AJS & Matchless Owners Club

Hi Guys
I have a 1953 18S and in the process of converting to 12 volts
What battery do you recommend to fit inside the dummy rubber box?
Approx internal size of rubber box W (75mm) x L (105mm) X H (125MM)
I want to fit a 12 volt battery with 8 to 14A-h (ampere-hour)
Think I would like a GEL / sealed battery if possible
Thanks in advance
Gary

Hi

If you go onto the Tanya batteries website:

https://www.tayna.co.uk/motorcycle-batteries/#

Clicking in the search box brings up the option to search by size - I found this useful when I was looking for a battery recently.

Regards Mick

Thanks Mick, just checked and nothing to fit the size I wanted
Gary

You won't find 8Ah to fit in the retro rubber box. 5Ah yes - see norbsa02.freeuk.com for possibilities. I have managed with 4Ah for ages now and using LED lights everywhere makes it easy to succeed!

Thanks Ron I'll check the site you mentioned
Gary

YT7B-B 12V-7AH Advanced Glass Mat Battery 150mm L x 90 H x 65mm W I can say for certain that these will fit inside a soft rubber battery box as I've got one fitted on the CS

Don't forget that some of the new Gel and sealed batteries can be stood up which my help you get to the 12-14 Ah . Cheers.

I did two smaller ah batteries wired in series for my 6V system that just fitted in my dummy box with room for some foam to absorb some of the vibration, so that's an option too.

Correction, that should have been parallel and not series....

REW wrote: ↑Mon Jun 07, 2021 7:58 pm You won't find 8Ah to fit in the retro rubber box. 5Ah yes - see norbsa02.freeuk.com for possibilities. I have managed with 4Ah for ages now and using LED lights everywhere makes it easy to succeed!

I think it all depends on how you are using the bike. Being London based I have to travel in traffic and 20mph speed limits. My workhorse G3L is fitted with an Alton alternator and a 4 AH gel mat battery with standard 35 watt headlight bulb. I like to travel with lights on in the day and the old style headlight gives much better light for travelling out of town at night than the LED headlight I have fitted to another bike. The only problem with the G3L was that at the low speeds and queuing at lights etc even the Alton could not keep the 4AH battery properly charged. Solution was to fit a daytime bright LED in place of the sidelight bulb (from Paul Goff). Plenty of light for daytime riding and indeed at night in well lit streets, battery remains charged. I do have an early VW Golf headlight reflector on this bike, mated to a cats eye glass, because the old reflector didn't, but I think the Goff bulb will fit most parallel pin sidelight holders.