Removing battery tray on RGS/SFC 1000

Laverdalothar

Laverdalothar

Hero member
Location
Germany
Hi Folks,

as winter starts kicking in with minus degrees, I have started to work on my recently acquired 1000SFC Classic. The previous owner obviously did not like the original mountings for the electric and has installed some 1mm alloy plates under the seat to take the DMC1, the regulator/rectifier, the flasher relay and some other things. As I plan to make the bike fully standard, I am about to bring that back with the original brackets etc.

Now - doing that, I noticed that the battery-tray is corroded, paint is chipping of and I would love to blast, sandpaper, zink-plate and maybe powder-coat it to make it resistant against further corrosion. Point is, that on the right side the screw is easy accessible, on the left it is not... It looks as if the screw is not a screw but fix connected to the tray and the nuts are mounted from under the bracket the tray bolts to. Unfortunately, the swing-arm is very close to this area, so that you are not really able to take the nuts off.  >:(

Any chance to dismount that without having to take out the rear-wheel or the swing-arm, Red or Piet or anyone else having done that? Should be the same on SFC and RGS, but I am not sure if on the first bikes these were mounted with screws and just on the last ones with fixed bolts?!? Or maybe there is a screw and I did not find it?

thanks

Lothar
 
Lothar,
I know you want to stay as original as possible but while you are waiting for Red or Piet to reply, perhaps for the future you might consider a Moto Guzzi Le Mans rubber battery tray? I have just bought one in the anticipation that it is going to fit in my Jota 120 battery space (it should do with any luck):

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220695880024&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

 
Lothar,

Original battery trays powdercoated  still available from Slaters around ?35.00 Dave Laker put me onto it that Richard has a fair few,bike was already in pieces though with rear wheel off.

Shaun
 
Hi there,

both ideas are good, shipping costs though make it an expensive lesson for the original battery tray from Slaters... Powder-coating the stripped unit is roughly 20 bugs here and as I do have 2 to make... :-)

The rubber tray though could be an idea in addition to the original tray, replacing the foam-rubber that sucks water and increases the danger of rust...
 
Lothar

Remember taking the battery tray of my RGS, pig of a job.
One bolt was easy, the other I just managed to get an open ended spanner in to undo.
Fitting was a lot harder, ended up with an open ender and masking tape to hold the nut.
Lots of patience required and good music to listen to while fiddling around.

Steven
 
Another poss Lothar Keith N can sort something out for you.

Shaun
 
Hi Lothar,
Not done one that I can remember so no help from my side.
NZ Steven seems to have summed it up pretty well.
I normally replace them with a stainless battery box I have made locally but you want standard so no good for what you are after.
Good luck.
Red
 
Mmmhh - sounds like it is easier to take the rear wheel out and also the swing-arm...

Anyone know if the axel comes off easy or is there a trick? I don't want to leave the tray as it is, the rest of the bike is to good for that...
 
Lothar,

I've very recently stripped Shaun (Lemonjelly's) RGA and had a hell of a job removing the battery tray (and others parts....). Surprisingly, the swinging arm spindle was one of the very few parts that wasn't siezed! One dome nut either side - usually one will come loose and the other won't. So a simple task to draw it out, perhaps with some gentle input from a drift and mallet.

The battery tray was another story - the fastening you ask about needed some serious input from an angle grinder as the DPO had used imperial fastenings which in turn had corroded to such an extent that they were 'at one' with the tray. The tray was beyond repair anyway - I think it was only the rubber pad that was holding the battery in place.....!
As mentioned, Shaun has a new tray from Richard Slater and it is good kit, powder coated too.

It was an even worse problem with the front engine mounts (which, to be fair, I did expect!)

Good luck,
Alan :)
 
Mmmh - in that regard, stainless battery trays do sound like a good Idea... (and even looking originally if powder-coated...)  :o

On the other hand, as the corrosion (I think) mainly comes from leaking batteries removing the paint and exposing the metal to the water, I guess a powder-coated steel would do it, too - no?
 
Hi Lothar,

I had the Battery Tray out of my SFC about a month ago.
I had the rear wheel out and it was fairly straight forward.

Mine has a countersunk allen head bolt though the tray and the frame to a nylock nut and washer underneath.
Access was ok once the wheel was out.

In my case the tray and bolt etc were all good, I can imagine it could be a different storey if the nut and bolt have fused togeather with corrosion.

Cheers
Bruce
 
thanks, that is at least some light at the end of the tunnel..  :-[

check it again the next days, this time with rearwheel out. If that does not help, the swing-arm will be removed. I hate incomplete jobs... >:(
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top