Muutama jenkkidiileri lähettää joka viikko jotain mainosta tai vastaavaa. Tässä yksi niistä, joka opettaa kuinka sähköjärjestelmien kanssa pelataan ja kehuu synteettistä öljyä ilman Teflonia....
Your Bike’s Electrical SystemNo one should have to remind you that your motorcycle’s electrical system needs to be faithfully maintained and updated from time to time. From the headlights to the taillights there are many aspects of this system that can fail. For most major troubleshooting and repair issues, turn things over to be performed by your dealership’s repair department. They are trained to make sure that there are no unexpected failures on your next road trip or commute.
However, some of you out there like to be hands-on when it comes to your motorcycle. So here are a few things to remember when adding new electrical gadgets or maintaining the electrical system that you want to learn before you start:
- First: If you smell gasoline DO NOT work on your electrical system. We shouldn’t have to list this, but when ignored people have been seriously hurt when sparks ignited gas fumes.
- Warning: Lethal voltage is carried through your spark plug leads. Before changing or troubleshooting UNHOOK the battery cables. These voltages can kill.
- Battery Disconnect or Removal: Always remove the NEGATIVE terminal first. This will eliminate the danger of your screwdriver slipping and touching metal while removing the positive terminal.
- Check Fuses First: Many of the reasons for headlights, taillights or other electrical component failure are cracked or burnt fuses. And always carry a few new ones for those unexpected burnouts.
- Crimp Connectors and Solid Wires: Neither of these should be used on a motorcycle. Vibration tends to fracture solid wires and vibration and weathering will cause crimp connectors to fail. Always use stranded wire and solder all wire connections and finish with heated shrink-wrap. Keep a length or two of stranded wire in your onboard tool kit too.
Multimeter: When testing electrical systems always use a multimeter versus a test light. Most of the circuits in today’s motorcycles use solid state transistors and using a test light can damage these.
The Benefits of Using Synthetic OilsMost motor oils today, if not completely synthetic, have additives that are. The newer synthetics, although a bit more expensive than petroleum based oils, have proven their worth with most bike owners. If you have not switched to using one of these yet, you may want to consider them because there are several advantages to using them. The first is that they retain their viscosity longer and therefore save money in the long run. The second is that they provide consistent performance, even toward the end of use, regardless of riding temperatures and RPMs.
Your engine oil has more than the one job of keeping metal parts sliding easier. Engine oil also helps to loosen and suspend sludge and varnish, and absorb moisture to prevent rust and corrosion. Synthetics have proven their worth in doing this more efficiently than the petroleum-based versions. However, some manufacturers don’t recommend synthetics during the break-in period for new bikes since these oils are more slippery and extend normal break-in time.
One synthetic additive that is not recommended by some manufactures and maintenance experts is Teflon. Teflon is the trademark of the DuPont Corporation and has been advertised to bond with the metals in your engine, which has not been proven. Probably the most important reason to avoid using this is that motorcycles have a wet clutch and adding anything that could render your clutch useless depending on how much is in the product you use is a bad idea. You will also run the risk of having to rebuild your clutch to remove this product if this happens. And if you need another reason to avoid this synthetic additive, Teflon is a solid and has shown to speed the clogging of oil filters.
