Ok, went 4wheeling last week and when I got off of my atv, I got a nice zap from the end of my handle bars. And not a little quick zap, but more like an extended zap. Any thougths? I have hand-warmers in the grips, so I'm thinking maybe something with that? Or maybe all the driving up and down steep inclines built up some serious static?

 

I think that if you received an electrical zap from the handlebars, a look at your electric hand warmers would be the perfect place to start looking.

 

A 21 volt zap would be hardly noticable. A static charge zap would be and that's probably what got you.

 

I agree with you Bear , unless they were drunk or smoked up on those left handed cigarette's and took a pee on the handle bar's.....Just kiddin' I don't know my guess static charge, this happen's a lot in cold weather when you slide on the seat and first touch the handle bar's !

 

What about the "extended" part of his zap? I've never gotten more than a quick zap from static.

21V zap hardly noticeable? Touch your tongue to a 9V battery and tell me you don't notice it. Amps is what will kill you, not volts.

 

Your hand is not the same as your tongue which is wet and helps the feeling of the charge.

 

 

Again, it's not volts you feel it's the amps. A 50V zap will kill you if there is enough current (amps). As little as .25 amps can be deadly. I merely brought up the 9V battery to debunk the blanket statement that 21V is not noticeable.

That little condenser trick is VERY dangerous. A condenser can gather low currents of electricity and deliver a dangerous level of accumulated electricity. Yeah, the odds of you killing someone with it may be low, but still...

 

If you've ever been buzzed by a car's electrical system, you would remember it. It's only 12V, but packs a helluva whallop. A standard electical outlet is 110 Volt and about 15 amps. A 21 Volt current with 78 amps would feel the same. It is all proportional.

The problem is likely a bad ground with the power going into the handlebars. Make sure it is grounded properly or there aren't any loose wires.

Good Luck!

 

In my career I was a lineman (for the county no less), apprentice electrician and an electronic tech. and am well aware or how electricity works. That said, ever heard of E=IR? (voltage=amps times resistance) 12 volts is constant and the resistance is your body and is fairly constant, so the current will be pretty much low unless you change voltage upward or the resistancedownward. Which isn't likely to happen. Doubt me? Try this test, lick your thumb and index finger and now touch your thumb to the positive terminal of your battery and your index finger to the ground teminal. I bet it won't even make you flinch.