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Lithium batteries have a complicated charge cycle that has to be carefully regulated to prevent fires, but their discharge is fairly straightfoward. As long as you don't exceed the C rating (discharge rate) and don't drop below ~2.5v per cell, you won't have any problems. You keep within the C rating through proper pack selection, and it's trivial to build a protection circuit that cuts the circuit at a certain voltage. You can actually buy cylindrical 18650 cells that have the protection PCB built into the housing, so they look just like normal batteries but are fully protected. So I can't imagine that they would actually put unprotected cells into the pack, since the cost difference is negligible and an over-discharged cell is probably going to explode the next time you charge it. You're probably safe as long as you don't buy the absolute cheapest chinese stuff you can find on eBay.
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Mar 29, 2012 22:45
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| # ? May 16, 2024 23:41 |
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Maybe A123 is different? I was also envisioning some protection like I've seen on lithium packs for RC use, but I just couldn't find anything to suggest they have it in Shorai (Lithium Iron) or Ballistic (A123) batteries. http://revolectrix.com/support_docs/item_1229.pdf quote:A123 cells are not damaged by under voltage at 2.5V, but do suffer shortened life if voltage is allowed to drop to 0V (as would happen if left with the receiver/servos connected for a period long enough to drain the pack).
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Mar 29, 2012 22:50
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Sagebrush posted:It really does all depend on how good the alternator is, though. You might have the aforementioned problem where honking the horn makes your spark cut out, or you might find that with the headlights on your bike can't idle because the alternator only produces enough power to run the lamps and the ignition at 3000RPM+ and it was relying on the battery to keep the ignition running for those situations. Etc. My first bike didn't have a battery (stock) and the coils were starting to go when I got it. I could choose between the lights and the horn (you kinda want both on foggy mountains in northern Laos/Vietnam), but not both at the same time. It wouldn't cut the engine if I tried both, at least. Later had a Lao mechanic fix the coils; since they weren't readily available in Laos he unwound all the wire, measured it, then bought an equivalent length of copper wire at the market and rewound them overnight. Electrics worked fine after that 
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Mar 29, 2012 23:07
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Advantages: Saves weight equal to about a gallon of gas. Provides some extra room for storage. Disadvantages: Cost, bike may burst into violent fire which starts directly under my balls. I guess my sealed lead acid will have to do.
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Mar 30, 2012 00:36
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A123 testicular implants are the way to go. All the power you need, right there between your legs.
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Mar 30, 2012 01:03
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The urethra-routed leads are really the downfall of those.
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Mar 30, 2012 01:13
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Howdy, folks. I recently purchased my first bike, a 2006 Suzuki C50 with just under 7k miles on it. Everything's been fine on it till yesterday, and I might just be over-reacting... But I think the bike has been sounding a little bit more beefy. I went to work with no problem yesterday but on the way home, I felt like the bike was a little bit different from what I remember. I guess you could call it a bit thumpy. The ride home today was a bit heavier than I remember on previous rides with relation to the vibrations that I could feel in my feet. I think whatever is causing that is probably causing a secondary thing I've noticed.. I can only really describe it as a baseball card in the spokes of a pedal bike kind of sound, and even then, I don't feel that's accurate. I think it's related because I can only really hear/feel it when I rev the engine or I'm on the road. If I had to guess - and I'm probably wrong or this isn't possible - something is up with the firing of the cylinders. The thumping is one side of the fire, and the other noise is the other side of it? Maybe exhaust issue of some sort, but I can't tell that anything is wrong. I'll mention it's a shaft drive since someone else was suggesting checking my chain/sprocket in the "tell me what bike to buy" thread that I've been posting in for a little while. The baffles are still there, they don't look loose or anything, and both exhaust pipes seem to be pushing air out just fine; I can't feel a leak of air when hovering my hand anywhere around them. I dunno. Any suggestions on what I can check out? edit: I work at a university in downtown Indianapolis, so my bike could potentially be subject to people messing with it I suppose. The bike parking is in the corner of a parking lot under a bunch of cherry blossom trees. I don't think the pedals and other things falling from it would cause issues, but I figured I'd mention it. Aexo fucked around with this message at 01:51 on Mar 30, 2012 |
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Mar 30, 2012 01:35
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Has it been out in the rain? Could be misfiring? The ignition is completely electronic, so it will generally either work or not work, but water on the plug can short it to ground. Exhaust leak would be my second guess, even though you didnt feel anything, it could be leaking right where the header meets the head.
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Mar 30, 2012 01:57
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That baseball-card sound, does it vary with engine speed or with wheel speed? I ask, because when my chain gets really grungidy my bike makes a similar noise and might feel a little different (though that could just be in my head). If it varies with engine speed, however, it sounds like and exhaust leak.
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Mar 30, 2012 02:04
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Is your intake/air filter still firmly attached?
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Mar 30, 2012 02:33
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It may have rained very briefly yesterday while I was at work, but not enough to be noticeable anywhere when I got out. The ground/grass/my bike wasn't noticeably wet. I think Z3n suggested an exhaust leak in the other thread. I gently tried to wiggle the exhaust connections to the engine and there didn't seem to be any give. I'll check again though. The weird sound seems to match engine speed. Though it's much more noticeable when I'm riding than if I just rev the engine, I would say the vibrations I felt at 40-50mph and the weird noise was most noticeable going that speed. The cover to the air cleaner is still there. I'll actually check it though.
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Mar 30, 2012 03:05
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Carb gurus! I recently had an adventure whereby I wanted to go WOT after cruising at 4k (about 25-30%). When I whacked the throttle open, I got a big dip in power, followed by the massive surge I was expecting. Where do I go from here? I got the dip at 6k, too, but not a 8 or 9 or 10. '02 Bandit 1200, California-model carbs with all the Ca emissions stuff removed/plugged. Note: it is possible that WOT in top gear for half an hour is awesome, but it possibly exceeds the speed limit, and I wouldn't recommend that.
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Mar 30, 2012 03:13
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Is this a new problem? Have you worked on the bike lately/changed anything ? Start with seafoam and a full tank of fresh gas and give it lots of throttle, see if it cleans up.
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Mar 30, 2012 03:52
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K, so, my girlfriend (who recently passed the MSF BRC with a total -5 score) is wanting to learn how to actually ride on the street/dirt this weekend. I'm letting her ride my '89 KLR, and I'll be on my '06 Vee-Strom. She lives right in the mountains outside of Boulder, CO so she wants to try the street, but she's really interested in trying fire roads and tame dual track. What are some good tips for someone who did well at a BRC but is new to dirt-ish riding? I've never really done a lot myself. Also: My KLR is tweety as hell as one might expect from a bike that's almost as old as they are. Is there a way to feed Seafoam into the bike similar to the way you might do it in a car (vacuum line)? I've already got it in the gas tank, but I want to get that beautiful white cloud.
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Mar 30, 2012 16:51
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Start in a dirt/gravel lot of some sort and do circle drills, braking drills, and other exercises. Get a feel for the surface and read up on body positioning. Off-road you want to get on top of the bike as you go into the turn rather than lean off the inside, so you get better control if/when it slides. The KLR is tweety because of a failure in the exhaust baffles, it's a common issue. The only solution is to punch out the offending baffle.
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Mar 30, 2012 16:55
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I'd be wary about starting her on gravel unless she's not easily discouraged and you don't mind dropping your old KLR a bunch. Sure, get that training in later, but gravel is pretty much the most unpleasant thing to ride on especially for a beginner.
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Mar 30, 2012 17:14
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Bixington posted:I'd be wary about starting her on gravel unless she's not easily discouraged and you don't mind dropping your old KLR a bunch. Sure, get that training in later, but gravel is pretty much the most unpleasant thing to ride on especially for a beginner. I definitely want to avoid any injury or serious discouragement. She's tough, but landing under a bike as a newb may be a bit much. I guess we'll ramp it up slowly and rely on how she's telling me she feels.
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Mar 30, 2012 18:01
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I'd recommend she pick up some MX boots too. The KLR is heavy when it lands on a person's leg.
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Mar 30, 2012 18:50
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My DL650 seems to want to pull a little bit to the right, especially when there's an uneven load in the saddlebags. I've also noticed that, unlike my old DRZ which would be rock steady, the handlebars on this bike will shake back and forth a bit if I let go during medium/low speed engine braking. The possible causes I've heard are rear axle not aligned properly, steering head bearing needing adjustment/going bad, and maybe the older Shinko tire on the front (getting close to needing replacement). These sound like the right possibilities?
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Mar 30, 2012 19:07
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_Dav posted:I usually park in gear, so roll up and kick the stand down to stop the engine and whatnot. Is this bad? What is the difference between stopping the bike by key compared to kickstand shutoff switch or kill switch? When my friend test rode a new Bonneville the dealer told him not to use the kill switch to turn it off, so I guess on Triumphs better use the key...
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Mar 30, 2012 19:08
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What's the point of shutting it down with the kill switch anyway? Apart from the cooless of "Kill it!" *flicks red switch* The next thing you do is turn the ignition off with the key anyway.
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Mar 30, 2012 19:16
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Let's say you want to kill the engine at speed, but don't want to take your hands off the bars.
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Mar 30, 2012 19:21
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I always kill the Uly with the kill switch, it primes the fuel lines when the kill switch is on. I make it a habit to only prime it when I want to start the motor, not just the electronics.
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Mar 30, 2012 19:23
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Ola posted:What's the point of shutting it down with the kill switch anyway? Apart from the cooless of "Kill it!" *flicks red switch* If you have a kickstand kill switch, I'd highly suggest using it 
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Mar 30, 2012 19:25
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Radbot posted:I definitely want to avoid any injury or serious discouragement. She's tough, but landing under a bike as a newb may be a bit much. I guess we'll ramp it up slowly and rely on how she's telling me she feels. Here is what I meant by gravel/dirt lot. See how there is plenty of runoff room. Knobby tires will produce much better feel off-road as well.  This was from a dirt clinic I did in 2006 with Neduro. The key is to practice techniques, not just go riding. You will learn bad habits and won't understand what's safe and what's unsafe. Drills are the perfect place to practice that and discover the boundaries of safety and personal comfort.
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Mar 30, 2012 19:31
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Safety Dance posted:Let's say you want to kill the engine at speed, but don't want to take your hands off the bars. This is why I do it. My Dad despises exhaust fumes in the garage. So I'll flick the kill switch as I coast up the driveway.
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Mar 30, 2012 19:32
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Ola posted:What's the point of shutting it down with the kill switch anyway? Apart from the cooless of "Kill it!" *flicks red switch* I just do it so that it's muscle memory if my throttle cable ever gets jammed or something.
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Mar 30, 2012 20:01
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Ola posted:What's the point of shutting it down with the kill switch anyway? Apart from the cooless of "Kill it!" *flicks red switch* That's how we were taught in our MSF, and I guess it stuck. It's just habit now. Why would it be a bad idea?
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Mar 30, 2012 20:41
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My Honda says to avoid using the kill switch for normal shutdown because it doesn't turn off the fuel pump or electrical system, just the spark/ECU. I think it really depends on what your bike does when the switch is triggered.
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Mar 30, 2012 20:49
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Dalrain posted:My Honda says to avoid using the kill switch for normal shutdown because it doesn't turn off the fuel pump or electrical system, just the spark/ECU. I think it really depends on what your bike does when the switch is triggered. This is bad because?
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Mar 30, 2012 20:51
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orthod0ks posted:That's how we were taught in our MSF, and I guess it stuck. It's just habit now. Why would it be a bad idea? You're thought that at your MSF, because it won't remove your silly little hands from the grips before the engine is shut down. In real life it won't matter. Ziploc posted:This is bad because? It isn't. Honda might be scared that he hits it while going 140mph though. Sir Cornelius fucked around with this message at 21:03 on Mar 30, 2012 |
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Mar 30, 2012 21:00
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clutchpuck posted:I always kill the Uly with the kill switch, it primes the fuel lines when the kill switch is on. I make it a habit to only prime it when I want to start the motor, not just the electronics. This is why I use the kill switch. Then I go to move my dad's bike and hear a "whirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr".
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Mar 30, 2012 21:04
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nsaP posted:This is why I use the kill switch. Your dad must have the longest fuel lines ever. Are they wrapped 3 times around his entire bike?
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Mar 30, 2012 21:27
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Yeah, I think they are.
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Mar 30, 2012 21:29
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Man_of_Teflon posted:My DL650 seems to want to pull a little bit to the right, especially when there's an uneven load in the saddlebags. I've also noticed that, unlike my old DRZ which would be rock steady, the handlebars on this bike will shake back and forth a bit if I let go during medium/low speed engine braking. Mine does the exact same thing. The hands-off wobble is, far as I can tell, a peculiarity of the bike's geometry. It does happen a lot more with the bags fully loaded (shifts the CG towards the rear wheel and unloads the front). The other thing, I haven't tracked it down, and I did my best to get the rear aligned straight, but it'd be interesting to see what happens with a lighter muffler/exhaust.
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Mar 30, 2012 23:45
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Z3n posted:Is this a new problem? Have you worked on the bike lately/changed anything ? Start with seafoam and a full tank of fresh gas and give it lots of throttle, see if it cleans up. It is much better now. Full tank of gas. WOT time. Now the dip is only noticeable whacking the throttle open at 5-5.8k, and it's just a momentary pause, not the "omg did I stall it" like before. I'm going away for a month, so I filled the tank with seafoam and more clean gas, then choked off the fuel line and ran the carbs dry; here's hoping this fixes stuff.
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Mar 31, 2012 00:39
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Dear internet, Yesterday my track bike's pillion bracket got mangled in a crash. It looks to me like I could just carry on without it with no ill effects (part 6 below, K8 GSXR 1000). Is this dumb? 
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Mar 31, 2012 06:05
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Bird-o-matic posted:Dear internet, Not a problem. Ride on.
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Mar 31, 2012 06:35
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niethan posted:When my friend test rode a new Bonneville the dealer told him not to use the kill switch to turn it off, so I guess on Triumphs better use the key... The Triumph killswitch is oddly selective - kills your neutral light but not the rest of the dash, for instance. The RAT forums are full of people with "bike won't start or go into neutral" threads from people who forgot the switch, and I'll admit to neutral-hunting for far too long at least once because of the switch. Triumph interlock switches are notorious failure items as well (insert joke on British electrics) so while you can't avoid cycling the kickstand switch, saving wear on the others is probably wise. Triumphs also do weird ECU singing several minutes after shutdown (depressurizing the fuel lines?) and whatever it does is probably both important and disabled by the killswitch.
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Mar 31, 2012 18:51
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Random retarded question: On my new bike, it has two license-plate LED lights that also serve as fasteners holding the plate onto the bike. The P.O. installed my plate for me, and crimped some wires from the lights to make the lights work. I switched the plate back to my gf's bike, and in the process, had to cut the wires to free up the plate. If I toss a license plate back on and ride for now without re-connecting the lights and leaving the cut wires be, would anything bad happen to the electrical system from the loose, cut wires (they're tucked under the rear seat)? Something made me ask this out of retarded caution.
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Mar 31, 2012 21:56
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