Heavy Duty Battery Cable Install - Mittzy improved

Rocket Scientist

Grand Exulted Poobah
Joined
Sep 27, 2009
Messages
6,536
Location
Spring Lake, Michigan
Ride
Black 05' Rocket III standard
This past winter I bought an extraordinary set of battery cables from @Mittzy ! I finally got around to installing them. Paul said whoever installed first should make a tutorial. I must be first. So here goes. This is what I started with.

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First off unhook and remove the battery, and remove both the painted side covers, and the little plastic filler pieces on each side below the rear of the gas tank. Remove the two 8mm bolts that hold the seat release and move it out of the way. Then maneuver the positive cable out through the side, its stiff, be patient and don't snag other wires and cause problems.

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Next you have to unplug it from the small wire. Mine was dirty and hard to tell how it came apart until I cleaned it up some. Here is a picture of it unplugged. Even with the catch depressed I had to use a screwdriver to help it apart.

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Once the small wire is disconnected, remove the two torx screws that hold the ECM on and move it out of the way. I used a zip tie to keep out of the way.

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The lower smooth wire is the one we're after.

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Next, crawl underneath and unhook the wire from the starter. The nut is a 12mm and kind of a beotch to get at.
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Back top side there is a little plastic strap holding the wire just behind the engine. Go ahead and cut it, the new wire wont fit through it anyway.

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There is another one of those plastic straps buried in all the other wires on the other side of the frame. At this point, starting at the strap I cut I worked some slack into the wire so I could start pulling it towards the right side of the bike. You'll feel the other strap break. You may have to crawl under a couple of times to help guide the wire up through. Pull carefully so you don't snag other wires. Once you get it pulled out, remove the remaining 3 torx bolts that hold the ECM mount on.

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Once that is out of the way the old wire should be able to be freed from the bike. Next take the new wire and remove the red rubber boot off the end that doesn't have the small wire. Then start feeding that wire through where the original one was. When you get to the back of the engine angle the wire down like this.

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Then looking up from below, angle it over the piece of frame.

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Zip tie it like I did to keep it from getting against the swingarm and getting rubbed. Then put the red rubber boot back on and slide it up the wire some, then reattach the wire to the starter, and pull the boot up over the nut. This is all difficult to do because the wire is stiff ! Reinstall the ECM mounting bracket and ECM. Route the other end of the battery wire up into the battery box. I had to elongate the whole in the wire so I could get the battery bolt through it and into the battery post. Plug in the new small wire. Positive wire done !

The negative wire is pretty straight forward. It has a small wire on one end also. It unplugs just like the positive one did. The negative wire bolts to the back of the engine just below the starter. See next post for continuation.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
This past winter I bought an extraordinary set of battery cables from @Mittzy ! I finally got around to installing them. Paul said whoever installed first should make a tutorial. I must be first. So here goes (part 2).


The negative cable will follow the same route as the original. It bolts on to the back of the engine just below the starter.

IMG_20200423_172743003.jpg


I used these star washers on the ends. They are 3/8". You can get them at home improvement places.

IMG_20200423_173216180.jpg


If you anal like me you can get the new cable through the guides like this. I took a piece of stiff wire and put a hook on the end to use to steer the wire in areas where I couldn't reach it.

IMG_20200423_172715981.jpg


Once its connected at the bottom, pull it up into the battery box, then plug the small wire in. Reinstall battery. Put all the covers back on and done ! My engine rolls over noticeably faster and usually starts on the first or second revolution when warm. If we get some more cold weather I'll set it outside for the night and see how it starts in the morning.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
This past winter I bought an extraordinary set of battery cables from @Mittzy ! I finally got around to installing them. Paul said whoever installed first should make a tutorial. I must be first. So here goes (part 2).


The negative cable will follow the same route as the original. It bolts on to the back of the engine just below the starter.

IMG_20200423_172743003.jpg


I used these star washers on the ends. They are 3/8". You can get them at home improvement places.

IMG_20200423_173216180.jpg


If you anal like me you can get the new cable through the guides like this. I took a piece of stiff wire and put a hook on the end to use to steer the wire in areas where I couldn't reach it.

IMG_20200423_172715981.jpg


Once its connected at the bottom, pull it up into the battery box, then plug the small wire in. Reinstall battery. Put all the covers back on and done ! My engine rolls over noticeably faster and usually starts on the first or second revolution when warm. If we get some more cold weather I'll set it outside for the night and see how it starts in the morning.
Well Done Fred.
 
Sorry Mate - Ive been soo busy but i will do this for you - is there a bulk lot to send to the USA?
@Mittzy I am in need of an upgrade myself with both cables. I have been running a double negative for a few years now. I think that is one of the reason my leads loosen up so much, I have too many other leads attached tot he battery.
Are you using 6 or 4 ga cables?
 
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