TOPIC:

Hello all, did a search but couldn't find anything, but that's not saying much because I often have problems with forum searches....

I have a slow draw on my battery that I don't have time right now to track down. So, I was thinking, rather than unconnecting the battery each time I use the bike, why not just intall a main cutoff switch on the dash.

Okay, so my questions are:

1. Is there any reason this wouldn't be okay?
2. Has anyone done this, and if so can you provide details?
3. What amperage switch and what gauge wire would I need? I saw at Radio Shack yesterday that they have a lit 25amp rocker switch.
4. The above switch had 3 posts: power, load, and ground. I'm guessing wire from (+) batery post to "power", wire to electrical loom on the "load", and wire to (-) battery post to "ground"?

Thanks!
Don

If the switch is plastic, forget it. They melt (usually in the "on" position). If it's a big bake-light switch with a metal toggle, it'll be alright. If you are planning for the switch to handle the electric starter, then that's a bad idea too.

Automotive stores have battery disconnects for the purpose you are describing, but I don't know if they'll work on small motorcycle batteries.

Before going to the trouble of installing the switch, you could do a simple test. Remove the positive cable from the battery, wire a low wattage bulb between the battery and the cable, if there is any draw with nothing turned on the light will light, the brighter the light the more draw there is. If the light lights you can remove the fuses one at a time to see which curcuit is causing the problem, pulling the main fuse will remove all curcuits from the battery because that feeds the ignition switch which gives power to the other 2 fuses. If the light doesn't light at all there is no draw and your battery itself is probably the culprit. Also, if the top of the battery is cruddy it is also possible the current is flowing across the battery itself and killing it.

I guess I could do this with a multimeter too, and read the current. I think mine measures down to milliamps.

dkellogg3 wrote:

Hello all, did a search but couldn't find anything, but that's not saying much because I often have problems with forum searches....

I have a slow draw on my battery that I don't have time right now to track down. So, I was thinking, rather than unconnecting the battery each time I use the bike, why not just intall a main cutoff switch on the dash.

Okay, so my questions are:

1. Is there any reason this wouldn't be okay?

You would still need to have the +12V power lead to the starter go direct, NEVER through a switch. That would fry the switch.

The other bad part of putting in a single switch is you have to run all the wires up to it and longer wire leads means more voltage drop before getting to the end load it's powering.

dkellogg3 wrote:

I guess I could do this with a multimeter too, and read the current. I think mine measures down to milliamps.

Start with the highest current range on the meter and work down. They are fused internally.

Most the KZs already have a basic cutoff switch as part of the ignition switch. Main power goes through the 20A fuse up to the switch and when off the doesn't flow anywhere from there. There are also wiring from the battery to the starter relay and to the reg/rectifier that has volts all the time regardless of switch position. So if your bike is the basic KZ I would suspect the reg/rectifier as being the draw. Other added aftermarket equipment can definately be a suspect too.

1980 KZ650. Thanks for all the info. Previous owner told me about the slow draw, so I've just been disconnecting the battery. I'll try the troubleshoooting Milkman suggests.