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Adding 110W Aux Lights

  • Thread starter Thread starter mixongw
  • Start date Start date
M

mixongw

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I would appreciate a definitive answer from someone who has done it. Will the R/R and the stator take an additional 110W load? The aux. fuse is a 10A, so I'm led to believe it will be OK.
 
fuses used are typically twice the expected load a circuit is expected to continually handle. (from what I have seen)
the regulator can handle it as it shunts un needed current to ground, add a load to the system and the regulator doesn't have to work as much.

110 watts is going to be pushing it and leave little if anything for charging.
 
Well I can't give you a definitive answer as "someone who has done it"... for the simple reason that I don't think it can be done with the usual GS setup. And plenty of folks would agree with me. There may be some who have done it, and if that's the case then I'm happy to be proven wrong.

I would love to mount a spottie on my Kat for those long rides through the darkened kangaroo-infested countryside, but unfortunately these charging systems are marginal to begin with (with 200W alternators in early models, and 250W in the rest, I think), so you're just not going to be able to reliably run auxilary lights pulling 110W. You might get away with one extra spot-light at 55W. They really are pretty crappy charging systems and if you are managing with the standard lights, ignition etc. then you are doing very well indeed. :wink:

If it's more light you want, try ensuring that you are using a bright halogen globe and that your headlight's reflective dish is in A-1 condition.

The best thing to do when night riding, is simply slow down to a speed where you feel you could comfortably brake to avoid that moose, kangaroo, grizzly, or domestic feline.

Mike.
 
I put in a 100/90w headlight.
Toasted the electrical system, well at least the fuse block.

After my "learning" experience, I wouldn't do it.
Unless you find a way to improve the r/r and stator.

Try a better headlight, I use a H4 65/55 works very well.
The 100/90 was great while it worked, but again it created problems.
 
I have two 55w running lights and a silverstar in the headlight. So far
(2 years) have not had a problem. The running lights are wired straight
to the battery with an in-line fuse and on/off switch.

This will drain the battery during long rides so I will shut them off
once in awhile, and also several miles before I reach destination to
allow battery to recharge.

Note: I'm also using a Rick's stator and Honda(cx500) R/R.

Good luck.
 
I have used two 55 watt spotlights on my GS850 w/o problems. I wired them to the 10 amp aux circuit with a separate switch. They worked fine, but I now know more about the limitations of the charging system, so I wouldn't do it again.
 
My 700 has a 310 watt alternator and I've run 110 watt high beams with no trouble, not an additional 110 watts though. You might be pushing your luck. With the 8" headlight and a good 110 watt bulb the light is blinding.
 
I installed two 55 watt halogen lights that I got at Walmart for 15 bucks yesterday.


On my bike, the voltage drop when I run the bike with the extra lights is unacceptable to me. The bike normally runs at 13.8 volts without the additional lights, and when I turn them on, it drops to anywhere between 11.9 and 12.5 volts. This is while I am driving the bike at 55 mph.

I have a 450, and I am not sure what the capacity of the alternator is compared to other engines, but i am probably going to remove these from my bike.

Matt
 
BigMattyD said:
I installed two 55 watt halogen lights that I got at Walmart for 15 bucks yesterday.


On my bike, the voltage drop when I run the bike with the extra lights is unacceptable to me. The bike normally runs at 13.8 volts without the additional lights, and when I turn them on, it drops to anywhere between 11.9 and 12.5 volts. This is while I am driving the bike at 55 mph.

I have a 450, and I am not sure what the capacity of the alternator is compared to other engines, but i am probably going to remove these from my bike.

Matt
Click to expand...

Matt,

I found the same thing on mine. I connected them without mounting them just to measure the voltage. 12.5V is too low for me, so they won't go on my bike. Thanks to all who responded.

Gary
 
ADDING 110W AUXILLARY LIGHTS

ADDING 110W AUXILLARY LIGHTS

I HAVE 80/100 HEADLIGHT
12 LEDS ON THE BACK
2 ADDITIONAL 55W LIGHTS ON THE FRONT FOR NIGHTS

IF I'M ROLLING 4500RPM OR HIGHER I CAN KEEP THEM ON
IF I SLOW DOWN I HAVE TO SHUT THEM OFF

MY VOLTAGE METER DROPS TO ALMOST NOTHING

1985 GS550L

GARY
 
Okay my 80 GS1100L headlight was pretty dim so I put a silver star 60/55 and it helped but i still think it good be better. I never could see well in the dark. :cry: Any quick sugestions?? Thanks
 
Make sure it is adjusted properly & check the voltage at the headlight
If you have a voltage drop check the ign switch
 
I Guess I am just stuck with what i got, cause everything checks out good:cry:
 
Lets do some quick figuring:

1 coil @ 3 ohms & 12 volts = 4 amps x 2 coils = 8 amps
65W headlight @ 12 volts = 5+ amps
taillight @ 1 amp

240 watt generator @ 12 volts = 20 amps

8 + 5 + 1 = 14 amps

That would leave 5 to 6 amps for charging and accessories.

Two 20 watt driving lights is about 3 amps which leaves 2 to 3 for charging.

Two 50 watt driving lights is about 8 amps. Not enough capacity for this!

I am using two 20 watt projector lamps in a driving light housing. You can them off ebay for about 25 dollars. They come with 50 watt bulbs but Home Depot has 20 watt bulbs in either 35 degree (BAB type) or 15 degree (ESF) beam widths. Not a lot of light at night, but since the bulbs are in plain view they are bright enough to be seen very well during the day which is why I bought them.
 
sounds like an idea!! Can you post a wiring diagram and perhaps a pic or two of the pic? thanks
 
When I reloaded software I screwed up my digital camera downloading. If I get it to work I'll see if I can post pictures.

Here are the lights.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/CLEA...Z6755QQitemZ4608910217QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

This ebay item comes with wires and a switch, mine came with just the lights.

A brief description:

My 550 has a bar across the front of the frame about where the top of the motor is. The bar has two holes with 8mm or 10mm nuts (don't remember) welded on the back. I bought a 3/8" x 3' steel bar at Home Depot and cut it to about 18 1/2" long and drilled two holes that matched the one's in the frame. I then sanded the snot out of it and painted it with black enamel. At the end (actualy in about 3/8" from the end) I drilled the holes for the lights.

As far as wiring, I probably did a little more than necessary. I used a relay that is wired to come on with the lights. I used the relay so I could add a switch in the future if I needed.

What I did was found a lead on the fuse box that comes on with the ignition switch. Took the fuse box loose and soldered a wire on the back side to that same lead and ran it out to under the seat. Probably 24" will be plenty to begin with. This lead will be connected to one side of the relay coil.

I then connected a wire to the negative screw of the auxillary connector. I used about an 18" piece of wire. This lead will be connected to the other side of the relay coil.

I then found a good place to wire tie the relay under the seat, ran the two wires to the relay, and trimmed them. Leave enough wire so you can remove the relay if you ever need to. Add the proper spade connector (or simply solder the wires) and put on the relay.

I then ran a wire from the positive side of the auxillary connector to one of the contacts on the relay.

I then added a second wire to the negative auxillary connector and connected a wire to the other contact on the relay. At the nearest point I could to the relay, I began to tape them together and ran the pair up below the tank close to the front of the frame. Probably about 24" - 30". At this point I put on two, two terminal connectors, one for each light. (One of the trailer type with with one terminal down inside the rubber and one exposed.) This lets me remove one light at a time. Make sure you wire the positive wire to the terminal that is down inside the rubber so you won't short it out on the frame if you remove a light for some reason.

I might explain that the lights are not grounded to the case, so you need both a negative wire and positive wire.

I then made up wires from the lights. The lights have round plugin terminal connectors. You can either get matching connectors or clip them off and solder the wires together and cover them with heat shrink tubing. (Don't forget to put the heat shrink tubing on before you solder and move it up away from the heat!) I soldered mine. I cut them about 24" long and taped them together.

Then route them behind the light bar and cable tie them a couple of time between the light and the frame. Cut them to the right length. Put the matching two terminal connector on the wires from each light and plug them into the connectors from the relay.

Does this sound too complicated. It sounds worse than it was to actually do.
 
Heck yeah now thats what I'm talking about. Straight and simple solutions. I am going to order a set and see what I can come up with. I am probably going to wire them directly to the battery and add the switch so that I can decide when and where to use them. Thanks
 
As was stated, there is not enough output from the stator to keep the charge up on the battery. I haven't added any lights to the GW, but my brother added two 35W driving lights to his CBK, If he runs them for a long time and shuts the bike down, he needs a boost. Usually, he ends up shutting them off and driving for a while to boost the battery's charge then shuts her off.
 
"As was stated, there is not enough output from the stator to keep the charge up on the battery. I haven't added any lights to the GW, but my brother added two 35W driving lights to his CBK, If he runs them for a long time and shuts the bike down, he needs a boost. Usually, he ends up shutting them off and driving for a while to boost the battery's charge then shuts her off."

From the calculations above - two 35 watt bulbs would be 70 watts / 12 volts = 6 amps.

This would use up the remainder of what was left over from everything else and would probably result in the battery discharging. If everything was perfect you might, just might get away with it. However, as you say it doesn't look like the CBK will quite handle the extra load.
 
It's a shame, isn't it, that putting extra electrical goodies on a GS machine can't realistically be done. The maths doesn't lie. As I said in an earlier post, the best way forward to getting sufficient light is
(i) use the brightest bulb you can find for the standard wattage, and
(ii) make sure the reflective surface of your headlight is in top condition, because they do tarnish/ deteriorate with age.

Until someone comes up with an aftermarket rotor+stator setup which can churn out more electrical 'oomph' (now there's a technical word!), we just have to make do the best we can.

Mike.
 
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