Battery Cables and Starter Leads

[The Sock]

Having had my OEM cables, on my Triple, for way too many years. Forty-one, to be precise, and having suffered the infarction inducing production of copious smoke issuing from below the carburettors, I finally came to realise that wiring, particularly high load wiring, is a service item.



Dampness creeps up inside the plastic sheath and, with the application of current, electrolytic corrosion takes place. This increases the resistance, which increases the heat produced which speeds up the corrosion. The cycle continues, starting becomes more problematic until something, like the above, occurs.
Check your leads? If they're nice and flexible, fine. If they're stiff and resist movement, replace them.
I got my replacements from Alisdair, at sun_motorcycles on Ebay.
Alisdair is a Laverda guy and extremely helpful. He has standard sizes on hand and, if you've changed your battery orientation or size, he can make cables sized to order.
Service is quick and, along with the other wiring fixes on my SF2, his cables now grace my recent acquisition.

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[pf1]

I bought some from a local shop that supplies fittings for boat builders and camper van conversions. All sorts of bits and bobs available from there.

 

[Paul Marx]

I make mine up.
Paul

 

[Gerald]

Paul,

I assume you have tool and crimps to make up cables.
Until I was given the set in the pic I bought all cables as well.

Gerald

 

[Paul Marx]

Paul,

I assume you have tool and crimps to make up cables.
Until I was given the set in the pic I bought all cables as well.

Gerald

I don't have the tool.
I buy the connectors split and the use large pliers, a hammer, and solder.
A bit of heatshrink over end of the connector and alles gut, wunderschön.
Paul

 

[arancia]

Change that old Bosch fuse box too!

The corrosion between disimilar metals of the fuses and their holder contacts means you may have poor headlight brightness, horn not always working when you want it and various other little electrical anomalies else one morning you'll have to rotate the fuses in their holders to get any response to the ignition key turn.

If you want it to look original, a new almost-identical-looking one from Hella via the VW Beetle parts seller will do the job even using the same fuse style but a more modern one with blade fuses is more likely to resist the corrosion of damp climates.

 

[Paul Marx]

Change that old Bosch fuse box too!

The corrosion between disimilar metals of the fuses and their holder contacts means you may have poor headlight brightness, horn not always working when you want it and various other little electrical anomalies else one morning you'll have to rotate the fuses in their holders to get any response to the ignition key turn.

If you want it to look original, a new almost-identical-looking one from Hella via the VW Beetle parts seller will do the job even using the same fuse style but a more modern one with blade fuses is more likely to resist the corrosion of damp climates.

Bosch fuse box is original on my long suffering SF2.
Fuses might be 1973 vintage as well.
Paul

 

[Tippie]

And yet many of us have experienced frustrating voltage loss over those old fuse holders. But just keep it there because someone else didn't have any trouble. Is there any point mentioning upgrades here?

 

[Paul Marx]

And yet many of us have experienced frustrating voltage loss over those old fuse holders. But just keep it there because someone else didn't have any trouble. Is there any point mentioning upgrades here?

How does one know if there's voltage loss if it all functions as it should?
Is there such a thing as mechanical hypochondria?
Paul