About to weld an extension onto my exhaust. Should battery be disconnected?

[G.C.]

Welder has just phoned and asked me, he's a good welder but I don’t want him fecking anything up.
Should I drop everything and go over there and disconnect the battery ?

R1150 GSA 2002 non servo abs.

Ta muchy.

 

[(RIP) Tunneruk]

Disconnecting the battery will take about 3 minutes, You might as well do it anyway and isolate any risk!

 

[cookie]

definitely.

some people would disconnect the ECU as well. personally, i'd take the exhaust off the bike.

 

[Shep]

definitely.

some people would disconnect the ECU as well. personally, i'd take the exhaust off the bike.

And me, take it off, no risk at all then

Shep

 

[Blackal]

Welding on the bike carries a fair risk of damaging the engine management and the ABS.

Take the exhaust off.

Al

 

[Aidan1150]

Welding on the bike carries a fair risk of damaging the engine management and the ABS.

Take the exhaust off.

Al

+1

 

[Rushy]

Grab some spanners and your car keys

 

[RickG]

Remember the (very probable) welding induced electronics failure of the braking system on the 1150 GSA when Charlie and Ewan had the subframe fixed in LWD? Take the exhaust off (unless the welder bloke is using gas)

 

[Wreford Miles]

I thought everyone had watched The Long Way Round!

 

[LOLGEOFF]

I thought everyone had watched The Long Way Round!

Woss that all about then?

 

[davegs]

Remember the (very probable) welding induced electronics failure of the braking system on the 1150 GSA when Charlie and Ewan had the subframe fixed in LWD? Take the exhaust off (unless the welder bloke is using gas)

It dident, when BMW man came to collect said bike one of the multi way plugs had been left disconnected when replaced all was well!
dave(Abba Fan) GS.

 

[G.C.]

Exhaust removed

 

[Vern]

Pull the battery and disconect the ECU to be sure,then weld the thing in situ.

 

[Gringo-Loco]

Head just in door. Couldn't hold my wheesht sorry.
My tuppence worth:
Very sensitive electrical components may succumb to extremely high voltages due to induction whislt making/breaking the arc during electric arc welding.
As above remove bit, weld, and refit to eliminate any 'chance' of catastrophe.
Although I have ignored this advice and managed fine.

There is a wee thing in the alternator called a rectifier/diode which could get gubbed by the same effects, whether you have ECUs or not.