So one purpose of this forum is too pass along little tidbits to help others (aside from trying to find Bust a sheep, banning Johnny80s, and posting pictures of beemerdons as a known donkey rider). Heres my 2 cents again. Remember this post? Well heres a follow-up.
My battree (battery for you non-Canuckleheads) has been spinning a little slower than normal in the morning, and now lately when I leave from work too. So I just continue to ride as long as it starts. This morning it was real slow, kinda worried me. It labored pretty good after work, that really concerned me. A block from work sitting at a light the bike just dies. I hit the starter, no dash, it just goes dark, just a click, great. OK, puller over to the side, and have it in neutral and it fires. I kept the throttle at 1500 RPM at lights. On the freeway Im getting a mild surge again. Thoughts form my summer trip come to mind (see post above), ....but… I tightened that thing pretty good on the trip, and then one of the other riders gave it a ¼ turn more, which worried me it might strip..... Anyway back to the present, the bike starts surging more. As I get closer to home, it accelerates like its hitting on 2-3 cylinders, I barely make it home.
I pull the dash panel tupperware and low and behold the terminal moves freely, not like last time where the bolt backed out quite a bit. None the less its loose and making poor contact. On closer inspection and troubleshooting I discover this little gem.
Looks like the rubber insulator for the positive terminal is between my terminal and battree post. This is not evident when installing the terminal. If I hadnt try to scuff up the bottom of the terminal I would have missed it again. So maybe thats why it comes loose. Not only that, maybe due to it loosening up, the terminal gets oxidized a little as seen in the pic.
Note the copper is dull and not shiny. Since its loose and getting oxidation over time the contact gets worse etc., and performance of the battree goes down until you get the dreaded electrical surge from no juice but the alternator. FeeJs dont like that.
So I didn't forget to tighten that down last time. But I have something to look for each time I reinstall the terminal.
So kids, make sure the rubber piece of the positive terminal is NOT between the terminal and post, check your terminals regularly. Ride save have fun and look out for sheep.
My battree (battery for you non-Canuckleheads) has been spinning a little slower than normal in the morning, and now lately when I leave from work too. So I just continue to ride as long as it starts. This morning it was real slow, kinda worried me. It labored pretty good after work, that really concerned me. A block from work sitting at a light the bike just dies. I hit the starter, no dash, it just goes dark, just a click, great. OK, puller over to the side, and have it in neutral and it fires. I kept the throttle at 1500 RPM at lights. On the freeway Im getting a mild surge again. Thoughts form my summer trip come to mind (see post above), ....but… I tightened that thing pretty good on the trip, and then one of the other riders gave it a ¼ turn more, which worried me it might strip..... Anyway back to the present, the bike starts surging more. As I get closer to home, it accelerates like its hitting on 2-3 cylinders, I barely make it home.
I pull the dash panel tupperware and low and behold the terminal moves freely, not like last time where the bolt backed out quite a bit. None the less its loose and making poor contact. On closer inspection and troubleshooting I discover this little gem.
Looks like the rubber insulator for the positive terminal is between my terminal and battree post. This is not evident when installing the terminal. If I hadnt try to scuff up the bottom of the terminal I would have missed it again. So maybe thats why it comes loose. Not only that, maybe due to it loosening up, the terminal gets oxidized a little as seen in the pic.
Note the copper is dull and not shiny. Since its loose and getting oxidation over time the contact gets worse etc., and performance of the battree goes down until you get the dreaded electrical surge from no juice but the alternator. FeeJs dont like that.
So I didn't forget to tighten that down last time. But I have something to look for each time I reinstall the terminal.
So kids, make sure the rubber piece of the positive terminal is NOT between the terminal and post, check your terminals regularly. Ride save have fun and look out for sheep.
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