Washing Your Motorcycle: Water Resistant vs. Waterproof
Bob LaRosaDescription
Whether it’s weather or washing, water can get into places we do not want them. Electricity and water do not mix well so keep this in mind when checking all your connectors that are in use or not.
Here’s a question we get more often than we would like to see:
Help! I washed my 2003 Fat Boy EFI with a power washer and it won’t start blew out all the electric connectors than it will start but running rough with black smoke even changed the plugs.
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Electrical Systems
Let's discuss waterproof versus water resistance. Although motorcycle harnesses have come light years from where they were in the late fifties, early sixties even up to the mid eighties we've definitely improved conductor quality, insulator quality, and connector quality. Most connectors nowadays have a nice seal that keeps moisture condensation in the elements out of the connector itself. If your motorcycle has additional accessories wired into it and you happen to have the plugs without the accessory plugged in, make sure you either cap them with a correct cap or you use a little electrical tape to tape them off when they're not in use, any type of moisture in an open plug can cause a current to jump from pin to pin or it can cause very high resistance and affect another circuit on the motorcycle. Again, things are not typically waterproof. That's why boats have bilge pumps submarines have bilge pumps. Everything water will find its way in. You need to make sure whether you're riding in the rain. You get caught in the rain when you're riding or you're just washing your bike in excessive amount that you always either dry it off with compressed air. A leaf blower works very well. A nice dry shear me or a towel to pick up the excess moisture. Don't allow it to collect and pool anywhere on the motorcycle. Water does cause corrosion, water does conduct electricity very well. You don't wanna run into an issue while you're riding due to the fact that you washed your bike very well before you went out for a ride.
Bob, also worth mentioning is the need to dry out switch housings at the handlebars. Over timeWater can wreak havoc. I prefer the the Air Force brand Blaster to accomplish drying my entire bike.
When I wash the motorcycle,I use a leaf blower.. But, when I do this it has a sputtering effect???
You really saved my skin with this inatimforon. Thanks!