Carpenter motors - what batteries do you use?

[Steel]

But freezing temps are not the same as going into the teens and below. Besides, you battery fears you and knows it better work or you may eat it alive...

I haven't seen temperatures in the teens for quite a few years. Generally I call any temperature less than my my age cold. I'll let you northern folk speak batteries. I'mwaiting for my yard to dry up enough to mow it.

 

[1olbull]

I haven't seen temperatures in the teens for quite a few years. Generally I call any temperature less than my my age cold. I'll let you northern folk speak batteries. I'mwaiting for my yard to dry up enough to mow it.

Just wait until your age temp gets to be bathwater . . .!

 

[Neville Lush]

As ART will know compression ratio and cranking pressure are two different things. If your bike is hard to turn over and the cranking pressure is the same as stock, you have another problem. Carpenter are not the only folk in the world who have made a higher compression rocket.... The earth lead on these bikes is crap thats well documented here. Some of the starters were sketchy to I believe. I have guys who ride in all conditions as well, although we rarely see below 10 deg C here unless its the dead of winter. I have had a number of failures with some of the early lith batteries, although they now seem to have got it together. Some of the failures have been due to folk overtightening the terminal bolts and the tag inside the battery case fractures.

 

[140cubicinches]

I've added a 24" 4 gage precut power inverted style cable
With the Shorai

 

[trapper]

As ART will know compression ratio and cranking pressure are two different things. If your bike is hard to turn over and the cranking pressure is the same as stock, you have another problem. Carpenter are not the only folk in the world who have made a higher compression rocket.... The earth lead on these bikes is crap thats well documented here. Some of the starters were sketchy to I believe. I have guys who ride in all conditions as well, although we rarely see below 10 deg C here unless its the dead of winter. I have had a number of failures with some of the early lith batteries, although they now seem to have got it together. Some of the failures have been due to folk overtightening the terminal bolts and the tag inside the battery case fractures.

As ART will know compression ratio and cranking pressure are two different things. If your bike is hard to turn over and the cranking pressure is the same as stock, you have another problem. Carpenter are not the only folk in the world who have made a higher compression rocket.... The earth lead on these bikes is crap thats well documented here. Some of the starters were sketchy to I believe. I have guys who ride in all conditions as well, although we rarely see below 10 deg C here unless its the dead of winter. I have had a number of failures with some of the early lith batteries, although they now seem to have got it together. Some of the failures have been due to folk overtightening the terminal bolts and the tag inside the battery case fractures.

 

[Grendel]

This is a bit of an old thread, but I would love to have some advice on the topic. I have the Carpenter 240 HP package and I have always had some trouble with batteries. There is a constant draw on the power in my bike and I have had 2 shops look at it and they haven't been able to find the cause. I had the headlight relay modification done and that helped, but there is still a bit of a draw. That said, last year I could ride, go on trips, etc and have no big deal. If the bike was going to sit for a week or so, I put it on a tender and all was fine.
This year when I went to start my bike it would try to turn over and die. Ok, probably time for a new battery, so I order a Scorpion 300 CCA and put it in. Wouldn't start out of the box (which was expected) so I charge it on the tender for a day. Next day, it cranked fine - excellent! Took it for an hours ride. Next day, it would try to turn over and fail. Put it on the tender for 2 days and it would try to turn over and die.
Ok, I thought I had a bad battery, so I contacted the company and had them send me a new one. It takes a few days to arrive, but when it does I thought I would try the original one again one more time and - it cranked! Huh, I thought maybe even though the battery tender had been saying everything was green, maybe it just needed some more time. So I ride the bike for 2 days in a row and it cranks like a charm every time. Then the bike has to sit for 3 or 4 days (no battery tender) and when I go to start it the bike won't even try to turn over, I just get one "click" and then nothing. Put it back on the tender for a couple of days and it will try to turn over, but fails.
I have not yet tried the replacement battery yet, but probably will this weekend. I was thinking maybe I needed a higher CCA battery to withstand the draw, but the one I had last year was only marginally better at 315 CCA and it seems that people in this thread are saying that the stock battery starts their Carpenter engines just fine.
Anyone have any thoughts?
People mentioned a heavier gauge ground wire; would that do any good?
A friend recommended having a shop install a battery "kill" switch to shut off access to the battery when I park the bike to keep it from going dead (and potentially serve as a makeshift anti-theft device). Any thoughts on that?

Thanks for any advice guys!

 

[Tripps]

Motobatt all the way, but with ground cable and starter upgrade, probably any decent battery OK, I never had any cranking issues.

Edit: Posted before I read your post, I'd find the issue, do you have an alarm? Mine sits a month or more, still starts no problem, even when it had a 5 or 6 year old stock battery, something else is going on.

 

[IMFASTTOO]

Motobatt all the way, but with ground cable and starter upgrade, probably any decent battery OK, I never had any cranking issues.

Edit: Posted before I read your post, I'd find the issue, do you have an alarm? Mine sits a month or more, still starts no problem, even when it had a 5 or 6 year old stock battery, something else is going on.

DONT like the SHORAI look at BALLISTIC I use the stock BATTERY on mine with the larger cables BUt you have the choice of piggybacking a battery to the stock battery and having all the power you would ever need

 

[ThisGuy]

A friend recommended having a shop install a battery "kill" switch to shut off access to the battery when I park the bike to keep it from going dead (and potentially serve as a makeshift anti-theft device). Any thoughts on that?

I'm planning to install a battery switch. I don't think it's your main problem but just wanted to comment on it since you asked. Here are the benefits I see:

1. Complete certainty there is no ambient power draw.
2. Don't have to disconnect the battery any time you do electrical work. Just flip the switch.
3. Small security benefit if switch is locked under seat.
4. If you live in a humid/coastal environment you can better protect the battery terminals with potentially messy grease or whatever your product of choice is… since you rarely disconnect the battery, cleaning it and reapplying happens rarely.
5. I can test my lithium jump starter by connecting it ahead of the switch, isolating the battery so I'm only cranking off the jumper, again without having to disconnect the terminals.

I don't see much downside, other than the hassle of installing and taking up a little room under the seat. They're reliable, used by racers, can handle more current than our starter draws. Also gets you in there to install upgraded cables to battery +/-, which should definitely be done if you haven't yet.

I've done hours of research and compiled a detailed list of everything anyone's done to improve starting. Will see about getting that written up into a post soon. Family's coming to visit so it may be a few days.

But still, as Tripps said, you've got an issue to find first. I'm sure more troubleshooting help will be around shortly. My list applies more when you don't have any big specific problems to solve, and just want to gain any small improvements to be had throughout the bike.

 

[warp9.9]

DONT like the SHORAI look at BALLISTIC I use the stock BATTERY on mine with the larger cables BUt you have the choice of piggybacking a battery to the stock battery and having all the power you would ever need

Did you have larger cables put on ypur Classic? As i seen the otjer one and no matter what battery yoi use it still won't start until you put the beast back together.

That beong said along time aho a awnry cus recommended a speed cell battery as a second battery. 3 regular batteries later and that speed cell is still kicking. That was 2010 and all I can say is dang Art you recommended a good battery. Not I run two batteries.