Re: The story so far.. My Honda CBR 250R

Thank you. I'll make sure it is done in the same way.

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Re: The story so far.. My Honda CBR 250R

Just one query everyone. What happens if the wire Is longer than 60 cms? Is it OK to fit a 100cm?

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Re: The story so far.. My Honda CBR 250R

Try to use wire as short as possible.

Technically,
Resistance is directly proportional to LENGTH,
And inversely proportional to AREA of CROSS-SECTION of wire .

so a shorter wire with larger width (=10mm) will be a better choice than a longer one . Dnt know by how much the resistance will increase in real condtions (100cm rather than 60cm) .

Re: The story so far.. My Honda CBR 250R

Thanks for manual

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Re: The story so far.. My Honda CBR 250R

Like @ Sonnu0100 said the wire resistance increases with length and also if wire becomes thinner. The whole exercise here is to ensure that the earth/negative return of circuit to battery is made resistance free by providing a secondary wire from Battery Negative to the Earth wire cluster on the RR fixing screw...Please remember most critical negative returns like ECM,Headlight,Display panel cluster,Fuel pump etc., are all terminated at the RR fixing screw bolt. 60cms is more than enough in length to do the job
Good Luck

Re: The story so far.. My Honda CBR 250R

Hi all,

i am very happy to note that the earth wire mod is benefitting so many CBR owners who were earlier troubled by weird random shut offs and other issues which seem to be getting resolved post implementing this cheap mod. I hope if Honda2wheelers is reading this thread by any chance or anyone associated with the company is doing so, they will rectify this problem in the future models by working on the earthing layout a little better as it seems to be plaguing a lot of CBRs not just in India but globally as well. I understand any component inclusion to the original design even if it costs a mere INR Rs. 50: in quantum of millions of vehicle produced, it does amount to a significant cost to the company. But may be by resolving this once and for all, charging us INR Rs. 200 more on the sticker price of the vehicle, Honda saves itself from letting the disappointments rather irritation getting associated with a brand which is globally known for being durable, rugged and trustworthy. Just a wish of a well-wisher... Regardless, many many thanks to @psr sir for collaborating with this OCMD rider and collectively discovering a great find which has only improved the reliability of this already reliable bike.. thanks a ton sir!!

if i remember correctly it has been almost 17+ years since, i last visited this paradise in India called Arunachal Pradesh. i can still recollect the untouched nature and the clouds and snow playing hide and seek with you, anywhere you look you can't help but wonder if you have left planet earth and reached somewhere completely devoid of human interference - it is indeed magical! Anyways, after such a long sabbatical it has always been my plan to pay a visit to Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh and nearby places. However as older readers may recollect, this plan has been getting postponed for one thing or the other since, the last 4 years. I had almost made it point to visit this beautiful natural abode in last year October (2016): which unfortunately got canned due to my riding buddies not being able to make it (as it normally happens with any other rider group..). However, this time unexpectedly two of my over-enthusiastic motorcycle buddies suddenly called me up and were hell bent upon making their way to Tawang but only on two wheelers. Now how can the 'inner child' biker in me can say no to that right? Since, more or less i already have all the necessary safety gears and luggage set up, i don't have to go frenzy on picking up equipments at the last moment. However, learning from my experience i advised my friends to do the needful and also ensure that both their respective motorcycles are taken for a detailed service and all the critical components are double checked and repaired/replaced (if needed). Since, we are going to visit a location which is quite remote and most stretches are completely devoid of any human form for many hundreds of kms, it is better to take all the precaution rather than getting stuck due to any electrical/mechanical failures.

Since, my CBR has done a measly 2700 kms since the last oil change, i decided not to go overboard and replace the existing engine oil and FZ oil filter as the condition of the engine oil was still found to be good. Plus the overall distance covered will be around 1500-2000 kms which my CBR should be able to handle rather easily though the terrain is quite tough and Sela pass route is going to be quite an off-roading adventure (at least from the reports i have read online from various motorcycle rider logs). Regardless, it was decided to take my vehicle for a pre-ride inspection to my trusted mechanic.. however, besides the regular checks: bit of additional works were carried out as well...

ELECTRICAL PRE-RIDE INSPECTION & GENERAL MAINTENANCE

For those who may recollect i had carried out a complete overhaul of the electrical connections when the earthing issue had developed in my Honda CBR 250R (Refer to post: https://www.xbhp.com/talkies/general...ml#post1168052). It has been more than 2 years since, i had last paid a visit to the same electrical components. With the trip to Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh due in about 2-3 days and my bike lying idle for close to 3 months (considering it was very humid and raining like mad all this while!!) it was decided to go for a pre-ride inspection especially catering to the electrical connections and see the condition of the electrical couplers and connectors after a gap of 2 years. It is an understood thing that wiring harness and connectors are usually the most ignored items (besides the chain and sprockets) as usually many riders don't bother with it unless they start witnessing weird issues. The problem is when the connectors develop minuscule rust or debris start collecting in between, the electrical connections don't stay strong, electrical resistance starts building up eventually stressing the alternator, wiring harness and the DC circuit as a whole: end result? the RR unit and the battery has to work a lot harder and sooner or later one or multiple electrical component ends up failing due to electrical resistance and heat build up. How many of you have replaced RR unit, battery, relays and bulbs in your respective CBRs earlier than you thought it was needed?? besides natural degradation and ageing you may also blame electrical resistance due to oxidation and dirt/debris accumulation in between connectors as well.

Budding electrical engineers... please help me making things simpler for lay man and correct me if anything i write is not technically correct ok? Layman terms - Honda CBR 250R by default is a motorcycle loaded with electrical gizmos and sensors. The moment there is a disturbance/resistance of free-flowing of natural current/voltage & amps as required by the various components and sensors in your CBR: chances are the components will end up working harder and running a lot hotter than what it was originally designed for by the OEM company. Thus, over a period of time the life cycle of the various electrical components will drastically reduce. Besides that, your CBR will also not perform in to its optimum level as the readings given out by say O2 sensor and MAF sensor which are very sensitive to voltage readings will result in lowering of the engine's performance as faulty readings = incorrect AFR (Air to Fuel ratio) being pumped into the combustion chamber thus, weird vibes and hotter engine... end result a domino effect disturbing the natural harmony of your vehicle when in operation.

I am sure most of you may be wondering what's with all this long blabbering? Well based on my instruction, the mechanic started dis-assembling my CBR methodically removing the fairing in a systematic manner. The first thing we did was to inspect the battery terminal connections and the earthing wire connection on my bike especially the state of the earthing wire mod and the wire. I believe a picture says 1000 words than me yammering over it right?





Pic 1 & 2: CBR getting dis-assembled. Note the rust formation over the holding bolt for RR unit and earthing point for stock wires (green colour). The red wire is the earthing wire mod done by the OP.

We were surprised to find rust formation developing over the holding bolt which takes care of the OEM earthing points (3 green wires as shown in the picture above) of Honda CBR 250R and now the earthing mod wire connector as well. Normally Honda supplies nuts and bolts which are bonded with rust protection coatings so it was quite weird to see rust formation on the holding bolt itself. We immediately doused the whole section with WD 40 spray liberally and cleaned up the connector and the bolt as well. I was happy that i took the initiative to have a peek inside and ended up finding something which is normally not expected from Honda components!

Now that one culprit was found it was natural for my OCMD to kick in!! So the mechanic was asked to start disconnecting all the couplers and connectors and given a liberal WD 40 bath.. no compromise period!! So here comes the next surprise... the male-female electrical connector between the ignition lockset to the main wire harness was found to have mild greenish deposits inside which is a clear indication of rust/oxidation formation thus, it was highly likely that internal resistance was building up. Again liberal dose of WD 40 was applied and the connector was cleaned throughly. While we were at it, on inspection it was found that my bike was not able to start when in gear even with the clutch applied. So naturally the known culprit was the clutch switch. The mechanic dis-assembled it from its mounting bracket and then literally drowned it with WD 40/ After cleaning and putting it back on the clutch switch came back to life and my bike was now starting in gear as well. Millions of thanks to the guys who created this miracle WD 40!! Electrical components start to work magically after some attention is shown to them with this formula it seems..



Pic 3: Connectors close to the engine were opened up and cleaned. The ignition lockset connector (not in the pic) was found to have a small build up of rust/oxides.

The mechanic then started to dis-assemble the fuel tank and disconnect the fuel pump. Thanks to the dirt built up inside the frame and below the tank, i couldn't control my OCMD and started blowing compressed air everywhere to get rid of the unwanted dirt which ended badly - creating a giant dust-storm inside the workshop!! Regardless, we started to systematically disconnect, the couplers and connectors to various sensors, clean them with WD 40 spray and then reconnect them.









Pic 4, 5, 6 & 7: Fuel tank getting removed. All couplers/connectors to fuel pump, throttlebody sensor, MAF sensor etc. disconnected and cleaned using WD 40 spray.

We then moved onto the brain of the CBR 250R - the ECU module. The connector was taken out and sprayed on with WD 40. The mechanic then removed the ECU/ECM from its place, cleaned the whole unit and then the pins inside the module were sprayed with WD 40 and then re-assembled. The amount of filth piled up in and around the ECM module was disgusting!!





Pic 8 & 9: ECU/ECM module and the connector disconnected, cleaned and given WD 40 treatment.

After the clean up work on the ECU side was completed, we then moved to the LHS side of the vehicle where the relays for the radiator fan and starter motor is present. The relays were taken out and i was in for a total shock! The amount of filth that was built up inside the connector was unimaginable... i was glad that the whole system was still operational and working without any hiccups, given the state i would have most likely witnessed an early failure of either or both the relays in the near future! the pics below will give the reader an idea of what i am referring to. The connector was religiously sprayed and cleaned and the relays were also inspected. I noticed that the the connector pins on the relays had slightly discoloured (no pics). As per my later discussion with @psr sir most likely the connector pins were coated with tin which acts as an anti-rust treatment. Over the years of cycling and exposure to elements may be the anti-rust coating is slowly wearing off. Looking at the condition, i have decided to get hold of fresh relays to be kept as a back up in my parts kitty just for peace of mind (hardly costs around Rs. 250/- per pc).





Pic 10 & 11: the fan and starter relays located on the LHS side of the motorcycle. Note the dirt and filth inside the connector. WD 40 being applied onto the connector.

After all the electrical components were throughly checked, cleaned and put back on, the mechanic then re-assembled all the components and fairings and then we checked the condition of the air filter. Looking at the images below, the air filter was found to be relatively in good health, i just dusted off a little bit of debris by hitting the air filter against the wall. No compressed air was applied to clean the air filter as recommended by Honda. I believe this air filter should easily last me another 6-7 k kms. Now being childish and suffering from OCMD i couldn't help myself and ended picking up a fresh air filter from the shop... silly me eh!







Pic 12, 13 & 14: Stock OEM air filter was found to be in good condition. i picked up a fresh piece of the same to be kept in my spare parts kitty for future use.

After the vehicle was readied by the mechanic, i cleared of the bill and went to a close by Yamaha spares shop and picked up chain cleaner and chain lubricant from Yamalube. in my humble experience, Yamalube chain care products are by far the best especially for long distance touring. However, i have a strong suspicion that it is nothing but rebadged Motul if you know what i am saying. Reason?? The name Atlantic Lubricants, Ghatkopar(E), Mumbai- Maharashtra is the same company which officially imports and bottles all the engine oil and associated products from Motul India. I have dealt with them before for Motul related engine oils so this is just a hunch.



Pic 15: Yamalube chain cleaner and chain lubricant picked up from a nearby showroom. This will be taken along for the Arunachal Pradesh trip.

I think this whole exercise was a good fluke which turned out to be an essential rather i should say an unscheduled but critical maintenance pending for my Honda CBR 250R. Imagine in another 2-3 days halfway through my journey - if my motorcycle would have developed an electrical snag in the middle of nowhere, no civilisation, no service centre, no people for many kms... that would have literally ruined this whole trip, something which i have been longing for quite a while now right?? So in my humble opinion and advise to my fellow CBR owners: especially for those who live in extremely humid, wet climate and also those who reside close to coastal area: i highly recommend that you should go through this exercise and ensure that all the electrical components are inspected and throughly cleaned using the right cleaning agent which will allow you to have a trouble free ownership for years to come.

Will report back about my overall experience post completion of the trip.

until then....

Cheers,

Re: The story so far.. My Honda CBR 250R

Wish you all the best @shv
18 for your upcoming trip. Have fun. Ride safe.
Cheers ✌

Re: The story so far.. My Honda CBR 250R

My association with the CBR 250R has come to an end. Sold its off last week as I was getting a very good price (more than what I paid for).
The reason why I am writing this post is to thank [MENTION=32641]shv18[/MENTION] and [MENTION=32286]psr[/MENTION] for sharing their valuable knowledge here which I immediately implemented on my new ride, a Yamaha R3.
Replaced the engine oil with HDEO on the day I got her and I am expriencing more benefits than I had with CBR 250R.

Re: The story so far.. My Honda CBR 250R

Good to know that the Yamaha R3 benefits from the Shell Rimula R4...I am sure your love for experiment and informed risk taking will give benefits. Wish you all the best.

Elsewhere in CBR250.net there are many problems reported similar to earth problem we had discussed in detail here...here is a link to one such problem..

Key doesn't turn the display on and neither the fuel pump - Page 2 - Honda CBR250R Forum : Honda CBR 250 Forums

Re: The story so far.. My Honda CBR 250R

Hi [MENTION=32641]shv18[/MENTION] Wish you luck for your journey.

I recently did the earth-wire mod continuously reminded to me by [MENTION=32286]psr[/MENTION] Thanks to both of you guys, The meter is fully functional, I also did the moisture removal process suggested by [MENTION=32641]shv18[/MENTION] and plus this earth-wire mod has made my day. My bike was actually suffering from this problem. This has solved it very correctly.

I took the bike to almost 122 kph speed and it was stress free for the bike. I think it will do more speed but didn't get the open road for that.

Did the oil and oil filter change in less than 500 km. Had to do it, the oil was looking very dark.

The bike is a bit more responsive now with all the parts working properly.

Thank you [MENTION=32286]psr[/MENTION] for reminding me about the mod in regular intervals.

One of my friend has a cbr150r, I told him about the earth-wire mod. He is also interested in doing it as his bike also has similar problems like [MENTION=32641]shv18[/MENTION]'s bike. So, is it advisable for the 150 one also or not? Do let me know.

Thank you once again to [MENTION=32641]shv18[/MENTION], [MENTION=32286]psr[/MENTION] and this wonderful thread for the wonderful bike.

Re: The story so far.. My Honda CBR 250R

Good to know that the Secondary Earth Wire mod had resolved your Electrical problems and saved a lot of money for you. The same can be done for any vehicle suffering from bad Negative return problem. You have to find out the earth routing for the CBR 150R , to do the mod.
Good Luck.

Re: The story so far.. My Honda CBR 250R

Hi shv18 and psr sir,

Is there any link on how I can do the secondary earth wire mod for my 2007 spoke wheel Honda Unicorn ? TIA

Re: The story so far.. My Honda CBR 250R

@ Ravikiran the Earth wire mod is not a complicated thing to do. For any vehicle, including your Honda Unicorn, just run an additional wire of required length from Battery Negative to nearest chassis bolt point. Wire must be 10mm thick to improve earth current flow. Look for a chassis bolt point, any point that has a bolt tightened to chassis to fix any sub assembly and connect that point to battery Negative. Use appropriate lugs at the end of wire to secure it. If the required length is 8 inches or less then 6mm wire can be used.
Good Luck.

Re: The story so far.. My Honda CBR 250R

Thanks psr sir...will do it today itself. And by the way, I am also getting myself a pre-registered bs3 CBR 250R....this thread is like an addiction :-)

Re: The story so far.. My Honda CBR 250R

In Honda CBR150R The Earth wire for the ICM(Ignition Control Module) and other systems is terminated on the single fixing screw of the RR unit. The RR unit is below the seat and to the right of the battery within 6 inches . So a 6~8mm thick wire of required length can be used for connecting Battery Negative to the RR fixing screw .
Here is a picture of the RR unit and it's fixing screw...