Killed Two Birds

[kerrfunk]

A couple of weeks ago I neglected to turn the kill switch off when I parked in my garage, and I didn't ride for a few days, and then when I tried to start, there was no juice.

I used my car and cables to jump it, and rode on my merry way.

40 miles later at a stoplight, I stall. No juice. And this time, no car and no cables.

I wave down somebody who looks like they might be kind, and it turns out they were. Guy didn't have any cables, but he goes to a toolbox in his truck and pulls out a spool of 14-gauge copper wire. Connects the batteries and lickity split I'm running again. He said his jump cables got stolen too many times and once someone showed him the copper wire trick he just keeps a spool in every vehicle.

So I went home, picked up a spool, and cut a few 6-foot lengths off and put ?em in my forkbag.


Today my smoking hot wife and I went out to a place called ?Peddler?s Village?, 40 miles away. A bunch of shops, a few eateries, recommended by some biker friends as a nice destination.

Well we find this cast iron dog that my wife has been wanting for a while, so we buy it. I assure my wife I can secure it for the ride home.

And using those two 6-foot lengths of copper wire that are in my forkbag, I wire the package to the sissybar.

Perfect.

and of course, the dog

 

[Baatfam]

Ahhmmmmmm....

You seem to have forgotten the pictures of said "smoking hot wife"...

 

[kerrfunk]

Ahhmmmmmm....

You seem to have forgotten the pictures of said "smoking hot wife"...

 

[Planecrazy]

That's better!

Nice dog, too ... bet it doesn't drive the wife nuts like mine does, hehe!

Regards,

 

[almarconi]

I neglected to turn the kill switch off when I parked in my garage, and I didn't ride for a few days, and then when I tried to start, there was no juice.

Unless you left the key on, how could the kill switch being on drain the battery?

I guess by that logic, if you turned the kill switch on with the key off your bike should start

Have you gone through the stator papers and checked your charging system?

 

[kerrfunk]

Unless you left the key on, how could the kill switch being on drain the battery?

I don't know. It was the only thing different I noticed. I figured it was kinda like leaving the dome light on in a car.

Have you gone through the stator papers and checked your charging system?

Nope. I don't have the tools.

 

[Skateguy50]

Yea, glad you got back and the wires make a good backup plan. However now that its safely in the garage go through the charging system and find the source of the problem.

Also you may already know this but make sure if you ever have to jump a bike with a car that its just using the battery and the car engine is OFF.

 

[Richsuz]

Intruding here, but why? What difference does it make if the car engine is on? I heard in the past that it would burn the electronics of the receiving end, but we have no electronics to speak of, I think.

 

[Skateguy50]

Electricity is about more than volts, the car running will push to much power through the system and can kill the charging system on the bike and fry the wires.

The bikes dont have a lot of electronics, but if you fry the system you will find its enough to be a pain if you have to replace the entire harness and charging components.

 

[Richsuz]

So the car will DRAW current FROM the bike? Isn't the alternator suppling more current than the car needs? It just doesn't sound logical to me.

 

[bakalorz]

So the car will DRAW current FROM the bike? Isn't the alternator suppling more current than the car needs? It just doesn't sound logical to me.

The car when not running is about 12-13 volts.
When running it is about 14.

This may be enough to cause the bikes Rectifier/Regulator to try to regulate. There are diodes in the R/R system which prevent it from actually drawing any additional current, but the SCR drivers will be constantly on. They are not designed to handle it, and you will burn out the SCR drivers. After that, your bikes voltage will jump to 17 volts whenever its on, to cure it you will need a new R/R.

This is not only caused by a running car. It can be caused by jumping from a running motorcycle, using a battery charger that charges too fast, or even an unregulated trickle charger. Anything that can get the battery voltage to 14 volts or higher and keep it there for even a second or two.

Although the running voltage of the bike is up in the same range, it does not cause the same problem because the SCR drivers only will recieve brief pulses which self regulate.

 

[Richsuz]

Ah! Thank you sir, So it is voltage, and a very good expaination of how and why. This is something I can now share when people ask me. But, wait, why do you need to have the car RUNNING when you are jumping another car? Wouldn't the same logic apply, and shouldn't the other car's battery be strong enough to jumpstart a car without the aid of the alternator? After all that is what the battery's CCA is there for, right?

 

[Skateguy50]

All I know is people that know more about this stuff told me not to do that, so I listened.

When I got my bike it did go up to 17v range and kept blowing bulbs, I got a "new" r/r and been fine since. I would not be surprised if the PO didnt try to jump it with cables to a car to try and fire it before selling since it sat for a few years and had a drained battery.

 

[SqDancerLynn1]

A battery is a battery, they can supply different amounts of current depending on size. Your MC will only draw what it needs with the motor off. When it is running You auto alternator can put out 100 amps or more depending. Your MC can handle maybe 15 amps. So it can overload your MC when it tries to charge it at 100 amps