relocate 990 battery under seat

Was searching around in the forum but didn't find anything super definitive, unless my searching skills were off... I've seen where it's "possible" and that the wiring harness is long enough, but has anyone done this? Seems like a much better place for the battery, if the canister is missing... Would there be any reasons not to put it there? Looking at the shape of the box and the rubber tie-down, I have a feeling that the battery may have been located there in very early prototypes but then had to get moved to the chin area to accommodate the emissions stuff. No biggie if it''s a bad idea or too much work to keep the wiring neat and tidy, just looking for insight, thanks.

I have an antigravity battery under the seat and no chin spoiler. Did it years ago. There used to be pictures on this site but no real how to.

@SD#1 I thought that evap emissions was a requirement in other countries within the last 10-15 years or so, but could be wrong. My original guess was also based on my old 2002 Duke II which had the battery under the seat, as well as my button dirtbikes. Smaller batteries, yes, but not that much difference in weight for stock lead/acid. The Duke had a canister as well, but the previous owner had taken it off already. I sort of recall they had a spot in the frame for it, but mounted so it wouldn't be too close to the pipe. You're not kidding about the stock muffler mass, I considered adding muffler presses to my gym routine after I removed it...

@Willh I have a Shorai battery, (can hear Bic gnashing his teeth already). How much of an ordeal was it to do the relocation? Would you mind posting pics?

I also really like the accessibility of having the battery in it's (ahem) "proper" place under the seat. I broke down and got a Shorai charger, (was using a Battery tender lithium), which seems to do a little better job with charges and helped coax a friend's dead battery back to life. The batteries have a little port between the terminals that the Shorai charger plugs into to give it more feedback. Kind of hard to get to that with the battery in the chin. There is an extension piece you can use, but it's a little long and I'd rather not have that down in the muck.

If memory serves, it involved splitting some of the main harness cover, finding a place for REG/Rectifier and other bits that were in the chin spoiler, and making new longer appropriately sized battery and starter wires. Under the tail, the plastic for the can in the ass needed to be relieved a bit to make a nice fit.

I'll post up a photo or two in a bit.

Ok, no need to relieve the tail box for the antigravity battery.
Here are the pictures...

This is where I put the regulator/rectifier when running the stock airbox.


Battery where it belongs



You can see the wire block under the tank zip tied to the frame. The Reg/rectifier sits on a bracket between the cylinders and over the starter on this side when I run the motohooligan airbox. Ignore the master cylinder being worked on in the photo.


Starter wiring change...


Horn location...

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GoGo went this way on the Reg/rectifier


I might do this next time the motohooligan airbox goes back on.


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Sweet... will have a look this weekend, thanks!

Comrades: I took the "keep it simple" route and just ran battery cables from the spoiler back up and under the seat. The added weight is well worth the convenience of access to the battery (Anti-gravity Lithium) under the seat.

@jmann Do you mean you skipped moving the regulator and other electrics around? Was wondering if that was possible. If that was your approach, did anything else need to be moved other than the battery?

Edit: Also when you say "spoiler," do you mean the chin spoiler?