On Sep 1, 2010, at 5:55 PM, tippo41742 wrote:
>
> Michael,
>
> Seven years ago I installed a set of Powerlet cables on my ST4s at
> the recomnendation of someone on this site. I get good performance
> from Westco batteries for a couple of years then I have starting
> problems on cold mornings. How does your product compare to the
> Powerlet product?
>
> Jeff in Colorado
>
Hi Jeff,
Well, they started out doing some kits and I think they might have
stopped in part due to the large number of different kits that are
needed to cover the Ducati range. Or perhaps they chose to focus on
their line of adapters and such (I don't know).
I was certainly surprised myself at the wide variation in the Ducati
line as it's going to be somewhere around 30 different kits to do it
right. I cover all the BMWs for the last 30 years with only 5 kits.
The ST kit with the cantilevered terminals require the most work.
Powerlet went with something around 6 GA for their cables and they
used generic industrial grade wire (both of which -on paper- should be
fine). But your beginning to have the problem come back on you is
exactly why I went up to 4 GA and use a high purity copper. It's also
why I double swag each terminal and use double-wall shrink at the
juncture, the cables are hermetically sealed against the environment
and they have maximum contact between the wire and the terminals.
All these things can initially seem like overkill but they all add up
and they spell the difference years down the road. The Powerlet guys
did charge a lower price but it was based on their much lower costs.
So it isn't like they were overcharging or anything.
They also did not replicate the terminal layouts like I did. When I
was researching expanding my kits to cover the full Ducati range I
talked quite a bit with local independent shops and they all said that
for the most part the Ducati rider wants it done right. Since I feel
that way about my bike too, I went that direction. It means it took me
a good 9 months extra to get all the things sorted out and that the
kits cost more than they would if I took some shortcuts.
(I actually set out to expand the range circa 2005 but a series of
roadblocks killed the project. One of the roadblocks was that there
was no way for me to get copper terminals that could be modded to
replicate the original Ducati layouts. When I revisited the project in
early 2009 I was able to find a company that makes a terminal I could
work with).
The above is the long answer and my short answer is that I have done
the due diligence to ensure that under no circumstances can anyone
make a better circuit than I supply.
I think that I made the right choice as I have always had a money-back
satisfaction guarantee and I have never had a kit returned.
Thanks,
M./
Michael Heth
mheth@motolectric.com
(415) 992-7840
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