A little electrical question

[petekadish]

Hi All!

 

Recently I had some accent LED lighting installed on my bike everything looks awesome and (for the most part), runs just fine. However, last night I decided that since the night air was kind of chilly, I decided to plug-in and check my Gerbing's Jacket Liner to make sure that it was still working properly for when it begins to get colder. Fortunately, it works just fine. Unfortunately, last night while the bike was running, and Gerbing's was plugged-in and running, I flipped-on my new accent lighting for just a moment and then my gear-indicator lights disappeared. I typically will just turn-on the accent lighting when the bike is off and nothing else is running. Last night was the first time I tried turning on the accent lights with everything else running also. So, apparently I blew a fuse which is connected to my gear- indicator lights.

 

My question is ..., Where is the fuse located for the gear-indicator lights which I blew, and is anything else typically on that same line? Also, what size fuse do I need to replace it with. I don't appear to have lost any other functions that I am aware of. All of my other dash-indicator lights, etc., seem to be working fine.

 

As you can probably tell, I didn't install the accent lighting myself. I know better than to get in to my electrical system. Some things are just way beyond my skill level.

 

Thanks guys!

Pete.

[Moped]

Pete, I assume you mean neutral light and others. Low fuel,overdrive,neutral are all on same circuit as well as other lights. Checking fuses would be easiest way to diagnose. I believe it is 15A fuse which are marked and is located behind left side cover under seat. Remove rear allen screw and pull towards you to remove two tangs on front of cover. Good luck.

[Seaking]

Hi All!

 

My question is ..., Where is the fuse located for the gear-indicator lights which I blew, and is anything else typically on that same line? Also, what size fuse do I need to replace it with. I don't appear to have lost any other functions that I am aware of. All of my other dash-indicator lights, etc., seem to be working fine.

 

As you can probably tell, I didn't install the accent lighting myself. I know better than to get in to my electrical system. Some things are just way beyond my skill level.

 

Thanks guys!

Pete.

 

Two things you need to know about electrical work on any bike:

 

(A) FM Principle of Electricity and

 

(B) Theorem of Electrical Smoke.

 

In regards to (A) this one is simple and is merely an observation and statement: Anything and everything electrical is simple FM (Freaking Magic).. Once you learn to appreciate that statement, everything else comes to you much easier.

 

In regards to (B), the Theorem of Electrical Smoke is easily explained that smoke is what makes electrical components work. If you let the smoke out of anything electrical, it will cease to work, and porportionally so.

 

In other words, the more smoke you let out of an electrical system, the more work and more expensive it will be to replace that smoke in order to make it work properly again. If you don't believe me, try it someday.. start touching stuff inside your stereo with a metal bar and see how expensive it is to put all that smoke back into the system to make it work again, eh? See, I told you.

 

Hopefully, in your case, the amount of smoke that was allowed to escape was miniscule and won't be expensive to replace.. There is very little smoke trapped inside a fuse, luckily..

[petekadish]

That finally puts everything in to it's proper perspective. I can finally relate. And, all along I always thought of electrical things as being overly complicated and beyond my ability to comprehend, but it's really not all that hard now.

 

I'm going to print-out your post and give it to the guys who did all of the extra accessory wiring on my bike. I'm sure they will appreciate it as much as I did.

 

Can you also help me understand math or women? Oh yea, I also have teenage daughters who confuse the heck out of me too.

 

Thanks!

Pete.

[Seaking]

That finally puts everything in to it's proper perspective. I can finally relate. And, all along I always thought of electrical things as being overly complicated and beyond my ability to comprehend, but it's really not all that hard now.

 

I'm going to print-out your post and give it to the guys who did all of the extra accessory wiring on my bike. I'm sure they will appreciate it as much as I did.

 

Can you also help me understand math or women? Oh yea, I also have teenage daughters who confuse the heck out of me too.

 

Thanks!

Pete.

 

Sorry Man, I'm only a scientist, not a magician..

 

However your problem with women of any age is resolved by a simple axiom:

 

Women are always right: Men are always Wrong.. When men are actually right, they are wrong, because women are always right.

 

Once you learn to appreciate, embrace and live by this axiom, the universal mysteries of life will open up to you and you will find eternal peace with yourself.

 

Oh and as far as math goes, the only thing you need to know is that the shortest distance between two points in life is an angle.. ; )

 

Cheers

[petekadish]

The collective wisdom on this site never ceases to amaze me.

 

When I was a teenager, I figured that I had pretty much learned all of the most important things in life:o. Yesterday, I turned forty-eight and every year that I grow older, I realize that I am finally beginning to capture just a fraction of the most important information I need in this life.

 

So much to learn, but so little time - and it just goes by faster and faster each year.

 

Thanks!

Pete.

[Dano]

Pete, just give up and GO RIDE!!!!! ALL things are explained that way!!

 

Dan

 

PS- Why do you think Wildhair (Lowell) is so happy?!?!?!?!

[KiteSquid]

Both items are aftermarket and could be wired 1,000,000 ways, so trobuleshooting by remote is a crap shoot at best....

 

 

sorrry....

[JimRoberts]

I've been an electrician for 27 years and finally had someone explain electricity to be on a motorcycle website. Also you have to replace the sparks as well as the smoke.

[Seaking]

I've been an electrician for 27 years and finally had someone explain electricity to be on a motorcycle website. Also you have to replace the sparks as well as the smoke.

 

Unfortunately sparks are so elusive and random that most people don't enter them into the equation unless the ratio of hairs raised and underwear changes are factored in.

 

As an experienced electrician, you should know well that to release the smoke out of an weak and expensive component doesn't require the release of it's capacity of sparks..

 

However, should there be sparks released prior to the smoke release, a different formula is used. The bigger the spark and the bigger the smoke, the much more expensive it is to get that smoke back in there.

 

However, the base rule of chaos dictate that not all release of spark will release smoke. You almost have to use a flow chart for that one..

 

We could be here all day going through the various rules, formulas, theorems, laws, axioms and dictums of electricity...

 

or we can go riding..

 

I opt for the latter.. right after I mop up all this electricity from the floor as apparently I drained my battery last night.. but I'm not seeing it.. ?!?!?! what the heck?