The GS Deadly Sins

[mvalenti]

What did it damage besides your pride?

Eric

Kinda chugged like a choo choo. the positive side of the battery was loose so I was able to pull it off before it dropped.. Kinda laughed about it after... Wish I caught it on video...

[Good Times]

I'll add one. Never take your calipers off and then put them back on, take a ride around the block while returning to find that the scraping sound was the result of you putting both pads on the same side of the disk.

[Octain]

Never jump your bike from a running car battery.

I hear this all the time but has anyone ever had any issues when doing it?
Anyone?
(yes I've done it, many times.. To the same bike)

[mrbill5491]

I wish to add...

Never use Armour All to clean your GS seat.

Did that once...all it takes. Never did the tires though....Lubing the chain, always have done using the motor and 1st gear, never a incident. I've always worked around large farm machinery, exposed chains, belts and such, you learn quick not to poke parts of your body near that stuff. Closest thing that gets near the sprocket is the tube from the can. Once done, I grab the gear shift and pop it out of gear and kill the motor.

[Tom R]

Like the other list of deadly sins, they're only truly deadly if you believe they are - otherwise they're just bad ideas and most people get away without too much damage.
Over the years (mostly back in my 20's), I've gotten away with 4 or 5 of those sins without damaging my bike off the road.
One thing not on the list that did kill a Honda of mine about 15 years ago is using that hard gasket sealer. It breaks off and clogs oil ports, a truly deadly sin.

[Tom R]

I hear this all the time but has anyone ever had any issues when doing it?
Anyone?
(yes I've done it, many times.. To the same bike)

Dozens of times without any known issues.

[eddiev]

I hear this all the time but has anyone ever had any issues when doing it?
Anyone?
(yes I've done it, many times.. To the same bike)

My take is this: If you have a healthy battery that is discharged there is no problem jumping from a car battery. The issue is that a car battery has the potential to push out a lot of current. That current is determined by the load, your battery in this case. If on the other hand your battery is defective (a shorted out cell etc.), the load, essentially a short circuit or close to it, now can cause a tremendous current draw from that monster car battery. Even more with the running engines alternator. I think this is were we hear cases of batteries blowing up. If a battery is shorted you can potentially draw hundreds of amps from the car battery into this little battery.

[gearhead13]

I understood that jumping from a running car is more likely to cook your R&R or stator. I got a jump from a guy at a gas station from a portable booster and after that my R&R was toast.

[Steve]

My take is this: If you have a healthy battery that is discharged there is no problem jumping from a car battery. The issue is that a car battery has the potential to push out a lot of current. That current is determined by the load, your battery in this case. If on the other hand your battery is defective (a shorted out cell etc.), the load, essentially a short circuit or close to it, now can cause a tremendous current draw from that monster car battery. Even more with the running engines alternator. I think this is were we hear cases of batteries blowing up. If a battery is shorted you can potentially draw hundreds of amps from the car battery into this little battery.

You are correct, the donor vehicle is not going to supply any more current than the bike demands, but current draw is not the main issue.

The problem is that the voltage regulator (R/R) on the bike is going to try to regulate ANY voltage that is applied across its terminals. Its terminals are basically connected to the battery at all times. If, for example, your R/R has a set-point of 14.1 volts and your donor vehicle is putting out 14.5 volts, your bike is going to try to regulate that down to 14.1. The donor sees that as a load and compensates by increasing the current flow to maintain its own voltage set-point. Your R/R can only handle so much current (probably about 25 amps) and most car alternators are capable of putting out well over 100 amps. Guess which one dies first?

I understood that jumping from a running car is more likely to cook your R&R or stator. I got a jump from a guy at a gas station from a portable booster and after that my R&R was toast.

Yep, the power that needed by the sarter is measure in WATTS. Watts are calculated by multiplying volts by amps. To minimize the number of amps that the booster is required to deliver (requiring heavier-duty parts, larger wires, etc.), they run a slightly higher voltage. THAT is what cooks the R/R, as detailed above.

.

[Octain]

My take is this: If you have a healthy battery that is discharged there is no problem jumping from a car battery. The issue is that a car battery has the potential to push out a lot of current. That current is determined by the load, your battery in this case. If on the other hand your battery is defective (a shorted out cell etc.), the load, essentially a short circuit or close to it, now can cause a tremendous current draw from that monster car battery. Even more with the running engines alternator. I think this is were we hear cases of batteries blowing up. If a battery is shorted you can potentially draw hundreds of amps from the car battery into this little battery.

This is exactly the way I understand it. But still, I have yet to ever hear of or seen first hand of anyone having any ill effects while doing it.
Also spoke to a friend of a friend who is a bike mechanic who says lots of things *can* go wrong while jumping a bike from an auto but running the auto while doing so is not one of em, provided the charging system is in proper working condition in the first place.(which is pretty much what you said)
Like I said, I've done it many times on several different/and alike bikes with no problems.
But on the other hand, if it works fine without running the automobile then do it this way..

[roux1100]

always check and make sure that the petcock isnt in the "prime" position......... it will flood everything!!!!! i hate making newb mistakes.

[Good Times]

Always check your side stand:

Pulled up with a friend for lunch today and parked. Got off our bikes when he said, "Do they have any handicap parking spaces here?" Looked up and realized we were in it. The only thing they had marking it was a sign on the building.

We laughed, started the bikes back up and walked them to the next spot. Stood up to put my bike back on the stand and she almost went over. Forgot that I put the stand up! Just about killed myself trying to catch her, but the bike did not go down!

[BentRod]

time to do some venting, mostly about P.O's.

Never use stockings, oily gym socks, or pillow stuffing as an air filter

Use a slot head screw driver on a philips head screw

Clean rust out of a gas tank by dropping in a fist full of nuts and bolts and driving down a bumpy road, with no fuel filter of any sort.

Use window calking, roof sealer, or any other inventive solutions on a leaking gasket for you head cover, float bowls, or improvised pillow stuffing air filter.

Fill the front forks 'all the way up' with oil

Lower the rear suspension by cutting two inches of spring off

Cut or otherwise remove wheel spokes with out replacing them

Tighten oil pan screws, spark plugs, or anything else with a thread on it 'tight as you can'

Adjust the chain tension without loosening the rear axle


Time for some confessions:
Re-use fork seals because they still look ok
use an angle grinder topless

[JaNewb]

This is exactly the way I understand it. But still, I have yet to ever hear of or seen first hand of anyone having any ill effects while doing it.
Also spoke to a friend of a friend who is a bike mechanic who says lots of things *can* go wrong while jumping a bike from an auto but running the auto while doing so is not one of em, provided the charging system is in proper working condition in the first place.(which is pretty much what you said)
Like I said, I've done it many times on several different/and alike bikes with no problems.
But on the other hand, if it works fine without running the automobile then do it this way..

I've seen it go wrong. First bike I took a look at was a gs500 a year back or so. Guy brought a brand new battery cuz the old one wasn't charging. Hooked it up to a running suv and a shower of sparks ensued. Toasted something for sure.

[GSXR7ED]

Good Info

DEADLY SINS OF YOUR GS



These guys could have just done a search . . .

Here is a list of things that you should NEVER DO EVER. They come up a lot in various threads. Perhaps this will become an evil-twin to Nessism's noob mistake list and/or BassCliff's maintenance list:

1. NEVER START THE BIKE IF THERE IS GAS IN THE OIL

2. NEVER TURN THE ENGINE BY HAND OR OTHERWISE WITHOUT THE CAM CHAIN TENSIONER IN PLACE AND ARMED

3. NEVER ROTATE THE CAMS WITHOUT A SHIM IN EVERY VALVE BUCKET

4. NEVER RELY ON A PO/SHOP/BUDDY TO HAVE DONE ANYTHING CORRECTLY ON YOUR BIKE, EVER.

5. NEVER JUMP START THE BIKE FROM A RUNNING CAR BATTERY

6. NEVER IDLE YOUR AIR-COOLED ENGINE FOR MORE THAN A MINUTE OR TWO WITHOUT A FAN TO PROVIDE AIR-FLOW

7. NEVER USE AN EZ-OUT (MORE LIKE NEVER-OUT, AMIRITE?) TO EXTRACT A STUCK OR STRIPPED BOLT. USE LEFT-HANDED DRILL BITS INSTEAD.

8. NEVER RIDE WITHOUT HELMET, JACKET, BOOTS, GLOVES. ATGATT.

9. NEVER CLEAN, LUBE, FONDLE OR DO ANYTHING WITH YOUR CHAIN WHILE THE ENGINE IS RUNNING.

10. NEVER USE ARMOUR-ALL TO CLEAN A SEAT OR TIRES.

I'll edit this as more come to mind, but if you have any seriously bad moves that fit the NEVER DO THIS, post away. Try to stick to the real "pathway to doom" stuff, not the never-ending debates about pods/pipes, oil, sawzalls, etc.

If there are good links to threads the explain why these are such deadly sins (or better yet, demonstrate what happens to the sinner), post them here to add to the list.

I'll review in a minute...but some good points mentioned. I'll also look at the replies...constantly learning here.






Ed