Spike’s Battery Box

We recently finished freshening up my buddy Spike’s 1973 FLH. He has had this bike for as long as I can remember. When he asked me to clean it up a bit I was honored.  The questions I get asked the most are about the paint and the battery box.

The paint was a group effort. My friend Travis did the base colors. then we handed the tanks off to Jenn for the Panels. Jenn Tanay is a local artist with a fantastic style who usually makes woodblock prints. The artwork was based on Spike’s tattoos and some things that mean a lot to him. When Jenn was finished I took the tins to DJ for some linework. With over fifty years of experience, DJ is easily one of the best sign painters and pinstripers on the east coast. It was a great group effort. Spike loves it and that is all that really matters. On to the battery box.

The original battery was a lead acid monstrosity. Big, heavy and hazardous at best. I thought this would be a good time for an upgrade. I had thought an sportster sized AGM would be a good choice till I found the battery box. I realized I would be able to run a modern lithium battery and a few circuit breakers and a relay. 

The box itself is tough and well made of ABS resin by Bates, a W&W brand. It is designed to replace the OEM battery with the space to fit a modern smaller, lighter, more powerful Lithium or AMG battery inside. I had a ton of room left over I wanted to see what else we could stuff in there.

I was able to fit an Antigravity 12 cell small case lithium battery. A GM Style starter relay. A heavy duty Momentary switch for the starter. A heavy duty toggle switch for the Headlight Hi / Lo. A USB charger / Voltmeter with a separate power toggle switch. Two fifteen amp and one thirty amp circuit breakers!

The wiring harness connects to all this via two multi pin Deutsch connectors. This makes repair and maintenance a breeze. You can remove the entire harness from the bike in about ten minutes.

I added the usb charger / volt meter to the rear of the box. It has its own power feed and switch so you can you can charge your phone when you get to where you’re going or check your battery level before you take off. You can also use it to see if your charging system is charging. Handy. 

The leather pouch on the face of the box is made to hold a multitool and a flashlight or anything you need close by. Dwayne Ballard the one man leather crafting machine made this and the matching seat for Spike. Dwayne is one of the best guys at this. His work is always top notch. 

I think that about covers it. I’ll give you an update in the spring when we will see how it holds up to some milage.

Walter

Jenn Tanay @derwoodpaintco

DJ’s Signs & Designs by DJ (973) 772-2260