Wrap a metre or more of ‘Gaffa’ (Carpet) tape around a screwdriver handle in your bike toolkit, it is great for insulating bared electrical wires, holding on broken indicators/Mirrors and keeping your girlfriends mouth shut! PVC tape is Ok for emergency use but will often unwind itself with age/heat from engine revealing the wires underneath.

Carry a spare 25Amp fuse as an emergency 'Get you home' (use anywhere in an emergency)

A headlight will run for about two hours on a fully charged 14 amp/hour battery (1 hour on 7 amp/hour battery) before you have to bump start it.

A few quid spent on good sticky foaming chain lube stops your chain getting worn & slack & prolongs its life.

GENERAL ELECTRICAL FAULTS:

The most common failure of motorcycle electrical systems is due to bad connections or trapped wires, most of these faults can be prevented by careful inspection of the wiring loom, especially around the headstock where wires tend to get trapped in the steering limit ‘Knobbles’! use Gaffa tape to insulate them.

Vibration will cause wires routed over sharp metal edges to short out causing blown fuses or clouds of smoke after several years perfectly good service. use Gaffa tape to fix.

Glass tube fuses will often blow for no good reason after several years of vibration.

Any signs of heated/charred PVC wiring indicates a bad connection, check it out!

A knackered battery will start your bike perfectly well on a hot summers day but then fail when the cold weather comes!, (batteries always hold less current in cold weather ) = sods law

Batteries will only last 6 months to a couple of years if they are to small for the bike, Electric start bikes always require at least 14 Amp hour batteries, for kick start only a 7 Amp hour will do.

Watch out for the indicator or rear light wires under the rear mudguard chaffing against the rear tyre which wears off the insulation exposing the wires to any near bit of motorcycle frame which promptly blows fuses.

If an ignition coil is faulty it will often start from cold perfectly well but fail after the motorcycle has run for a few miles causing misfiring or complete failure.

You can usually get a rough idea if your alternator is charging by switching on your headlight and watching it as you rev your engine to 4000 Revs, the light should dim slightly at engine tickover.

Clutch and side stand safety cut out switches can cause the electric start not to work when the bike is in gear and a wire has dropped off. have a look and use the Gaffa tape if necessary.

Spark plug caps often get damp inside in wet weather causing your bike to pop and fart and probably die - before you push it home pull your cap covers off and wipe out with your hanky - or your partners blouse , well improvise!

Most switches on older bikers will be unreliable after your bike has been dumped in the garage for the winter months. Fix this by squirting a bit of WD40 into the switches especially down the key hole of your ignition switch and then turning the switch on and off for at least a dozen times.

Always have at least one 35Amp fuse in series with the battery terminal on your custom built modified ‘Chopper’ or you may find that a bike battery can release about 200 Amps into your wiring loom causing a severe ‘fog’ for a few minutes. when the smoke has cleared you can then purchase a new battery and wiring loom! A good electrical system will have a separate fuse for headlight, indicators, etc:

Spend a tenner and buy yourself a cheap digital multimeter from Tandy or Maplin.

IF YOU HAVE A CHEAP DIGITAL MULTIMETER

Fuses should measure 0 or 1 Ohms.

CDI coils disconnected from the bike (not the big thick wires!) measure approx. 2 Ohms. Points coils measure approx. 4 Ohms.

Plug leads should measure less than 20K Ohms. Check out twin lead coil by measuring from one plug cap to the other plug cap on the same coil while connected to the bike but not switched on.

Headlamps bulbs should measure less than 1Ohms, Rear/Indicator/side light bulbs less than 2 Ohms.

Switches should measure less than 1 ohm when 'On' and a lot more than 1K Ohm when off.

ELECTRICAL FAULTS ON SPECIFIC MAKES OF MOTORCYCLES:

A common fault on older Honda M/Cs (i.e.: CX500, CB250) riding in wet weather is the engine dying as if out of petrol, The fault is sometimes due to the ‘Run/Stop’ switch getting damp. Emergency ‘Get you home’ fix is to disconnect the Black/White wire running under the left side of the petrol tank, the disconnects the Run/Stop switch enabling the engine to work! (remember the Run/Stop switch will not work!).

Yamaha electrical switches appear to last forever!

Honda CB (or better) CX500 regulator/rectifier modules are very reliable and will fit on most bikes but watch out for Yamaha XS and 3 terminal regulator systems on old bikes as they will require rewiring before the Honda regulator/rectifier can be used.

If you replace your coils - watch out - CDI coils, i.e. Honda, CB/CX used in a points type ignition system will rapidly burn out the points.

RALLY TIPS

A couple of spare cable ties can be useful for keeping electrical wires (especially rear brake switch wire) away from the exhaust pipe, holding bits that have fallen off in place and the also make incredible ‘Thumb cuffs’ for rally virgins! (don't leave e’m tied to long!)

Leaving your bike ticking over while your air mattress inflates does nothing for the battery, generally the alternator will not start to charge until at least 2000 RPM. but it may have the required effect of pissing off your mate with a hangover in the next tent!

Watch out for those Black plastic bin liners keeping all that bedding dry, Bungee cords love to slip off depositing your sleeping bags with the Bike//Volvo following you.

Use Gaffa tape to attach a small torch to the inside roof of your tent - no more fumbling in the dark and brill for finding the sicky bits after a good nights rallying. Leave it there (switched off) when you pack it up.

Trouble with vibration in your hands? Wrap a pan scourer fastened with gaffa tape around each handle grip - well, it works for me!