6V Batteries

[Andy C]

The electrics on my RXS100 have been dire from day 1 of owning it (indicators not flashing, headlight that is barely visible) so for £27 delivered I ordered:
- New flash unit
- New rectifier
- New battery

After spending some time with my haynes manual I got the flash unit and rrectifier(haynes manuals are terrible compared to the triumph workshop manual I had for the four) and the flash unit sorted the indicators.

Anyway, I have a battery and a optimate 2. Pretty sure they are only good for 12V. Since its kick-start can I just put the battery on a take the bike for a long ride so I dont have to buy a new charger?

Anyone have any ideas/know of a cheap 6v battery charger?
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99 RS125 --> 02 SV650s --> 03 Speed Four --> 92 RXS100 --> 93 CB400sf --> 01 CB600f Hornet

[Kickstart]

Hi

Fairly sure the optimate is a 12v only charger. However with the battery fill it with acid and leave it to stand for a while. You should charge them before use if required, but to be honest they will probably still last fine if you just put it on and use it after it has stood for a while, just likely to shorten its life a bit.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[truslack]

Couldn't you connect the new and old batteries in series with a piece of wire, and connect the optimate to the pair?
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Current: Suzuki RG 125 Gamma, Honda H100, Triumph Tiger 800XC, Suzuki SV650 (minitwin)

[hobbit]

one trick if you really need to charge the 6v battery, get a 12v headlight bulb or something of a similar wattage and run the charger through the bulb and battery, as long as it's in series - red charger wire to bulb, bulb to + terminal on the battery, black from charger to - on the battery, it'll charge.
A couple of bits of wire with spade terminals will do, but if you just use bare-ended wires, make sure they dont short together.
I had a CZ once and a 12v charger and I had a bulb soldered up for the job.
The bulb "bleeds" off the voltage so you actually charge at 6v

[hobbit]

truslack:
yep, that'd do it too

[hobbit]

one trick if you really need to charge the 6v battery, get a 12v headlight bulb or something of a similar wattage and run the charger through the bulb and battery, as long as it's in series - red charger wire to bulb, bulb to + terminal on the battery, black from charger to - on the battery, it'll charge.
A couple of bits of wire with spade terminals will do, but if you just use bare-ended wires, make sure they dont short together.
I had a CZ once and a 12v charger and I had a bulb soldered up for the job.
The bulb "bleeds" off the voltage so you actually charge at 6v

[stutterin' sam]

Aldi or Lidl this week are doing a 6 / 12v motorcycle / car charger for around £15. can recommend them

https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2621/4008008083_e4601939f0_o.jpg
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It is said that if you line up all the cars in the world end to end, some idiot on a sports bike would be stupid enough to try and pass them.

[smegballs]

About to start restoring my RXS. The rectifier is a simple single diode type. This could probaby be swapped for a bridge rectifier to gain efficiency?

Also is there any reason that NiMH cells wont work in an motorcycling scenario? I am thinking of possible getting few big tagged NiMH cells and soldering them to for a 6V battery.....

[chris-red]

Buy up a stock of bulbs, 6v headlight bulbs for the RXS where slightly difficult to get when I had mine and I would eat 1 every few months.
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