Hi all,
When I first got my outfit (and I promise that feels like a long 6 months) it had a car battery sited on the floor at the back of the tub. Instinctively this felt like the wrong place, and given the fearsome headshake, I was looking for all the improvements I could find. As the tub is a utility box I can pretty much site the battery wherever I want so I moved it and the original bike battery alongside the rear wheel directly above the chair axle line.
I now want to fit a proper battery box in a more permanent fashion.

Before I do, are there views on the best location for adding this weight as my current spot is the least convenient in terms of loading the tub. I always tend towards the functional solution first but would, for example, moving the battery to the ‘bike’ side of the tub or further rearward make much difference to handling of the chair now that I have it set up pretty well?
Thanks as always, Stu. 

Ps hopefully fitting my Ram Shock and doing my first spline lube today (so keep an eye out for my next adventure/crisis in the other forum categories later).

PPS I have re read the forum rules but am still unsure if its ok to report good news about a supplier/service recv’d.

I've seen plenty of batteries mounted on the inner chassis rail between the bike and chair, though personally I'd put it as you say on the axle line towards the outside ( wheel arch)
WHen I travel without the dogs, I usually throw in a bag of 10kg kitty litter and put in in about that spot over the axle line and it seems to work best there in regards to steering head shake etc,.
I'm no world expert though.
Sean

Unless you plan to run stuff off of the battery when stopped why on God's green earth would you ever want to have to lug around the weight of a car battery?  The only thing the battery is needed for is to start the motorcycle engine.  For that all you need is an AGM battery sized like an Odyssey PC680. (Or a lithium if you like to spend money.)

I know nothing about hacks but I'd just put an AGM in the frame where the stock battery goes.

Actually, that's a good point from Duck.
I've never used anything other than the bike's battery. Ok, I don't run a fridge or whatever when camping but for normal use the bike battery is fine.. for the usual stuff such as running your GPS, heated grips, charging your phone and camera etc.

Thanks Sean. 

Duck, I too am learning the mystical ways of the non-solo. The historical reason is that in the UK at least a good quality car battery is a fraction of the price of the bike equivalent and the PO had killed two of those through neglect. A more prosaic answer is (and here I strive to sound like a seasoned hacker) "because we can". Not quite as smart aleck as it sounds as the chair/I need ballast atm and I would rather carry useful ballast than DIY sand castles.
All the real hackers on here who eschew ballast as a crutch for the inadequate please note I have pre-registered your disdain and will happily engage in that debate when not up to my backside in K shaped alligators . Should be about a year.


BTW Sean I really like the idea of mounting the battery outside the tub by the bike as it would make a number of maintenance tasks easier, but can't really be done on a lefty...

'Cause an equivalent sized car battery costs a lot less if you have the space to carry it.

I run a 28AH Panasonic AGM in the original space.  An Odyssey is a hellishly expensive option in OZ.  But when running an Engel fridge on the trailer drawbar I have also ran a 60AH Gel battery pack in the boot.

As far as location goes it then depends on what you want to with it.  If its ballast to help keep the chair on the ground, as far out toward the wheel as possible would be the most effective.  I have a 10l water container and a well equipped toolbox in the boot at all times.  The bike handles fine without the canine ballast, but it's better with them.

I doubt it will make any difference to the headshake, that has other causes.

Al

Thanks Al, all pretty much where I'm at.
I already fixed the head shake by more than halving! the toe in I inherited and, to a much lesser extent, fitting new sportster rear shocks to the leading links in place of the Hagon kangaroos plus a VW damper (old hands, please note my earlier comment on ballast).
If anyone wonders why Sportster shocks, you might be amazed at the delivery mileage only bits you can get from a Harley customiser dead cheap...
Stu

Cannot understand why. Make a bike heavier? Take a fridge? Carry ballast? Tow a trailer? 
One could lose all interest in biking. 

Bob,
I'm not really the evangelical type but I'll tell it like it is. After 50 years of swooping around Europe on mostly big Dukes and Beemers, the outfit  thing happened by accident when I was looking for a retirement project. I had always assumed them to be a poor substitute for motorcycling but in the 1000k miles I have done I assure you that I haven't grinned as much on a bike since I sold my GS.
I still ride my two solos but I am in love and wish I discovered outfits sooner. Try it but be warned, one outfit isn't enough 

tinyspuds wrote:Bob,
I'm not really the evangelical type but I'll tell it like it is. After 50 years of swooping around Europe on mostly big Dukes and Beemers, the outfit  thing happened by accident when I was looking for a retirement project. I had always assumed them to be a poor substitute for motorcycling but in the 1000k miles I have done I assure you that I haven't grinned as much on a bike since I sold my GS.
I still ride my two solos but I am in love and wish I discovered outfits sooner. Try it but be warned, one outfit isn't enough 

Yes, I am talking tongue in cheek. Everyone to their own. I had a campervan once, never again although many enjoy them. 
The wife and I are not old enough for campervans or outfits yet as we are only 60 and 71, we prefer shooting around Europe on our Ducatis and never even ride with pillions.

tinyspuds wrote:Bob,
I'm not really the evangelical type but I'll tell it like it is. After 50 years of swooping around Europe on mostly big Dukes and Beemers, the outfit  thing happened by accident when I was looking for a retirement project. I had always assumed them to be a poor substitute for motorcycling but in the 1000k miles I have done I assure you that I haven't grinned as much on a bike since I sold my GS.
I still ride my two solos but I am in love and wish I discovered outfits sooner. Try it but be warned, one outfit isn't enough 

Thats why Ive had a sidecar for the last 25 years. I still have two solos but the sidecar is often just a lot more fun, end of story. It takes me places a solo would struggle at times and little risk of falling off in sand etc. I dont need it because of age, disability or carting kids around. The first sidecar was bought for a desert trip and the enjoyment has meant theyve stuck around. And the dog is great company!

Thanks all.
Stu