Hello Brutale People,
I have a lovely 2004 Brutale, early model and a dream to ride. Just got her up to 6k miles, tried to install an integrated tail light and messed up a bunch (I turned my head while my drunken buffoons of friends began to touch hot wires together). We ended up blowing a fuse or two, and I fully broke the right side blinker system in the SPU, which clearly led to the early demise of my SPU (which was already on the way out, the bike would sometimes die randomly which seems to be an SPU symptom).
I did not expect what I had coming for me though... this was very hazardous and makes me sometimes wish I could deal with the booring-ness of jap bikes.
Essentially went it went like this:
Riding on my way up to visit some friends in upstate NY, it's a hot one, 90 outside. I knew the SPU might go on me but I'm hesitant to buy a new one until it fails. After getting out of the local roads and one pull on the highway, right before crossing the whitestone bridge, the bike dies. It runs with no dash/electronics until it eventually fully dies and I begin to roll into the shoulder. Damn SPU guess I don't get to go upstate. I see a small puff of smoke and think to myself 'wow it really did overheat huh' and get off the bike. Suddenly, it combusts!
I begin frantically trying to wave down any motorist to help, a bridge police officer zooms by with my arms in the air. I see a large puff of smoke emerge from the side of the bike as I get more frantic and ANOTHER bridge officer drives right past me screaming and flailing, begging for anybody to help. A good 30 seconds go by, I begin to come to terms with the possibility of my bike burning on the side of a crowded highway, when finally a plumbing truck stops and the crew comes with a fire extinguisher and water, I pull the right side panel and we extinguish the flames. From the left side you can see the red hot SPU, smoldering. Unbelievable. This was a serious hazard and could have killed a less lucky or unprepared rider.
The fire damage seems to be minimal, only a small nick in the fuel tank which I patched with JB weld, and a rip in the SPU strap which I patched with electrical tape. It seems that once I get my new SPU in from Startwin we should be good to go!
Gave her a wash down to get the fire extinguisher off and cleaned all electrical connectors with qd. While she's open I will wash the foam filter (twin air put in by previous owner) and I replaced the fuel connector with a metal triumph one.
Questions:
1. Should I put dielectric grease in the plugs? I don't see any, I'm not sure if it's a good idea?
2. You notice that janky fuel connector the previous owner put in? I guess he broke one and did some sort of janky plumber replacement, it has worked fine so far and it's really sturdy so I don't see it failing anytime soon, buuut I just remembered I have a wrecked speed triple in the backyard with full metal male & female CPC connectors that I could use to replace the ones on the MV, should I go for it? Or just leave the current setup (if it's stupid and works it's not stupid)?
3. Anything else to watch out for? I would like to get this bike back to reliable status and use almost daily, at least until the season is over.
Pictures (it is a plastic connector in the picture I did replace it I swear):
Just a fun bonus of yours truly after slipping on a Revel scooter in the city. Ride them if you get the chance, they're a blast.
I have a lovely 2004 Brutale, early model and a dream to ride. Just got her up to 6k miles, tried to install an integrated tail light and messed up a bunch (I turned my head while my drunken buffoons of friends began to touch hot wires together). We ended up blowing a fuse or two, and I fully broke the right side blinker system in the SPU, which clearly led to the early demise of my SPU (which was already on the way out, the bike would sometimes die randomly which seems to be an SPU symptom).
I did not expect what I had coming for me though... this was very hazardous and makes me sometimes wish I could deal with the booring-ness of jap bikes.
Essentially went it went like this:
Riding on my way up to visit some friends in upstate NY, it's a hot one, 90 outside. I knew the SPU might go on me but I'm hesitant to buy a new one until it fails. After getting out of the local roads and one pull on the highway, right before crossing the whitestone bridge, the bike dies. It runs with no dash/electronics until it eventually fully dies and I begin to roll into the shoulder. Damn SPU guess I don't get to go upstate. I see a small puff of smoke and think to myself 'wow it really did overheat huh' and get off the bike. Suddenly, it combusts!
I begin frantically trying to wave down any motorist to help, a bridge police officer zooms by with my arms in the air. I see a large puff of smoke emerge from the side of the bike as I get more frantic and ANOTHER bridge officer drives right past me screaming and flailing, begging for anybody to help. A good 30 seconds go by, I begin to come to terms with the possibility of my bike burning on the side of a crowded highway, when finally a plumbing truck stops and the crew comes with a fire extinguisher and water, I pull the right side panel and we extinguish the flames. From the left side you can see the red hot SPU, smoldering. Unbelievable. This was a serious hazard and could have killed a less lucky or unprepared rider.
The fire damage seems to be minimal, only a small nick in the fuel tank which I patched with JB weld, and a rip in the SPU strap which I patched with electrical tape. It seems that once I get my new SPU in from Startwin we should be good to go!
Gave her a wash down to get the fire extinguisher off and cleaned all electrical connectors with qd. While she's open I will wash the foam filter (twin air put in by previous owner) and I replaced the fuel connector with a metal triumph one.
Questions:
1. Should I put dielectric grease in the plugs? I don't see any, I'm not sure if it's a good idea?
2. You notice that janky fuel connector the previous owner put in? I guess he broke one and did some sort of janky plumber replacement, it has worked fine so far and it's really sturdy so I don't see it failing anytime soon, buuut I just remembered I have a wrecked speed triple in the backyard with full metal male & female CPC connectors that I could use to replace the ones on the MV, should I go for it? Or just leave the current setup (if it's stupid and works it's not stupid)?
3. Anything else to watch out for? I would like to get this bike back to reliable status and use almost daily, at least until the season is over.
Pictures (it is a plastic connector in the picture I did replace it I swear):
Just a fun bonus of yours truly after slipping on a Revel scooter in the city. Ride them if you get the chance, they're a blast.