Sooooo! How many people here have left their parking light on on accident and killed the battery?? Come on, be honest!

I did it yesterday, at work, 5 miles away. Im glad someone knew how to pop start a bike. Took a few tries but i lived!

Is there an easy way to disable this feature? I've cought myself a few times now turning the key a bit too far when locking the forks. I also saw another GS at my school (Monroe Community College, let me know if you see this, mines the red one), that had theirs on today. I only shook my head and hoped they could find a hill.


One other thing. I am lacking in the dremel department (ie. dont have one), can i just hacksaw the truck flap off? or will it be too awkward/hard. Do i cut it off just above where the license plate comes down, then drill holes and bolt the reflector on again?

Thanks!!!

Dont know how to disable it... its the regular tail light. Some bikes have a tiny lamp... which actually can be used in those little turn signals. Anyway Switch to JeffD's diodes. They use far less electricity and make more light so makes it easier to see as well. Or you may be able to cut a wire form the ignition. Look in your manual and find out which and see.
Cool.
Srinath.

Can you elaborate on how to push start the bike when the battery is dead?  It will be nice to know if I have to start like this one day.  This parking light thing almost got  me once, but I caught it just b4 I left the bike.  

For the truck flop, just use a sharp xacto knife, and cut a horizontal line just below the two plastic stubs that hold the license plate.  My license plate held on fine without the third stub.  Be careful of your tires when cutting!

Quote from: asungCan you elaborate on how to push start the bike when the battery is dead?  It will be nice to know if I have to start like this one day.  

It's like push starting a standard-transmission automobile, where you let the clutch out slowly while rolling downhill in 1st or 2nd gear. Same principle on a bike.   Put the bike in 1st, maybe 2nd (better), squeeze in the clutch.  If you are near a hill, just roll down (or get a friend to push you if you're on a level area, like a parking lot) til your speed is about 5-10 mph (your friend is gasping for breath at this point) then slowly let out the clutch lever.  You'll feel the bike going thru the friction zone, and the engine should come alive.  Give a little throttle and keep riding to charge up the battery.  Be sure to turn around to see if your friend has passed out.

Oh, yeah, your bike will be cold, don't forget to choke.  And run a good 15-20 minutes to sufficiently charge up the battery.

first .. everytime i see someone with a parking light on.. i turn it off for them..

i have turned off lights for all kind of bikes with my gs500 key, just push it half way and turn... it goes off.

Second to push start, use 3rd or 4th gear.. or you will never get it started.  Dont ask me why but it always push starts on the higher gears.

i have jeffd's tail lights so i dont worry.

Does the battery have water?  Did you try to jump start it from your car?  What about bump starting it?  1st or second gear, clutch in, ign key on, freind pushing, JUMP on the bike when you let out the clutch and then hold the throttle partially open til it fires and then pull in the clutch IMMEDIATELY; so it can rev up.  Don't forget to put it in first and ride around the block back to your house, put on your gear, DON'T turn the bike OFF, and ride it on the freeway for 10min.  Keep revs up around 4,000rpm to help charge the batt.

If none of that works it's really dead and you need a new one, just get a Bikemaster, they're just Yuasa rejects and usually less expensive.

I'm glad I'll be seein' ya at the Doc Wong ride, Oct 19!

Respectfully,

Now, your bike is not fuel injected so be sure to have the choke open as dmp said.

A higher gear will work better than 1st gear.  1st is too low and will produce wheel skid and will not turn the motor over.  2nd or 3rd are recommended.

Quotefirst .. everytime i see someone with a parking light on.. i turn it off for them..

i have turned off lights for all kind of bikes with my gs500 key, just push it half way and turn... it goes off.

Thats good to know, I didnt think it would work so i didnt try. But next time i will. How much do the LED tail lights cost?

Jeff has an add on the 4 sale board.
They saved me one day after being left on for 9 hours.

If you choose to jumpstart your battery from another bike, the helping bike should be running. However, if you're jumping from a car, it should not. Check out a little more detailed explanation at  http://motorcycles.about.com/cs/maintenance/ht/howtojumpstart.htm

Lucky for us aussies we don't have the parking light feature    

A Girl on a Ninja last night left hers on when I was at Bike night in Royal Oak. I happen to see her a block up and told her about it. So its not just our bikes.

Quote from: JasonBA Girl on a Ninja last night left hers on when I was at Bike night in Royal Oak. I happen to see her a block up and told her about it. So its not just our bikes.

Isn't every (nice) night "Bike Night" in Royal Oak?  

There are a lot of bikes up this way. And a lot of nice expensive cars going up and down main street cruising. But Wednesday is cruiser night downtown (very busy both sides of main for 3-4 blocks full of bikes.) and Thursday is Sportbikes, They come out later in the night and seems as tho more cars were parked with them than with the cruisers.

I may be out there again next week if the weather is nice.

Briliu said:
"Is there an easy way to disable this feature? I've cought myself a few times now turning the key a bit too far when locking the forks. "

Looks to me like pulling the gray and brown wires at the ignition switch and connecting them together will remove the taillight branch ckt from the PARK position 12v supply.  The taillight should still come on in the ON position.  This is just my observation from looking at the schematic/wiring diagrams.  Actually doing it may not be easy.  I have never torn into the ignition switch since I have only had the bike for a few months.

Any thoughts on this?

I had to stare at it a long time ... but I think you're right, John.



The Red wire comes straight from the + terminal on the battery (by way of the fuse).  When the Ignition switch is in the ON position, it's just as though all three wires (Orange, Grey and Brown) are connected right to the Red wire.

To convince yourself of this, follow the Orange wire from the Ignition switch to the 6-wire connector on the left.  You'll see that it is connected directly to the Grey wire because of the way the 2 Yellow/white wires join together.  And since the Grey wire goes back to the Ignition switch and connects directly to the Brown wire ... voila!

====================================

So what?

So, when the Ignition switch is in the P(ark) position it only energizes the Brown wire and NOT the Orange and Grey wires.

The Brown wire only powers the Tail light and something called a Sidelight.  (??)  The Orange and Gray wires power the headlight, gauge and warning lights, turn signals, horn, etc.  (See the Full-blown Haynes Wiring Diagram.)

If you snip the Brown and Grey wires near the Ignition switch and twist and/or solder them together, they will act normally when the Ignition switch is in the ON position.  They will be totally disconnected from the + battery terminal when the switch is in the P(ark) position.

Like John, I haven't messed around with the ignition switch myself (yet).  I don't know how accessible these 2 wires are, or if you could disconnect them rather than snip them, yada yada....

Ugh yes I did that once..........

NEVER AGAIN  :guns:

Left it in park all stupid day at work, came out after work with no power! Had to buy a new battery, tried charging it, no luck with keeping a charge for more than a couple hours.

Kerry said:

"If you snip the Brown and Grey wires near the Ignition switch and twist and/or solder them together, they will act normally when the Ignition switch is in the ON position. They will be totally disconnected from the + battery terminal when the switch is in the P(ark) position."

Sooooo...., who is going to be the first to try this? :lol:

isnt easier just to glance back and check