What did you do on your scooter today

[jackrides]

Milly, got a diagram? What's the problem?

[milly]

Feb 16, 2024 15:25:34 GMT -5 jackrides said:

Milly, got a diagram? What's the problem?

Diagram appears unobtainable for this model. But the main loom from eBay second hand appears different. I will try and explain.
Old loom duff, and main/dip with horn and indicator switch crusty. So both second hand off eBay.
Enter a new starter combined lightswitch new from dealer for that model. Fitted months back but due to time restraints wire bridged so lights on at all times.
Due to son only travelling short distance to work in dark and 13 hrs later when his shift finishes at the hospital in the dark battery not getting enough charge. So I now have it back and he got another one of mine in good condition and this mine now.
So this morning I remove the bodge connection and switch now back to ok in off position, ok in sidelight position.
Next position main/dip and flash dead except flash.
Appears to be correct feed coming out of light switch to socket but the other socket on the wiring loom doesn't have a wire to connect the power too and where it wibbles it's way through the loom to go to the main/dip beam switch socket there is not one either!
So my best guess is the secondhand loom fitted was from a model similar but with it's lights on all the time.
So it's look another day to see how to make it work properly or get a brand new loom from the dealers for £32.
Hopefully my diagnosis is right or it's time to flush my head down the toilet.

[FrankenMech]

Please clean the toilet first. Yolanda will beat you if you make a mess. Plumbers charge double on weekends and quadruple if you are stupid.

Remember you must trace down all the wires to see where they go and make a drawing on paper with a pencil BEFORE you make wiring changes or repairs. After you make bodge repairs or mods it is too late. To fix dodgy repairs you must also make a verified pencil drawing so you can see where things are forked up.

Wire colors can never be trusted.

Connectors can never be trusted to connect.

Part catalogs are hearsay and are never admissible as evidence.

Never plug in connectors without verifying the connections they are about to make.

When smoke appears and wires turn black or glow it is way too late.

Fuses never work to protect you or your work.

Electricity is lightning fast, you move glacially slow.

Murphy will always strike when ordering or installing parts.

[milly]

Well FrankenMech don't need to put head down toilet. Supplier's switch did not state it was for daytime riding lights on all the time. Luckily checked out eBay and not one saying non drl so googled what drl was and hey presto sorted.

Has one extra pin in the middle to imput power to main beam when switched over from side lights.

[FrankenMech]

Easy fix, and the drain pipes won't need unplugged!

[milly]

Feb 17, 2024 6:53:08 GMT -5 FrankenMech said:

Easy fix, and the drain pipes won't need unplugged!

Best wait till the switch arrives and is fitted FrankenMech 🙂

[FrankenMech]

Keep the plumber on speed dial...

[jackrides]

Those connection pins are indeed crusty with the 'easy fix' of sanding or brass brushing them with what will fit. 400grit or finer on a popsicle stick for example with a lot of electrical contact cleaner. Unfortunately this means that the female side is the same way and those can be difficult to get into. Frankenmech undoubtedly has more experience in that department. Top off the battery between rides with a small charger or maintainer if possible. Replace the headlight bulb, and any others, with LED ones cause they draw less electricity. Some older bikes had a second charging stator winding that was on with the headlight. Next?

[milly]

Good idea jackrides with the led bulbs being DC lighting. I will have to look into them as I know very little in the way of type and wattage, whether they need a cooling thing on them or not and not to bright to dazzle oncoming traffic. I hate that in the dark roads round here when oncoming traffic has those really bright ones that burn your retina out.

[FrankenMech]

There are solar cells set up to charge your battery through the cigarette lighter. A power port ie cigarette lighter type plug that are easily wired into the battery circuit. I usually wire them in with a 10A circuit breaker. Finding a way to mount one is usually the worst problem. Of course if the scoot or motorcycle sits in the dark the solar chargers are worthless. The power ports are useful for other things like USB chargers for phones etc.

The connectors can be cleaned as mentioned above. The pins can be removed from the connector bodies with a specific tool or a stiff wire. Once they are out in the open they can be un-crimped from the wire and chemically cleaned with some dilute hydrochloric acid and rinsed well. The wire end can be cleaned the same way then the wire can be soldered into the pin. When the connector bodies are reassembled coat the connection with silicone dielectric grease (spark plug grease) before mating the connector back up.

LED bulbs may be available for the headlight assembly. High wattage units require the cooling fins. Brent may know about available bulbs.

All the vehicles seem to have super bright lights. There used to be automotive standards for vehicle lighting but those seem to be totally ignored anymore. Law enforcement does not care either. I saw a truck several days ago with red driving lights on the front tooling down the road. White lights in the rear seem to be common also. One doesn't know whether they are coming or going...

[milly]

Someone came in the garage to get the mechanic check his lights as cop said to bright once but don't know what the outcome was. Problems have been solved youngest son starts in another cafe soon chefing he split from the other business partner and needs a motorcycle for work in March. Being as father put a bit of Dosh into it and it's reliable once sorted with switch after eldest daughter's wedding at the weekend it saves him wasting £2000+ hidden extras on financing a 6 year old Honda 125cc till his finances improve and dad can have it back again 🤔.

[FrankenMech]

If a cop said anything about the lights and the guy had to bring it to a shop, they could have been maladjusted, -sometimes happens after a fender bender or some jackleg messes with them... The modern cars are just totally jacked up by the manufacturers.

Good news on the motorcycle.

New purchased vehicles always seem to need a large infusion of cash which is why the previous owner sold them. That is why I usually keep vehicles until the wheels fall off, usually from rust here in KC. The devil you know is better than an unknown.

[milly]

Well dad got it back again and now other son wants it for work.

Thought some of you would like a laugh at my welding a while ago. Still not improved though.

Up Nottingham this weekend for daughters wedding.

She wants me to give her away but I thought sod that and got a raffle ticket book so I can sell some for her , make myself some money. Clever thinking me 🤣

[TheScooterJesus]

Added a lot of look pretty parts to the scoot this week, seat cover, headlight film, front blinkers that double as high beams, integrated smoked LED tail light with sequential signals (from a Ducati Monster) I also hung a tsurikawa from the back. Next step i think is to lower the rear a bit with an aftermarket shock

[Wrenchturner]

I just started my teardown of my Vitacci Solana, and I got only as far as the front panel before looking at the shoddy wire shielding on the front lights. I'll just make sure there's no damage, and re-sheathe all of them. Off to a good start