BIKE FIRE

[robin dixon]

Fire, this could happen to you.

Not in my wildest dreams. Would any of you?

 

[EggChaser]

If you use your seat in the low position,

Erm isn't the metal bar the same height from the battery terminals no matter what height the seat is?

 

[Old Git Ray]

Erm isn't the metal bar the same height from the battery terminals no matter what height the seat is?

Yep. The frame fixing is in the same place regardless of seat position.

 

[woodsie]

I had a little fire..............

I'd agree that the seat is a tight fit with an odyssey. I'm not sure I can get mine to fit on the low setting due to my cack-handed fitting, but seeing this I'll check now.

How small a gap/damp air would you need to allow the battery to arc across a gap trough the air via the seat bar? I'd guess it'd need to be pretty close though else all the other switches would be arcing left right and centre.

....the top of the battery caught fire after the seat bar shorted out the terminals on a new Odyssey battery. Only shorted out when riding and it cut out but re-started when I had had a good look and nothing obvious was amiss. 100 miles later and the second time there was smoke coming out between saddle and tank so I pulled luggage off and removed seat to see the top of the battery in flames. Put fire out and after repairs (after being relayed home etc., etc.) the bikes as good as new.

BUT as an added precaution, I have flattened the seat support bar between the seat lugs and wrapped the bar in rubber held in place with a couple of zip ties and no problems.


'kin scary with smoke in such an intimate area

 

[motoreiter]

...the second time there was smoke coming out between saddle and tank so I pulled luggage off and removed seat to see the top of the battery in flames. Put fire out and after repairs (after being relayed home etc., etc.) the bikes as good as new.

Same happened to me, although it happened at work so I wasn't stranded anywhere. Have replaced the cross bar with bolts as described elsewhere.

 

[DCoplin]

Not an act of God - this was an act by a scumbag

Just thought you'd like to see what happens when a GS gets torched on purpose...











Note the (solid) pool of aliminium stuck on top - then look to find the swing arm :-(

Background to this was that house was burgled, the gits got the keys (which were locked away in a safe) then took the car and the bike in the garage. They must have struggled to move the bike on as it was torched a week later, the car however is still MIA.

Easier to deal with than a house fire - god knows how you've coped with that, at least I've got "someone" I can blame...

 

[zoltan]

It will be interesting how the insurers view the fact that the battery replacement was not to BMW spec , if indeed the fact that the terminals were touching the seat bars and that caused the fire , I can't see how a claim can be made.

 

[claw]

Another GSA toasted!!!!!

Went to go out on my bike of Friday last and when i opened the garage door i met i sight that i wasn't expecting.

I first noticed the bikes screen when opened the garage door followed by a terrible smell then i noticed the bike. The attached pictures show the damage, mostly the left hand side but its well knackered. Thankfully it somehow burned itself out, it must hace generated at some point a huge collosal heat as many plastic items in the garage were totally melted, but other things not touched, very weird.

It was collected on Saturday morning and being a bank holiday it'll be with Coopers BMW sometime on Tuesday. Insurance company informed, but yet again being a bank holiday it'll be tuesday before there's much movement on their side. Putting it in the pickup on Saturday, petrol was pissing out of it, its a miracle that their wasn't more damage to my bike garage if the whole lot hadn't gone up.

The only thing connected to the standard battery was an autcom system, 18 months old with all service history and recalls done.

I'm more than well pissed off, my remodelled gel seat i had got has gone, baglux tankcover, garming sat nav tinted screen and winglets and other bits i haven't thought about yet.

Not a happy chappy.

 

[claw]

Afew more photos.....

 

[Snoopy]

After reading this thread and subsequently shitting my pants I went to inspect my Odyssey battery as fitted by the previous owner.

The negative has a cover over it but the positive doesn't go over properly. And bloody hell the seat bar comes close.

I think somebody needs to make a sticky pronto.

As a good Samaritan I've informed motorworks as they sell most of these batteries on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140296557316

 

[GibGSA]

After reading this thread and subsequently shitting my pants I went to inspect my Odyssey battery as fitted by the previous owner.

The negative has a cover over it but the positive doesn't go over properly. And bloody hell the seat bar comes close.

I think somebody needs to make a sticky pronto.

As a good Samaritan I've informed motorworks as they sell most of these batteries on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140296557316

After reading about the problem of shorting earlier, I've now taped up my seat height adjuster bar using insulating tape, just in case.

A quick question (Apologies if I've somehow missed it),

Was the 08 adventure in the previous post fitted with an Odyssey battery and did the fire originate from under the seat, if not any idea as to where???

Regards GibGSA

 

[claw]

A quick question (Apologies if I've somehow missed it),

Was the 08 adventure in the previous post fitted with an Odyssey battery and did the fire originate from under the seat, if not any idea as to where???

Regards GibGSA

If you mean mine, nope it was the standard original battery. It did look to me that it was the battery area the fire started, the only thing connected to it at the time was the autocom, which doesn't draw any power until its connected up ready to use.

I've no idea how it could have started

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Claw

Some vehicle fires are a mystery. I had a 20K truck go up earlier this year and we never found the cause although we had suspicions it was short under the drivers seat.

Insurance paid up no problem and hope they do here.

 

[claw]

Insurance paid up no problem and hope they do here.

Here's hoping

Still won't put me off buying another one as a relacement, shit happens and this time it was my turn instead of someone else.

 

[AberdeenAngus]

Whatever the cause, this brings home the need for a good loud smoke detector in the garage - especially if its built onto the side of yer hoose !

 

[Nice 'n' Fat]

Whatever the cause, this brings home the need for a good loud smoke detector in the garage - especially if its built onto the side of yer hoose !

Wise words

 

[elevensies]

Whatever the cause, this brings home the need for a good loud smoke detector in the garage - especially if its built onto the side of yer hoose !

your local fire service will fit the alarms for free, just give em a call and tell them you want it done

 

[GSoh]

I haven't had a chance to read the whole thread yet, but bloody hell that looks horrific. Hope everything gets sorted.

PM me if anyone needs info on my incident (which is minor in comparison). Someone mentioned it in an earlier post, but in summary the wiring loom ignited after rubbing on the frame taking the alternator and possibly abs pump with it. I was travelling along a dual carriageway at the time and ended up blinded by smoke with no brakes etc!! Repair estimate was at least £2,500k assuming the ABS pump was bust. That was on a 2006 1200GS with 15k on the clock. I ride a honda now.

 

[harry]

Odessey fitted? Check soonest....

er, that's my link to ADVRider, but I still don't see how the seatbar came into contact with the battery terminals, which are lower than the top of the battery...

I've had an Odyssey fitted to my 08 GSA for around a year or about 12k miles.

Reading this thread spured me to go out and check for any signs of trouble, and I was glad I did the check, because the seat bar has been wearing against the +ve battery lead about an inch above the terminal and has worn through the terminal plastic shroud and was well in to the insulation on the lead itself.

I ride in the high position and my +ve lead approaches the terminal vertically down the rear of the tank.

If you have an Odyessey fitted check soonest.

Don't be fooled by looking down the seat/tank gap and thinking things are ok,
the space between bar and lead reduces, obviously, when your weight is on the seat.

I did away with the seat bar and used a 10mil bolt as per the Adv Rider mod.

 

[Snoopy]

Check out ...

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=10636523&postcount=12