Waterproofing my bike

Hey guys, if you knew you were going to be riding for 5 days straight in the rain, might you offer any suggestions related to the electrical system? Specifically any known waterproofing issues that I can address. I'm replacing the fusebox and reg/rec, as well as my battery (not directly related to waterproofing, just fyi).

You don't have pod air filters do you? I know it's not related to the electrical system, but still important I think.

Chaotic Reason wrote: You don't have pod air filters do you? I know it's not related to the electrical system, but still important I think.

No, I enjoy riding my bike, not tinkering with the carbs.

Take along a can of electrical contact cleaner/preservative called "De-Oxit" available from Radio Shack Stores and other electronic supply places. www.deoxit.com is their website.

I use it on my bike and other devices around the house(cordless phone charging cradles,entertainment center patch cords)

I'd replace the sparkplug caps & maybe carry a spare set.

Touché! I like that.
I think MFolks is right, cleaning everything and taking spares for the plugs is a good idea. I would also double-check that your luggage is waterproof. It truly sucks to get out of the rain and to try to put something dry on, and not have anything dry. I always take along a few large trash bags to eith wrap around everything, or to pack things in and then pack them away. (Living in N. Ireland for 5 years teaches you a thing or two about the rain.)

I'll be bringing spares and then some- 8 extra plugs this time. 8,000 miles round trip- halfway the plugs get replaced no matter what they look like.

Attached is a picture of my MSD wires and boots- I am 110% pleased with these plug boots- they're made out of a soft silicone, fit really tightly and cover most of the plug, only leaving about a half inch of the white porcelain exposed.

I just scored an Anton rear trunk (combination side bags and top case) on ebay. This weekend I just finished shooting the inside with rubber undercoating to ensure the old fiberglass was watertight. I should be set on that front.

I'd get some silicone RTV compound(Room temperature Vulcanizing)and seal around the rectifier/regulator where the wires come out of the unit as some bikes have developed water intrusion there. Check the ignition coil conections too. Do you have aftermarket coils (Dyna,Accel)? What came from the factory had 1/4" push on connections, the after market coils have screws that tighten into a threaded boss in the body of the coil.

Good call on the voltage regulator/rectifier sealing- all these years I never knew what RTV stands for, good to know!

I'm running the Dyna 3.0 ohm coils- next time I pull my tank off, I'll go over the coil connections again.

I used to live in Ireland where it rains all the time and 5 or 6 days straight rain is not unusual. I remember using an aerosol spray which put a clear waterproof coating on the electrics and it would last a few months. I saw something like that in local autoparts store recently but cant remember the name.. Ignition coating spray ? Something like that. Wet electrics are no fun. Try putting a finger on a wet plug cap thats shorting out :laugh: In a pinch I have sprayed WD40 on coils and ignition wires to disperse the water. Short front mudguards are a curse in wet weather as they will throw water up under the gas tank.
Good look

On your ignition coils, take the screws loose,remove the wires & check for corrosion, Spray a little De-Oxit on the teminals and then tighten them up.

After they have dried, take some clear RTV and cover the wire connections, this will do two things; a vibration resistance covering that also protects the terminations from moisture.

Another thing to do, is drill the drain bolt(s) for safety wiring. I use aircraft grade 0.032" SS safety wire on the oil filler cap,fiter cover bolt & drain plugs. You can drill from one side of the hex flat to the other, just enough to be able to get some safety wire through the hole & secure it to a bolt or cooling fin under the engine.

This way, nothing will vibrate loose concerning engine lubrication, and I can see by a quick glance on my bike if some one has messed with the oil(most street thugs are not in the habit of carrying around safety wire and tools to twist it).

MFolks wrote: Another thing to do, is drill the drain bolt(s) for safety wiring. I use aircraft grade 0.032" SS safety wire on the oil filler cap,fiter cover bolt & drain plugs. You can drill from one side of the hex flat to the other, just enough to be able to get some safety wire through the hole & secure it to a bolt or cooling fin under the engine.

This way, nothing will vibrate loose concerning engine lubrication, and I can see by a quick glance on my bike if some one has messed with the oil(most street thugs are not in the habit of carrying around safety wire and tools to twist it).

Good call with the safety wire. I'll be changing the oil in a week or two and will make sure to safety wire the sump plugs.

Does anyone know where to get rubber o-ring material? I'm not looking for the O-Rings, just a length of round rubber that can be made into o-rings?

Also, weatherstripping- where can I get this at? Almost like a neoprene gasket- something that gives a little bit, to seal up nice and tight.