Hitchcocks Forum

Hi i want to fit a optimate to my electra but the red terminal is touching the frame and only thing stopping it shorting out is a thick rubber ? so if i had another wire i am not sure i will get it all back in, anyone done this to an electra. Seems dangerous to me having it that tight.

Why not connect to the starter solenoid inside the electrics box. use ring connector..

Permanent connector to Optimate stays in electrics box ready for connection to charger..

Gwilly not sure what you mean ? i want to add the optimate permanent conntection to my bike

The first thing I did when I got my Electra X (ish) was to fit a permanent Optimate connector.
When I changed to a heavy duty no maintenance Westco battery (An aftermarket battery usually fitted to a 1600CC Hardly Dangerous.) it came with the option of terminals fitted to the top or the sides. It is VERY tight to the frame though but the battery came with heavy duty plastic terminal covers.

What Gwilly is suggesting is rather than make a connection direct to the battery terminal and reduce the existing clearance [even more] connect it at the starter motor solenoid where there is a direct connection from there to the battery terminal. Connect the earth side of your connector somewhere handy and your Optimate connector is then permanently wired to the bike but not at the terminals.
The latest bikes have different batteries so the earth terminal can touch the frame and the live one can't. If your thinking of replacing the battery and your leads can reach with it fitted terminal reversed it might be something worth considering.

The Motobatt 14AH batteries come with different terminal options, including a flush mount onto the battery which will provide a little more clearance. A.

Thanks for the replies it's all setup and working now, the screw went in from the front not top so it was all fine in the end.

The +ve battery terminal on my Electra was very close to the frame so to prevent any direct short I turned the battery around (terminals on the inside). There was space and the cables were long enough, though I'd removed the air filter, catch can and other stuff beforehand so I don't know if they'd of interfered.