HICAP starter wire upgrade?

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

Has anybody here installed the HICAP starter wire upgrade on their bike?

 

https://motolectric.com/products/electrical_upgrade_kits.html

 

If so, what's your take on the results?  

 

I feel like my '09 R1200RT has always been marginal for starting, and often cross my fingers for luck on cold mornings, even if it's been sitting on the battery tender.  Wondering if this might help out.  

[dirtrider]

2 hours ago, Joe Frickin' Friday said:

Has anybody here installed the HICAP starter wire upgrade on their bike?

 

https://motolectric.com/products/electrical_upgrade_kits.html

 

If so, what's your take on the results?  

 

I feel like my '09 R1200RT has always been marginal for starting, and often cross my fingers for luck on cold mornings, even if it's been sitting on the battery tender.  Wondering if this might help out.  

Afternoon Mitch 

 

Just do a cold morning voltage drop test between the battery + post & the starter large B+ stud. Then do the same between the battery (-) post & the starter housing (clean resistance free spot).

 

If very little voltage drop measured then you are wasting your money, if you find excess voltage drop then  add a thicker cable on the voltage drop side, or in some cases (like my Ducati's)  I just add a second cable in parallel with the original cable). 

 

My 1200RT  also cranks slow on real cold (sub freezing)  mornings with 20w50 oil (thick oil, high compression, & no compression release). But it has never failed to start. It does better with 10w50 oil though. 

 

 

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

5 hours ago, dirtrider said:

If very little voltage drop measured then you are wasting your money, if you find excess voltage drop then  add a thicker cable on the voltage drop side, or in some cases (like my Ducati's)  I just add a second cable in parallel with the original cable). 

 

 

What's considered an excessive voltage drop in this situation?

[dirtrider]

9 hours ago, Joe Frickin' Friday said:

 

What's considered an excessive voltage drop in this situation?

Morning Mitch

 

Depends on who you talk to, there is no BMW given spec (that I know of anyhow) so it is a common sense thing.   

 

My personal acceptance is .2 volts  or under being OK with .4v or over needing attention or understanding, &  .5v or over needing finding out why. 

[Watchdog3001]

Joe,

Did you install this? If you did, where did you connect the earth cable to - noting that the engine earth is difficult to get to.

[dirtrider]

21 hours ago, Watchdog3001 said:

Joe,

Did you install this? If you did, where did you connect the earth cable to - noting that the engine earth is difficult to get to.

Morning  Watchdog3001

 

I'm not Mitch (Joe), until he shows back up to tell you if he did in fact added additional higher amp cables I can offer some thoughts on where to hook the ground cable.  

 

I haven't "yet" had to add additional cables to any 1200RT that I have tested for voltage drop as all that I have tested so far have tested reasonable as far as cable voltage drop goes. 

 

If you don't want to dig in & hook to the original cable grounding point then your options are somewhat limited as you really should hook directly to the engine block itself or directly to the transmission case.  (you don't want to hook to the cylinders or other secondary attachment points if it's possible to avoid that)

 

On the 1200RT my personal supplemental ground cable connection point would probably be at one of the starter attachment bolts, that gives a direct path to the starter motor (by far the highest amp requiring item) & is somewhat easy to get to). 

 

Personally, I like to do things the correct way so I would probably source a 8mmx60mm ZNS3 or Z-1  bolt/stud (that is 60mm bolt with a threaded stud sticking up from the bolt head), then install that bolt/stud as one of the starter attachment bolts, then install the cable on the stud using a star washer & nut. (this is the best way)

 

An  8mmx60mm bolt/stud might be difficult to source so a regular 70 or 75mm threaded stud (a REAL threaded stud not cheap soft all thread)  with a nut to hold the starter tight then the ground cable with nut & star washer added to the stud.

 

You might even be able to go to a slightly longer (65mm) Z-1 starter bolt then install the ground cable & star washer under the bolt head. (not my personal preferred way but would probably work OK)   

 

 

[Watchdog3001]

Dirtrider, my bad.

I've got an R1150RT, not a 1200 and was interested in both whether this was worth doing and where an appropriate earthing point would be.

 

Since posting I've managed to get access to the earth point under the tray where the ABS pump used to be - a bit of a jiggle to get the tray out of the way enough without having to disturb the cables to my recently synced throttle bodies.

 

If this is the wrong location then I like your option to use a bolt stud.

 

I'll post back when the installation is complete and report on how effective I find  this mod to be.

 

By the way I'm making the cables myself at a fraction of the cost of the set from Motorworks.

 

[dirtrider]

1 hour ago, Watchdog3001 said:

Dirtrider, my bad.

I've got an R1150RT, not a 1200 and was interested in both whether this was worth doing and where an appropriate earthing point would be.

 

Since posting I've managed to get access to the earth point under the tray where the ABS pump used to be - a bit of a jiggle to get the tray out of the way enough without having to disturb the cables to my recently synced throttle bodies.

 

If this is the wrong location then I like your option to use a bolt stud.

 

I'll post back when the installation is complete and report on how effective I find  this mod to be.

 

By the way I'm making the cables myself at a fraction of the cost of the set from Motorworks.

 

Evening  Watchdog3001

 

The original grounding point is good place to hook to, just make sure that it is clean & oxidation free. 

[Watchdog3001]

I can report that the wires are all connected and the result is positive. Engine fires up almost immediately and a couple of turns earlier than before.  I made the cables myself for about half of what is advertised on the Motorworks website - the biggest expense was the hex crimping tool to do a professional looking job on the lugs. 

 

I also wired in a beeper to the turn signals as I'm still getting used to the odd controls.  Next job is add some led stop lights to the top box - this'll be another self-made job rather than spend the £35 for the Givi kit.

[Watchdog3001]

I can report that the wires are all connected and the result is positive. Engine fires up almost immediately and a couple of turns earlier than before.  I made the cables myself for about half of what is advertised on the Motorworks website - the biggest expense was the hex crimping tool to do a professional looking job on the lugs. 

 

I also wired in a beeper to the turn signals as I'm still getting used to the odd controls.  Next job is add some led stop lights to the top box - this'll be another self-made job rather than spend the £35 for the Givi kit.