Check this battery out:

https://www.techbatterysolutions.co...VCaxpCh1A6Q3wEAQYByABEgJU7vD_BwE&utm_medium=cse&utm_source=google&utm_term=MB23

It's an AGM, 19 amps with 200 cold cranking amps. It's a little pricey at $117, but you might be able to find it cheaper from another online vendor.
Looks like it'll fit your application.......
(check their cross reference guide to be sure)
Phil

 

I did see this one already. It's a very tight fit due to it being slightly larger, and also doesn't have the best reviews.

Thank you though!

 

My battery needs replacement, and I think my head might explode from all the post I've read on here the past couple days.

1) How much of a difference does the change in AMPs from the factory 16 AMP battery to the sealed 12 AMP make a difference in COLD weather starting on an 85 Honda Shadow? I've read that the older shadows require the 16 amps due to design. I would like a battery that is reliable all year round. I do have a tender, and am willing to use it frequently.

I've had no trouble on my 86 700. Also, last winter my car battery was dieing and I as the bike is off the road I hooked a couple of cables up to the bike's battery and kept it ready in the car's engine compartment (nice little place there that kept the battery safe). If I didn't use the car for a couple of days the battery would be dead, and the battery I have was able to start the car from cold (car also had an issue with the automatic choke, making starting even harder).

Oh, also, I got my battery in 2013, and it's still got plenty of life in it - I'd give it at least another couple of years. I haven't always maintained it properly, but it keeps going.

I'm less concerned with the price difference and care more about which battery will be more reliable year-round.

I've found the AGM to be much more reliable than a lead-acid. I've previously had pretty terrible low-maintenance batteries and it was a hard-sell to get me on to the AGM I now use (they gave me a written 2yr guarantee that if the bike failed to start they'd replace the battery), but I've never looked back.

As far as a tender is concerned, I have a charging socket on the bike and if I am not going to be using her for a while (week+) I'll plug it in, otherwise daily use is fine. That said the area I live in has only twice had snow in living memory, and only once where the snow was on the ground for more than a few hours (back in 2011) - we get snow on some of the higher hills but otherwise temps are in the mid-high 30s (f) and sometimes into the 40s during winter.

Any help/suggestions will be appreciated!

Actually one that some people here might rubbish but I challenge anyone to try it...

I've had a few times where batteries have died on me when things are cold, especially where the battery is older and things are colder. What I've done to help in these cases is to take a jug of boiling water and slowly tip most of it over the battery and also some over the cylinders/carbs (as accessible). I'm not sure that the cyls/carbs does much, but putting it over the battery basically gives the battery a little more energy, and it can be enough to make the difference between starting and not-quite-starting.

But back to the topic - I personally was very glad to be on the AGM after trying it for a while.

 

My battery needs replacement, and I think my head might explode from all the post I've read on here the past couple days.

1) How much of a difference does the change in AMPs from the factory 16 AMP battery to the sealed 12 AMP make a difference in COLD weather starting on an 85 Honda Shadow? I've read that the older shadows require the 16 amps due to design. I would like a battery that is reliable all year round. I do have a tender, and am willing to use it frequently.

I've had no trouble on my 86 700. Also, last winter my car battery was dieing and I as the bike is off the road I hooked a couple of cables up to the bike's battery and kept it ready in the car's engine compartment (nice little place there that kept the battery safe). If I didn't use the car for a couple of days the battery would be dead, and the battery I have was able to start the car from cold (car also had an issue with the automatic choke, making starting even harder).

Oh, also, I got my battery in 2013, and it's still got plenty of life in it - I'd give it at least another couple of years. I haven't always maintained it properly, but it keeps going.

I'm less concerned with the price difference and care more about which battery will be more reliable year-round.

I've found the AGM to be much more reliable than a lead-acid. I've previously had pretty terrible low-maintenance batteries and it was a hard-sell to get me on to the AGM I now use (they gave me a written 2yr guarantee that if the bike failed to start they'd replace the battery), but I've never looked back.

As far as a tender is concerned, I have a charging socket on the bike and if I am not going to be using her for a while (week+) I'll plug it in, otherwise daily use is fine. That said the area I live in has only twice had snow in living memory, and only once where the snow was on the ground for more than a few hours (back in 2011) - we get snow on some of the higher hills but otherwise temps are in the mid-high 30s (f) and sometimes into the 40s during winter.

Any help/suggestions will be appreciated!

Actually one that some people here might rubbish but I challenge anyone to try it...

I've had a few times where batteries have died on me when things are cold, especially where the battery is older and things are colder. What I've done to help in these cases is to take a jug of boiling water and slowly tip most of it over the battery and also some over the cylinders/carbs (as accessible). I'm not sure that the cyls/carbs does much, but putting it over the battery basically gives the battery a little more energy, and it can be enough to make the difference between starting and not-quite-starting.

But back to the topic - I personally was very glad to be on the AGM after trying it for a while.

Which AGM do you've have? Is it 12 AMP?

 

Which AGM do you've have? Is it 12 AMP?

The specs on it are at MB12U - it's 160 CCA (I've always known that to mean "cold cranking amps" but I've never actually looked for a definition).

It's easily enough to start my car, so long as my car starts quickly - the car (1500cc) would crank at full speed but the battery wouldn't last long if the car took say a couple of minutes to start (not a problem once I fixed the automatic choke)

There is a "Capacity (10HR)" which is rated at 15, no idea what that is TBH. What I know is that it starts my Shadow without trouble (at least when she's in one piece, not in several dozen pieces scattered across a 20 mile radius!), and in the years I've had that battery I've not had a moments problem with it.

 

85 Honda Shadow VT700

My battery needs replacement, and I think my head might explode from all the post I've read on here the past couple days. I know the factory battery is the "T"shaped 16A-AB 16AMP which is a lead/acid battery that requires maintenance. I also know that many members have switched to the AGM battery YTZ14S 12AMP, requiring no maitenance. Both battery type offer around 220CCA. I've gathered some of my questions that I'm still unclear about.

1) How much of a difference does the change in AMPs from the factory 16 AMP battery to the sealed 12 AMP make a difference in COLD weather starting on an 85 Honda Shadow? I've read that the older shadows require the 16 amps due to design. I would like a battery that is reliable all year round. I do have a tender, and am willing to use it frequently.

2) Would this version of the YTZ14S work? it seems to be a rugged battery, but again, with only 12 AMPs. https://www.batteriesplus.com/productdetails/cylaz14sxta

3) I was also looking at this OEM replacement. https://www.batteriesplus.com/productdetails/cyl16aabxt

I'm less concerned with the price difference and care more about which battery will be more reliable year-round. My biggest conern is in regards to the AMP difference in the batteries. I don't want to buy the YTZ14s and still have issues in the winter due to the lower AMPs. Any help/suggestions will be appreciated!

-James

Hi James,

Buying batteries for motorcycles is not that much different than buying batteries for cars and trucks. The manufacturer calculates the average current load that a particular vehicle requires based on things like how many current pulling options the vehicle has, combines that with other factors like climates and where the car might be driven after it leaves the showroom floor, and then settles on a battery and alternator that will work together to provide those requirements.

The battery and alternator work together as a team, and if either one is mismatched, things won't bode well in the long run for either one. For example, you wouldn't want to use a super high output alternator on your car if it didn't come with one from the factory because it will tend to just slam the battery too fast, resulting in only quick 'surface charges' being given to the battery. Lots of us guys with older classic cars fall into this trap and replace the factory recommended battery and alternators with combinations that are too powerful for what we have under the hood.

It's the old "If a little is good, more is better" syndrome. We think we are helping things, when in reality we are just throwing good money away by buying something we don't need, and it never functions as good as it did with the factory OEM setup.

When we play around and use parts that are out of factory specs, we play a game. Will it work as good as OEM requirements? Will it last as long? Will it be used in the same climate conditions and temperatures? Will the battery sit for weeks at a time without being used? There are tons of unanswered questions.

Can we safely rely on anecdotal evidence from others who have experimented with different setups? Are ALL these changed setups being driven in the same conditions, frequency, etc as the rest?

There is no definitive answer to your questions that will give you the absolute peace of mind that you are seeking. There's no such thing as the 'best' battery for your bike. The only thing you can do is ask yourself if you want to experiment and see what happens for yourself with a changed setup in Your bike, being driven the way You drive it, operating under the conditions You operate it under.

When it comes time to change the battery in my newest bike, I will use the same method I've used over the last 55 years of riding in all my bikes, and the wife's bikes, and my son's bikes, and my grandson's bikes.

I'll buy the one that best matches the factory specs.

Keep in mind and take the above with a grain of salt. I only do it this way because I would rather spend my time experimenting with other things.

Chuck

 

For example, you wouldn't want to use a super high output alternator on your car if it didn't come with one from the factory because it will tend to just slam the battery too fast, resulting in only quick 'surface charges' being given to the battery.

While the overall advice is good, I would like to question this.

Electronic components tend to only draw the current they wish, up to the upper limit of the supply. So a 12v12w light bulb will always 1amp if it has 1a or more available. If you put it on a supply that can give it a million amps it'll still draw only 1.

So I'd like to know what makes a battery different? (Knowing the science or theory behind something like this means that I can pass it on to others, whereas right now I'd be less inclined to).

One thing I have seen with a lot of people adding non-standard stuff to their vehicles is they're not always doing the job right, eg higher wattage bulbs that melt their housings, or fitting stuff that draws more power than the wiring loom can handle and so on. It would not surprise me if people changing alternators and so on can cause new issues or exacerbate old ones that may not even show up (eg failing insulation near the tail light that is fine under the lower power alternator, but can short under a higher power one)

When it comes time to change the battery in my newest bike, I will use the same method I've used over the last 55 years of riding in all my bikes, and the wife's bikes, and my son's bikes, and my grandson's bikes.

I'll buy the one that best matches the factory specs.

That's what works best most of the time anyway

 

You need to be concerned with the CCA more than anything. If your concerned go with what you feel comfortable with but believe me. You'll be a lot happier with the AGM battery.

 

12 versus 16 amps has little to do with your cold-weather starting concerns. It's a measure of how long the battery will last under full-drain (i.e. charging system failure).

CCA (cold-cranking amps) is what you care about when it comes to starting (i.e. cranking the starter) in the cold.

AGM batteries (They ARE lead-acid!) will tend to outperform flooded-cell batteries mainly because they do not need owner maintenance. Using a float charger whenever the bike was "down" for more than a few days, my last AGM gave me eight nearly-trouble-free years. But it was a premium brand (Yuasa) priced accordingly. (I got it at a TREMENDOUS discount due to unique circumstances.)

My current battery is the Shorai (LiFePO) that was installed five years ago. Again, premium price. No maintenance required. No float charger required. The only trouble came when the stator failed 600 miles from home three years ago. I'm very pleased with the purchase; each additional trouble-free year lowers the AAV -- currently at $34. That's what comes from buying quality.

 

I have had a great experience with the Scorpion brand batteries only sold on BatteryStuff.com in US and Canada.

https://www.batterystuff.com/powersports-batteries/sYTZ14S.html

I've got 1983 VT750 and it's also a T-shaped cell. I picked up a sealed battery that has high CCA, and fits well within the T-shaped confines. Just make sure that BatteryStuff's model lookup matches the battery.

2 years in and the battery's still rock solid, holds a charge well, and cranks like a champ. I was hoping I could find a car equivalent of the Scorpion battery but was not able to unfortunately.

 

I have had a great experience with the Scorpion brand batteries only sold on BatteryStuff.com in US and Canada.

I had heard good things about Scorpion batteries so I ordered one from BatteryStuff.com. Not sure if they sent the wrong battery, but the terminals were in an odd spot and the wires just didn't fit right.
(on a 750ACE)

I ended up having to buy a Yuassa AGM on the spot because I couldn't wait for BatteryStuff.com to send the right battery. They were really good about giving me a return label, and a full refund.

When it's time for a new battery, I would have no problem ordering from BatteryStuff.com again..........
Phil

 

85 Honda Shadow VT700

My battery needs replacement, and I think my head might explode from all the post I've read on here the past couple days. I know the factory battery is the "T"shaped 16A-AB 16AMP which is a lead/acid battery that requires maintenance. I also know that many members have switched to the AGM battery YTZ14S 12AMP, requiring no maitenance. Both battery type offer around 220CCA. I've gathered some of my questions that I'm still unclear about.

1) How much of a difference does the change in AMPs from the factory 16 AMP battery to the sealed 12 AMP make a difference in COLD weather starting on an 85 Honda Shadow? I've read that the older shadows require the 16 amps due to design. I would like a battery that is reliable all year round. I do have a tender, and am willing to use it frequently.

2) Would this version of the YTZ14S work? it seems to be a rugged battery, but again, with only 12 AMPs. https://www.batteriesplus.com/productdetails/cylaz14sxta

3) I was also looking at this OEM replacement. https://www.batteriesplus.com/productdetails/cyl16aabxt

I'm less concerned with the price difference and care more about which battery will be more reliable year-round. My biggest conern is in regards to the AMP difference in the batteries. I don't want to buy the YTZ14s and still have issues in the winter due to the lower AMPs. Any help/suggestions will be appreciated!

-James

I had an 84 VT700 for a number of years. Rode it in pretty much all weather. I had to replace the OEM battery once. The Yuasa HYB16A-AB came in it from Honda and it works. I wouldn't put anything else in there.

 

My 2 pennies worth ,
AGM for low maint , slightly over specs for CCA is a good thing. Yuasa good , never tried Scorpio but keep hearing good things about them.

Often the battery comes w/ new bolts and nuts. Double up the nuts (i.e. , use both new and old nut on the new bolt ; yes, 2 nuts on each bolt if they can fit in the space that the nuts slide into). Doubling up with both well tightened works better that lock washer and should help. keep the connections tighter , longer. Sometimes a little locktight between the nuts as well adds even more insurance.

Loose connections cause all kinds of havoc on the bike and the battery both. Worse , loose connections always show up at a bad time , when you are riding due to vibration shutting the ignition on and off.

Not that there is a good time

As for price , a couple of bucks different to get a battery that should last years is neglible in my estimation.

 

I ended up buying the Xtreme AGM Z14S Powersport Battery (https://www.batteriesplus.com/productdetails/cylaz14sxta) for about $100. I figured I'd give the AGM style a chance. I know that it will fit in the bike, it'll just leave the void under the battery where the "T" used to be (great storage for some wire tucking!). That being said, do I need to put anything down under the battery before I put it in? I'm thinking it'll be ok? Also, it is just a tade bit smaller of a battery, do i need to cushion it with any rubber foam or anything to prevent vibrations, or will it be ok if i just put it in and bolt it all up?

Thanks again!

 

I ended up buying the Xtreme AGM Z14S Powersport Battery (https://www.batteriesplus.com/productdetails/cylaz14sxta) for about $100. I figured I'd give the AGM style a chance. I know that it will fit in the bike, it'll just leave the void under the battery where the "T" used to be (great storage for some wire tucking!). That being said, do I need to put anything down under the battery before I put it in? I'm thinking it'll be ok? Also, it is just a tade bit smaller of a battery, do i need to cushion it with any rubber foam or anything to prevent vibrations, or will it be ok if i just put it in and bolt it all up?

Thanks again!

My stock bike came with a thin rubber cushion inside the battery cover to keep it steady and prevent the battery from bouncing around. Some say it's ok to let it bounce, others say bouncing is a battery life shortener.

Your call as to which way you want to go.

 

I looked up the battery you bought. Seems like a great battery. What is the CCA rating for it? It doesn't look like a 12 amp battery, but a 14 amp.

 

Its 11.2 amp. And 225CCA

 

Does anyone know how much harm it does to your battery when you jump start it from a car? My last battery I had to jump it 4 times. I'm asking so I dont ruin my new AGM battery. I just hooked it up like a normal car jump.

 

No harm done when jumping it off a larger capacity battery at all. As long as both batteries are 12 volt batteries.

 

Adding drain doesn't count, that's like saying it works except for my 30k watt stereo and strobe lights....

 

So i put the new battery in. I tested the voltage it was right around 12 v. With the bike running even up at 4K rpm it was only reading 12.3 v at the battery. Does this seem like a stator problem? Possible something else?

 

Yep, You have a problem.

 

I have an 02 Shadow Spirit VT750. Typically with batteries you want to keep them topped off. I have a good battery tender so I can leave it in the bike. It tops it off and then let's it run down a little and then tops it back off again. This maximizes the life and reliability.

As for those yellow wires from the rectifier, I know the Shadows have problems with then. Mine would get super hot at the connector. This is caused by resistance at the connectors. I soldered then straight together and shrink wrapped it, removing the connector. Now no problems with that.

Your battery shouldn't give you problems if it's what is specified for your bike and it's new and taken care of. If you live In a colder climate then your going to have hard starts but if you keep it inside then that shouldn't be to much of a problem. You could find some insulation maybe that's fire retardant and none metallic. Maybe fit that around it. Might help.

Good luck.

 

Follow the specs for AMPS. I go with Yuasa whenever possible with the max cold crank CCA possible. My '07 1100 is a cold weather princess. I'm talking grief at 50 degrees! I made a mistake once upon a time and got a gel cell that wa ssupposed to the the greatest thing since Lucas. The battery lasted almost a year...

 

Agree 100%.

I buy YUASA exclusively and match the ampere hours.

When it's 15 degrees in my garage and I'm firing up all the bikes every two weeks during the winter, there is NO difference between one advertising a 210 CCA and one advertising a 230 CCA.

 

@KiwiRider , the way I understand it is if you light up your bike like a Christmas display complete with boom box , a little more alternator is a good thing , and more battery slows down the extreme discharging that happens when you got the Rhumba full blast and the disco ball spinning while waiting in traffic or maybe sucking up the brews idling at some lookout with the other blokes.

But I wouldn't know cuz I never figured out how to stop burning the wires . Might have something to do with SOLDERING said wires to the frame when joining them together , keeps them from bouncing around . >>

Yanks Rule !

 

@KiwiRider , the way I understand it is if you light up your bike like a Christmas display complete with boom box , a little more alternator is a good thing , and more battery slows down the extreme discharging that happens when you got the Rhumba full blast and the disco ball spinning while waiting in traffic or maybe sucking up the brews idling at some lookout with the other blokes.

But I wouldn't know cuz I never figured out how to stop burning the wires . Might have something to do with SOLDERING said wires to the frame when joining them together , keeps them from bouncing around . >>

Yanks Rule !

If I ever hear some SOD uttering that bloody SODDERING in my presence, then believe me wires soldered to the frame will be the least of their worries! (other things might be introduced to the soldering iron... 0 )

(I don't want my bike lit up like a christmas tree, next time some prick comes at me with their lights on full I just want to "light up their life" - oh and a rearward-facing EMP generator for those twits who insist on tailgating would be nice as well - think I might need to increase my battery size a little first...)

 

Update: New AGM battery runs great. Multiple starts, in multiple conditions without fail. Another question to add about my new AGM battery. There is about a 1/2 gap now at the top of the battery when placed in the holder. I will post another members photo for reference since I don't currently have one of my own. I did double up the weatherstripping/foam on the back of the wire harness that rest against the batteries front side (made a better snug fit). I also currently cut a little 1" x .5" piece of wood, placed weather stripping on the top and bottom of it, and placed it on top of the battery where I have circled. This keeps the battery pretty tight, and removes the chance of it "bouncing". My question is 1) Am I OK with it like this, or would it be better to cut a piece of wood that would fit under the battery to raise it up tight to the referenced point instead? 2) Is it OK/good idea to have wood in direct contact with the battery? 3) Any other suggestions?

Thank you


battery dot jpg

 

I wouldn't use wood. I'd use some foam sheeting. Firm foam sheeting that looks a bit like styrofoam, but is flexible and crushable with memory would be ideal. All the air pockets in it allow it to absorb shocks while retaining its shape.

 

When people here are talking about soldering the wires, are they talking about cutting out the 3 bullet male/female plugs and just soldering the ends together?

When I had the same problem on my V65 1100 Magna, I replaced the stock bullet connectors with gold plated ones. Haven't even had them get warm since. I'll do the same thing with my Shadow this winter.

 

Yep. It's a problem that's not just limited to Honda's either.

The reason given for soldering vs replacing is simply how often do you pull your engine from your bike? A little oxide build up on one plug and you've got problems coming. It also takes a little less time and a little less cost than replacing them

 

On my 1983 750 one of the 3 yellow wires had overheated and melted the connector also. I cut them and butt spliced and filled it with silicone to seal out moisture and has been fine for 3 years. Soldering may seem to be a better electrical connection but I had heard some guys had trouble getting it to flow because of 2 different type metals in the wires. A cold solder joint is no good.

Also do yourself a favor and open the black box in the center and it should still have the flunky Japanese replaceable metal strip as the main fuse. It will crack and corrode and fail you sometime. Replace the box with an inline 30 amp fuse.

 

I inspected that fuse about a month ago while diagnosing a starting problem.. they even had an extra one floating in there. I could solder them, or maybe just crimp on new connectors without using the plastic plug connector and cover them with shrink tubing? I only want to try and do it once since my wires on the rectifier are so short.

 

Dogbone fuses are used in the Valks, 55-amp. At any rate, after 40 years etc it might be a good idea to replace those. Perhaps, back then they were the most dependable 30amp fuses compared to ATM fuses. *And no, the dogbone fuse is not the yellow wire connector that connects the RR to the Stator wires. A known trouble spot on all bikes with stators with the possible exception of the Aeros. The RR on the Aero has an integral plug.

Soldering together the yellow wires doesn't prevent you from going back to blade or bullet connectors later as it's easy to snip the wires apart and crimp connectors on to the soldered together strands.

The preferred type of foam is high density flexible foam, as opposed to the rigid variety. Similar to those close-cell foam on exercise mats, fatigue mats. Probably holds up better to heat, dunno for sure. But flexible foam has memory in consideration of the vibrations.

My opinion is that the rectangle of foam should be placed on the bottom of the battery leaving air spaces on the sides and the top of the battery. I guess to keep the battery fully immobile, you could glue on silicone bumpers or the like to the sides of the battery box or the battery itself.

 

Dogbone fuses are used in the Valks, 55-amp. At any rate, after 40 years etc it might be a good idea to replace those. Perhaps, back then they were the most dependable 30amp fuses compared to ATM fuses. *And no, the dogbone fuse is not the yellow wire connector that connects the RR to the Stator wires. A known trouble spot on all bikes with stators with the possible exception of the Aeros. The RR on the Aero has an integral plug.

Soldering together the yellow wires doesn't prevent you from going back to blade or bullet connectors later as it's easy to snip the wires apart and crimp connectors on to the soldered together strands.

The preferred type of foam is high density flexible foam, as opposed to the rigid variety. Similar to those close-cell foam on exercise mats, fatigue mats. Probably holds up better to heat, dunno for sure. But flexible foam has memory in consideration of the vibrations.

My opinion is that the rectangle of foam should be placed on the bottom of the battery leaving air spaces on the sides and the top of the battery. I guess to keep the battery fully immobile, you could glue on silicone bumpers or the like to the sides of the battery box or the battery itself.

I like that idea!

 

I used the yellow butt splices and sealed them. You can see them here. The wires are short and I should have just added more 10 gauge wire and ran the in line fuse up and over so there is plenty of room to get at it. Easy to do. Since one side goes directly to the battery you could always just run a heavy wire from the fuse to the battery positive post. Make it fit more comfortably.

 

An easy way to do that is get a butt splice connector the right size and cut the plastic cover off. Then you have nice clean tinned metal ready to solder to.
I have pushed the center out of them on a hard surface. The metal slides out of the plastic insulator.

 

So I think I understand now. You want me to get a butt splice connector, remove the actual metal crimp from inside. Then I strip both wires i will soldering, place them in the butt connector metal crimp,crimp them down so that some wire is still exposed out of each end of the metal crimp. Then solder those exposed wires to the crimp itself? Sorry for the soldering 101 here.

 

Originally Posted by Jheid089

I am a little confused about this part:

• "You'd need to split a barrel of any metal to serve as the crushable crimp ....."

Instead of *barrel,* perhaps, *ferrule* is a better word. After cutting off a piece from a skinny brass tube, so forth, then splitting the piece lengthwise. The material itself has to have some degree of stiffness to hold it's crimp. For example, snipping off the ends of a blade terminal doesn't work as well. There are aluminum alloy ferrules for crimping wires together but they're hard to find for this application with a wire overlap.

Whenever I've soldered stuff in the past I just twist the two wires together and solder over the twist.

Something like a wire nut. That would definitely make soldering easier since most people have only 2 hands. With *western union* style twisting parallel wires around each other ..... the strands always tend to unravel when you press the soldering iron tip to the wires.

 

Originally Posted by Jheid089

With *western union* style twisting parallel wires around each other ..... the strands always tend to unravel when you press the soldering iron tip to the wires.

I never have that problem. I think the key word is "press" - I don't press the tip to the wires, I use a tinned soldering iron (ie has a bit of solder on it) and sit it lightly on or preferably underneath the wires, then I add a little more solder.

Using an appropriately rated iron and appropriate tip for the job helps.

Oh, and if you can get them, a "3rd hand tool" can help a LOT. This is a stand with a couple of alligator clips on it that are a few inches apart. You clip each wire into one alligator clip so they meet in the middle, and your hands are both free after that. Must buy myself another one just in case.

(Usually cheap, IIRC you can get them for under $NZ25)

 

whoops, I didn't see the two previous posts before submitting mines.