Do you carry a spare fuse?

[galahs]

The other week I was riding at night, in the rain with my cousin and his headlights went off.

So he had to tail me back home avoiding all the drivers who couldn't see him and tried turning into him.

Ended up it was his fuse that had blown. And you guessed it, he had no spare one on the bike.

So today I went out and purchased a spare 20amp (stock fuse for my 2005 GS500F) and a 30amp fuse (just incase the replacement 20amp blows and I'm downright desperate). I will add these to the standard tool kit.

Just a heads up to inform you all this is a good idea 

[mike_mike]

good idea.

I'll write this on my list of to-dos

[bargovic]

im pretty sure there is already a spare. At least on the '05's there is.

[mike_mike]

im pretty sure there is already a spare. At least on the '05's there is.

if there is - it is not in the '05 toolkit

[galahs]

I have an 05, where is it? 

[starwalt]

The traditional placement of the spare is on the starter relay (aka solenoid - though I am not a fan of that name) cover. It is usually a black rubber cover that slips over the relay located on the RH side of the battery box.

I don't have an 05 so this information could be incorrect.

Often owners think the fuse is OK because they discover the spare. It is easy to see with the side cover off. It pulls out fairly easy and can be inspected as good or bad. The actual fuse in use is part of the starter relay connector cap that is green or maybe red depending on the year or vendor that supplied Suzuki.

Here's an old graphic I made of the starter relay and the connection the fuse make in the circuit. The thumbnail will load the full size.


I really need to make some new pics and graphics of these things.

[Wrecent_Wryder]

[h

[starwalt]

So, do I understand correctly that the "live" one is underneath the rubber cap, which comes off... somehow... ??

No. The live one is under a snap on cover that integrates the wiring for energizing the starter relay and also feeds the wiring harness fused power. The latches can be brittle and break easy on an aged bike.

Neither the user's manual or the Clymer book are any use at all. In fact, Clymer's says it's on the other side of the bike, about the 5th mistake I've found without going into anything at any depth at all. A noob like me should not be finding any mistakes, much less more every time I look. I'm not impressed.

Don't be too harsh. They are probably referring to the 89 that had a somewhat different placement of the fuse. It is frustrating to take purchased material and translate it to reality. I have the Haynes, Clymer and two OEM manuals. Even with all those it take some pondering at times to get the electricals correct.

I concur, it's certainly not a "starter solenoid" in the automotive sense. I suppose technically any relay is partly a solenoid, and it is in the starter circuit, but calling it that would be very misleading.

Yeah, it is a pet peeve of mine. A solenoid is an electrical device to do mechanical work directly. A relay is an electrical device to do electrical work. The automotive blending of the terms tends to carry over into the motorcycle world. True that their electrical theory works the same, the difference is the output product.

You might want to poke around my photo ablum on this bike. HERE is a link to the photo of the cap in question on my 90 project.

[Dr. Love]

For my 89 the spare fuse is held right beside the live one...

[Wrecent_Wryder]

[34

[bargovic]

I have an 05, where is it? 

It on the right hand side off the battery just behind the rear plastic. its in a lil rubber sleeve/slot.

[scratch]

Besides the spare in the holder, I carry one in my pocket.

[ambisinister]

Will it really be worthwhile to carry a spare for roadside repair if you have to disassemble half the bike to access it?

[Cal Amari]

Probably all you'll ever want to know about relays here:

http://www.airheads.org/content/view/159/98/

I consider that to be the best relay-breakdown I've ever seen on the 'net; hope someone else finds it worth reading / printing...

Yes, the animations are kinda cool... For people with no idea how relays work, or what you can do to repair them, what other relays are acceptable substitutes, or how to know when you're looking at one, that page should answer all of your questions.

For the record, I keep several spare fuses of different ratings taped in a SMALL twist-tied baggie inside the headlight shell; I carry both the old-style round glass fuses, and the newer blade-type fuses. I've been able to help a lot of riders over the years that way. You know the type; they're stopped by the side of the road, helmet off, seat on the ground, scratching their head... Some know they're screwed without a spare fuse, and some don't even know what the problem is. I also keep two 20A blade fuses in a pocket on every jacket I own, so I don't have to wonder if I remembered to bring fuses. That way, I always have a 20A fuse available without having to disassemble the headlight...

[Wrecent_Wryder]

[4

[tussey]

For my 89 the spare fuse is held right beside the live one...

+1   

[galahs]

Crap!

I also thought the spare was the live fuse 

[John Bates]

................................
So today I went out and purchased a spare 20amp (stock fuse for my 2005 GS500F) and a 30amp fuse (just incase the replacement 20amp blows and I'm downright desperate). I will add these to the standard tool kit.
...........................

As you imply, a 30 amp fuse is not a good idea.  I just want to reinforce that.

It reminds me of the good old days when screw-in house fuses were used.  Some placed a penny under the fuse to make the circuit work and burned the house down.

[galahs]

Yeah, I only carry the 30 amp incase my (now 2) spare fuses blow as well and I'm stranded and its my only way of getting home.

Otherwise I wouldn't use or recommend people use the 30amp fuse at all.