordless carpentry tools, my mobile computing devices, and my bicycle with electric assist, I wouldn't want anything but Li-ion, but a good lead-acid battery is known to work well with the charging systems on our old bikes - including being tolerant of less-than-ideal conditions.

Really the battery on our bikes has just 3 jobs:

1. Power the starter until the engine is running.
2. Smooth the output from the charging system.
3. Last as long as possible.

IMO a good AGM lead-acid battery offers a very good compromise on those 3.

A buddy of mine had one in his GS1100, and then took it out. I asked him about it after seeing this thread. Here's what he had to say about it:

I installed that prior to re-doing the entire electrical system.

They are pretty sensitive to compromised charging systems. Once I get the GS up and going and get some numbers from testing the stator and R/R, I may go back to another one. They weigh NOTHING compared to standard lead-acid.

So, my advice would fall somewhere between "be careful" and "don't bother" unless it's a racer or a showbike. If it's something you want to just ride, it's hard to beat lead-acid for a vintage bike.