Cannonball Stealth Starter

[48Flatty]

Has anyone installed/used the Cannonball Stealth Starter advertised on page 9 of the most recent club magazine? Wondering about workmanship and how well it works. Also, is there a 12 volt battery available that will fit in the stock battery location ( for 40s-50s big twin) that will power the starter?

[RichO]

I have a 40EL running a 12V system but another make of starter setup and you need some juice so I use a Softtail type of horseshoe oil tank with The FX size battery and it works fine. I don't know what others do.

[Architect]

My local "old guy" installs them on customer bikes, he has nothing but good to say about them. He paints them black, very hard to even see it when the bike is on the ground, off the lift.

[PanheadFred1]

I've been looking at that starter too. Hearing good things about them. As far as a battery, there are lithium batteries that will fit in the early big twin horseshoe tank.

[Lyle Manheimer]

If you choose a lithium ion battery, you will need to modify, update your charging system as well. Lithium Ion batteries do not like standard 12 volt charging systems. The lithium ion batteries are prone to catastrophic failure using a standard charging system or you can just carry a fire extinguisher.

[Architect]

I have a Lithium battery in my 1946 WL with a Cycle Electrics 12V genny, never a problem for at least 3 years.

What they don't like is a standard battery tender.

And yes I have heard with the lithium battery you can keep a stock oil tank.

[1970 XLCH]

I am installing one of these starters on a '49 Pan . W&W says they recommend the " Antigravity 12 or 16 cell " battery . Just got the 16 cell ( #1601 ) & it says " NOT TO MOUNT IT IN AN OIL BAG " ( their terminology ) !! W&W says in their add that " you can retain the stock oil tank " . Don't want to have a fire . Any help out there ? Thanks , Mike

[1970 XLCH]

Hey Architect , Can you give me a way to get in touch with the " old guy " ? Maybe he can answer my questions . Thanks , Mike

[PanheadFred1]

I am installing one of these starters on a '49 Pan . W&W says they recommend the " Antigravity 12 or 16 cell " battery . Just got the 16 cell ( #1601 ) & it says " NOT TO MOUNT IT IN AN OIL BAG " ( their terminology ) !! W&W says in their add that " you can retain the stock oil tank " . Don't want to have a fire . Any help out there ? Thanks , Mike

I'm thinking those batteries don't like being surrounded by hot oil.

[duffeycycles]

At Wauseon a Lightemup ion battery in a wrap around tank,decided to heat up big time.
Bike ignition was off,nobody around it.
A fire extingusher doesnt work if you are not there when your shop burns down.
With that said,they really spin the engine over nice
High output CE genny runs at higher volt than OEM

[chuckthebeatertruck]

Several of these systems were on bikes on the september 2022 driftless road run. The one that i recall was on former chief judge Don D’s knuck. all seemed to work very well.

I know no one who has had more than three seasons of luck on the antigravity batteries. They work a treat for a season or two. . .then odd things seem to happen.

a lot of chopper guys love the batteries but also don’t seem to ride more than 1000 miles a year which is hardly a test.

i personally have given up on lithium batteries. I have seen about a dozen fires or dead bikes due to cell or bus bar failures, the most recent was an actual battery explosion in a 79 harley. It was a huge bang and then bike on the trailer. the only saving grace was no acid.

[PanheadFred1]

I'm probably jinxing myself.... but I'm on the same lithium battery fou the past 7 or 8 years in a Panhead bottom-shovelhead. That's with the Cycle Electric generator and then the past 2 years an alternator. And I put between 10 and 15 thousand miles a year. Knock on wood!

[chuckthebeatertruck]

I'm probably jinxing myself.... but I'm on the same lithium battery fou the past 7 or 8 years in a Panhead bottom-shovelhead.

May I ask if your bike is electric start with the OEM prestolite? The reason is that I've had ZERO problems with small nimh or lithium batteries on kick only bikes -- but nothing except failure on e start bikes. I recently switched from the .8kw presto on my 90" ironhead stroker for a 1.4kw high torque starter and it made the battery get HOT cranking over. I swapped in a "wet" battery and the starter cranked like hell but didn't heat up the battery. I'm thinking this all comes down to how many CCA the battery has to discharge -- but don't have enough data points :-) In all fairness, the lipo battery I used was 200cca and the wet battery that had zero issues was 350cca (and the starter instructions do say 300cca at a minimum).

Conversely, with a Ctek battery tender for the winter; I'm approaching 10 years on the OEM AGM battery in my one car and it showing no signs of failure and we just junked the other car which was at 8 years on a lithium and also never gave trouble. It's only on bikes with high load starters that I've personally seen the failures.

Sorry for all the question -- I'm genuinely curious.

[pan620]

I have installed two different brand e-starters on panheads, I used police oil bags and trays and Softail AGM battery's, no lithium batteries for me but at the end of the day it is what the owners want.

[PanheadFred1]

May I ask if your bike is electric start with the OEM prestolite? The reason is that I've had ZERO problems with small nimh or lithium batteries on kick only bikes -- but nothing except failure on e start bikes. I recently switched from the .8kw presto on my 90" ironhead stroker for a 1.4kw high torque starter and it made the battery get HOT cranking over. I swapped in a "wet" battery and the starter cranked like hell but didn't heat up the battery. I'm thinking this all comes down to how many CCA the battery has to discharge -- but don't have enough data points :-) In all fairness, the lipo battery I used was 200cca and the wet battery that had zero issues was 350cca (and the starter instructions do say 300cca at a minimum).

Conversely, with a Ctek battery tender for the winter; I'm approaching 10 years on the OEM AGM battery in my one car and it showing no signs of failure and we just junked the other car which was at 8 years on a lithium and also never gave trouble. It's only on bikes with high load starters that I've personally seen the failures.

Sorry for all the question -- I'm genuinely curious.

Chuck, mine is kick start only. My battery is made by Battery Tender. 120 CCA....7.9Ah. And it lives in my saddle bag. 20230128_081207.jpg