Starter wiring upgrade

To be honest the easiest way I've found is to remove the cables you want to replace, then pop down your local Halfords and match them up. You can add or subtract lengths to suit and their replacement battery cable is 10mm and easily up to the job. It does make a worthwhile difference ;-)

 

Multiple stranded wire is best, tinned.

 

Or, just order a kit from Powerlet. Simples

 

Make a few kits up and sell them on here/eBay

Those cans could work out being free that way :tongue:

 

10mm is fine, its still way more than double the toilet that's on the stock loom. I made my own up out of some stuff we had lying around at work and its fine. Try and take everything back to battery earth if you can, or a busbar. But yes, 10mm should allow you to grin when you crank it over again



standard wiring is the narrower diameter so your 10mm should be plenty.

 

I bought a kit from powerlet, it made no difference at all. Make sure all your connections are clean, that will make things alot better.

 

Obviously, there were other issues then. The standard starter circuit fitted is pants and any upgrade (Powerlet kit or DIY cables) WILL improve an otherwise healthy system.

 

Well yes you would think so wouldn’t you? However it was just after I had bought the bike (ST4S) and it didn’t like starting. So I cleaned every connection in the starter circuit I could find, made no difference. Then bought the powerlet kit, which I have to say was a little too tight on cable length to the solenoid for something so expensive, and again it made no difference. So I bought a new battery and it was perhaps a little better. Since then I have got to know the bike better and can find the sweet spot on the fast idle lever every time and it starts no probs. So perhaps this was the issue? Even so I would have expected the powerlet to make some difference, but it hasn’t.

 

It's possible the kit isn't so effective on the ST4S.

When I fitted the kit to my 900SS I thought they had sent the wrong kit till I figured that the far shorter solenoid - starter cable should be routed by the more direct route rather than the mystery tour that Ducati sent it on LOL

There is also the option of fitting a 10mm x 60cm lead directly between the earth lug on the engine and the negative terminal on the battery. The late 470four had this brainwave and it improved things further. Worth a try maybe?

 

I'd be interested in a kit that fitted my bike without messing around too much..and crimped of course not soldered..

 

Buy some low cost jump leads with the right size wire but crappy clips...........then buy the crimp fittings (cheap enough) and part crimp with mole grip or similar, then solder and heat shrink sleeve them (you can get heat shrink with waterproof adhesive in it as well).

AL