I'm sure you've all heard about how EMPs can disable a modern vehicle. Would the same apply to a KLX? Do you think an EMP would fry the instrument panel and maybe the electric starter? If so, do you think you could still bump start it and operate it without the instrument panel working?

 

A strong enough EMP can kill most circuits in anything with a circuit in it. A circuit can be anything with just a wire connecting two functions in an electrical device. The electronic ignition on the KLX would likely never survive a decently powerful EMP. You'd be walking.

You could attempt to shield critical components from an EMP using the faraday cage principal, but if one component is outside the protective shielding while it's connected to other electrical components, those inside the shielding are still destroyed. Parking the whole bike inside a shielded housing would probably work fine.

 

I doubt the CDI would survive. The starter would probably be fine. I could be wrong but I think it's more electronics not electrical that would fry.

 

I park mine in a buried shipping container. Just in case.
But seriously, wouldn't we be back to points? I don't even know how to work on them. So I need a bike motor with points to graft into the KLX frame for after the EMP. Or I could just buy a bunch of CDI's and bury them in a Farraday cage, next to my buried 10,000 gallon fuel tank.
Maybe I'll just get a horse.

 

LOL!...the more I think about this the more I think there's nothing to worry about. If you're close enough to your bike that gets a dead CDI because of an EMP, that's probably the least of your worries. In fact...I don't think you'd be around to worry. What's the guy in my avatar say?..."What, me worry?"

 

Magneto ignition would be better than points but even harder to retrofit no doubt.

 

this ^^^^

the effects on non-grid connected electrical devices has been vastly overstated. as tnc said, if you're close enough to the source you probably wont be around to worry about it anyway.

 

I highly doubt an EMP or solar flare is going to kill anyone, but the ramifications afterwards could.

 

I think most folks assumed you were talking about the EMP effects post nuclear blast. Could you elaborate on the specific EMP source that you had in mind?

 

True, I didn't think folks would jump straight to a nuclear attack. Obviously, if it was from a nuclear blast we'd all be toast.

When I'm talking about an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) it may occur in the form of a radiated, electric or magnetic field or conducted electrical current depending on the source. There are varying forms of an EMP that could be as benign as interference with TV reception and mobile phones to a complete shut down of the power grid. In fact, just a few weeks ago all the power companies in the US did a countrywide exercise to see how they would respond to such an interruption. It such a serious concern that in 2004 congress approved a commission to assess the threat to the US from an EMP attack.

As a long time prepper and survivalist (not one of those kooks you see on Doomsday Preppers) but I do have contingency plans in place. One of which has always involved using the KLX. So I was curious if it would still run after such an occurrence. So let's say for sure the CDI (instrument panel) is dead would the bike still run via a bump start? I know our modern vehicles would be inoperable, could the motorcycle by our one form of transportation?