Blown Up GS

[tkdfav]

Well I had an 83 GS 750 ES, I lost it in a garage fire. My trickle charger blew up and took out my garage. I have the chance to recover my losses of the bike from the battery charger manufacture, I've been trying to find my bike online but all the 83 GS 750 ES I see do not come with factory fairing. I was wondering if anyone new of an 83 with fairing, my gas take and frame had bushings to fit the fairings so I'm pretty sure it was from the factory, any help would be appreciated
Before:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/tkdfav/BikeSide3Crop.jpg
After:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/tkdfav/06-23-06_0942.jpg
The House:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/tkdfav/2006_0817House0001.jpg

Thanks
Joey

 

[Zooks]

Man, you were lucky not to lose everything.

Maybe you should start a thread on the restoration of that bike. LOL

 

[spyug]

Yikes....that is horrible but as Zooks says you are very fortunate not to lose everything.

I have a couple of chargers that I regularly use and I've never though anything like that could happen. Obviously as an electrical device overheating and fire could be an issue.

It is a wake up call for me and hopefully others that use them.

Thanks for sharing and good luck on getting the bike replaced.

Cheers,
Spyug.

 

[Carter Turk]

I'm sorry for your loss. That is painful to look at.

I believe the lowers on that bike were aftermarket Lockhart pieces, if a US model. The Canadian version 750EF I think it was called may have come with that. Don't know what the rest of the world got.

Sorry, all speculative information.

I do have an old magazine clipping of your bike with lowers. Its a small color picture I could send to you if you want it. Let me know CT

 

[1980GS1000E]

What was the brand and type of trickle charger that caused this?

 

[tkdfav]

The battery charger was a schuman (not sure of the spelling) i got it at autozone
CT If you could send me the color picture I'd appreciateit.
I thought that it was aftermarket until i looked at all the other plastics and they all had fittings for the lowers

Does anyone know where i can look up the VIN number to find out exactlyl what kind it was

 

[oldschoolorange]

those look like the same fairings that were on my 83 gs550

 

[SqDancerLynn1]

Sorry for your loss. The bike & garage can be replaced. How did you determine that the battery charger caused the fire ???

 

[tkdfav]

The state police fire inspectors saw that the fire started in the corner of the garage my bike was in when they lifted up the bike the battery charger was underneath. When they look at everyone let out and "ooohhh, that not right" i'm not exactly sure why. My guess is something to do with a reverse polarity diode (I'm not good when it comes to electronics)

oldschoolorange, could you send me a bike of your bike?
TkdFav@gmail.com

 

[beby99]

What a bummer dude....sorry for your losses, but I got to ask.

The charger company is going to buy you a new bike because you reversed the poles??

 

[koolaid_kid]

"Diodes:
A diode is an electronic component that, in general, will pass current in only one direction (there are a few exceptions like zener and current regulator diodes). They are used in virtually every piece of electronic equipment. ...they are virtually always used across the power input terminals to protect the head unit in case of reverse polarity (hooking the power wires up backwards)."

I suggest what they said was that the charger was connected backwards, and the diode failed to do its job. However, a fuse is almost always in line with the diode (especially with a device who's purpose is to provide power), which would have prevented the implied results.