Bet you've never had this happen to you....

[Yamaha_chop]

So I'm welding some suspension parts on my bike project and the engine starts to turn over! I'm like WTH?

Turns out my power cable to the starter was sitting on the frame, and the welder sent enough juice through the frame to run it!

I've never even heard of that happening but it was pretty darn funny. Makes me respect just how much energy the welder is using to liquidate metal as well.

Anybody else have strange stuff like that happen to them?

Sky

 

[jamesgs4]

ghosts man, you got ghosts lol

 

[Ironhead]

Years ago I was out with some friends on my Harley, when I pulled up to a stop light my shifter side forward control broke off completely! I limped it to a garage and paid a guy to weld her on. This is where I learned that the battery should be disconnected (or removed completely) when doing any welding... my whole charging system took a hit and was fried!!! Generator,reg/rec,and relays were all toast.Found that out on they way home in the dark that night...Next day I asked the mechanic if he had disconnected the battery before welding, he said he thought about it but figured it would be O.K. . I told him it was a perfect job, if he had set out to cost me an extra $350, he accomplished his goal.

Not a bad learning experience in all. Would have been a little easier to swallow if I had not just replaced the Generator and Reg./rec. two weeks before! Also learned that even though there is a bar right next to the garage, you really should stay and keep an eye on the overall wearing, tobacco spiting, cousin marrying, Larry the Cable Guy wanna be, marble mouthed, Redneck Billy Bob mechanic...

 

[volcom8877]

ive jump started my bike the same way just not with a welder it was a battery pack. i put the ground on the frame and the positive under the starter and she starts right up.

 

[littlebill31]

Ever seen, "World's Fastest Indian" with Anthony Hopkins? The story of Burt Monroe. Anyway, that's how he starts his bike. I think the bak tire is on a kind of roller thing. I can't remember. Well he has a ground hooked to his foot and touches it against the frame to start it.

I saw a guy weld a piece back on his truck with jumper cables and a penny when I was a kid. Hooked the pos to the battery, penny in the neg, and touched it to the part.

 

[gggGary]

On steeds more modern than our XS's even jump starting is fraught with danger. Voltage spikes can fry thousands of dollars worth of computers and sensors in an instant. TIG or other high frequency welding techniques are very dangerous to any vehicle's electronics hooked up or not.