mechanic1 Posted January 13, 2009 #1 Posted January 13, 2009 I was thinking of adding some driving lights to our bike, but I don't want to over load the charging system. Does anyone Know what the electrical system can sustain, ie, amps watts?
timgray Posted January 13, 2009 #2 Posted January 13, 2009 Not much. I believe you have a MAX of 20 amps to work with and over 1/2 that is already used by the bike. Many guys swap out the 55Watt bulbs to 35Watt bulbs in driving lights to make a lighter impact on the electrical system. I use 3Watt LED replacements I found online. They do not light up the road at all, but they are as bright as my headlight to oncoming traffic in day and night and make it impossible to not see me.
Dragonslayer Posted January 13, 2009 #3 Posted January 13, 2009 I was thinking of adding some driving lights to our bike, but I don't want to over load the charging system. Does anyone Know what the electrical system can sustain, ie, amps watts? I found a set of lights in the auto department at walmart for about $15.00, I mounted them low on the front chin top side bolts and they work great. I don't know what watt they are but I direct wired them to the battery with an inline fuse and they do not cause a problem.
Wizard765 Posted January 13, 2009 #4 Posted January 13, 2009 I got a pair of platinum burners from Walmart that Squidley picked up for me. They are not available in Canada. Anyhow I went to Lowes and got 35 watt replacement bulbs. I use them all the time and have not experienced a problem. Even the 35 watt are VERY bright. People tell me they can see me from a long ways away and they light up the road very well. They come in two sizes and I got the smaller ones. Look awsome and work well. I mounted them using Squidley's brackets. Wayne
mechanic1 Posted January 13, 2009 Author #5 Posted January 13, 2009 What do those brackets look like and how/where do they attach to the bike? I have a pair that can with the bike that attaches with the horn/fasteners. If I understand you correctly, you bought the lights at walmart and replacement bulbs(lower wattage) from lowes?
Rocket Posted January 13, 2009 #6 Posted January 13, 2009 What do those brackets look like and how/where do they attach to the bike? I have a pair that can with the bike that attaches with the horn/fasteners. Here is the link to the brackets, pics are there too & they attach to the stock horn mounts. http://www.venturerider.org/classifieds/showproduct.php/product/1371/cat/6
mechanic1 Posted January 13, 2009 Author #7 Posted January 13, 2009 Appreciate the info. Saves me time, money and heart-ache, right? Thanks guys Mechanic1
painterman67 Posted January 13, 2009 #8 Posted January 13, 2009 Go ahead and pic up these bracets and the platinum burners. Yopu will not be sorry. I put them on mine and love the extra light. David
Wizard765 Posted January 13, 2009 #9 Posted January 13, 2009 What do those brackets look like and how/where do they attach to the bike? I have a pair that can with the bike that attaches with the horn/fasteners. If I understand you correctly, you bought the lights at walmart and replacement bulbs(lower wattage) from lowes? Yes and the brackets replace the existing horn brackets. They still hold the horns and the lights as well
GeorgeS Posted January 14, 2009 #10 Posted January 14, 2009 I have a set of 35 watt each driveing lights. They use H3 bulbs. I measured the current Draw on everything last Friday. Here are the Numbers. Key On, Engine OFF, Radio + CB On. 1. Fuse's Removed for ALL light systems --- 1.66 Amps 2. Tail lts + Front Markers On, and Low Beam on --- 8.5 Amps 3. Switch to High Beam On -----------------------8.92 Amps 4. All lights On, and Low Beam, And 2, 35 Watt drive--- 15.01 Amps 5. High beam + driveing lights -------------------------- 15.33 Amps 6. Same as test #5 with Brake Lights ON -------------18.91 Amps So, the 35 Watt Driveing lights are pulling about 6.1 AMPS. So, by interopolation, 55 Watt Drive lights would draw about 10.1 Amps. You have about 26 Amps from your Stock Stator, at Average rideing speeds, over average miles driven. You will only get the full 30 Amps, at sustained speeds of over 65 MPH.
mechanic1 Posted January 14, 2009 Author #11 Posted January 14, 2009 Appreciate the info. Very detailed and saves me a lot of trouble to do the same thing. Thanks again.
Gearhead Posted January 14, 2009 #12 Posted January 14, 2009 Wow, George, thanks for the great info. Driving light question: how do y'all have yours aimed? Mine are aimed pretty much straight down the road, kinda hi-beam height for extending my lighting range, but I find that they are drowned out by the hi-beam and do not put out near the light that the headlight does. I'm not sure how much value they really add to the hi-beam lighting. Here's my experience. I always ride with the radio on and hi beam in the daytime for visibility. I mounted heated grips - rated at 3 amps total - no problem. I mounted a pair of 55W driving lights and left them on all the time, too. Now according to George's figures, I should be around 15 + 4(55W bulbs) + 3(grips) = 22 amps, up to close to 26 with brakes applied. So I should be OK, but borderline. Well, if I'm riding on the freeway it is OK. But around town, stop and go, more idling, brakes on more, more frequent starts - I found myself push-starting it a couple times (it's a BIG bike!). Ironically, I want the driving lights on for visibility more around town. Also, my experience has been that the driving lights are OK if the grips are off, even in town. So, I intend to install the 35W bulbs to save 4 amps, but haven't got 'round to it yet. Jeremy
GeorgeS Posted January 14, 2009 #13 Posted January 14, 2009 Wow, George, thanks for the great info. Driving light question: how do y'all have yours aimed? Mine are aimed pretty much straight down the road, kinda hi-beam height for extending my lighting range, but I find that they are drowned out by the hi-beam and do not put out near the light that the headlight does. I'm not sure how much value they really add to the hi-beam lighting. Here's my experience. I always ride with the radio on and hi beam in the daytime for visibility. I mounted heated grips - rated at 3 amps total - no problem. I mounted a pair of 55W driving lights and left them on all the time, too. Now according to George's figures, I should be around 15 + 4(55W bulbs) + 3(grips) = 22 amps, up to close to 26 with brakes applied. So I should be OK, but borderline. Well, if I'm riding on the freeway it is OK. But around town, stop and go, more idling, brakes on more, more frequent starts - I found myself push-starting it a couple times (it's a BIG bike!). Ironically, I want the driving lights on for visibility more around town. Also, my experience has been that the driving lights are OK if the grips are off, even in town. So, I intend to install the 35W bulbs to save 4 amps, but haven't got 'round to it yet. Jeremy Upgrade #1, Replace your " Lead Acid " Battery, ( whatever brand ) with the Odyessy, AGM, type technology, Dry Cell. Its a Deep Cycle type, and puts out 3 time the Cranking Amps. ( I am useing Two of these on my 89 ) (( OR, a Gell Cell )) Upgrade #2, Replace your Stator with the Electrix, type unit, or the one from Buckeye Performance. ( Buckeye claims about 40 to 45 Amp Output ) Upgrade #3, Replace your Two, tail light bulbs ( just the tail section ) And the forward Running lights with LED type bulbs. This requires some rewireing !! --- ( these 4 OEM Stock bulbs, ( 1/2 of the 1157 stock bulb ) pull about 2.25 Amps, total. Led replacements for all 4 would drop the current draw, to about 0.5 Amps ) About 1.5 amp saveings in constant current draw. Also, any other Tail lights you might have installed, replace the bulbs with LED. I don't consider, changing Brake lights, OR Signal lights to LED to be any saveing in current draw, cause they are "" ON "" for such short amount of time. Thats my story, and I'm sticking to it!! and ITS NOT Raining in SEATTLE Today, and the Sun is Shinning, and the Roads are DRY, Guess what I'm going to do right now !!!!!
Gearhead Posted January 16, 2009 #14 Posted January 16, 2009 George, I wanted to do just that with the LEDs. I was only gonna change one tail light bulb and leave the other incandescent so the CMS wouldn't trip, and both front running lights. But the drop-in LED bulb replacements suck! I ordered some and tried them, sent them back, they were SOOO dim and directional. If I ditched the sockets and bought larger LED assemblies that I custom-fit into the housings, that might work. Jeremy
mechanic1 Posted January 17, 2009 Author #15 Posted January 17, 2009 Hi, guys got a question cause I don't know. Been looking at walmart,autozone and O'reilly auto parts at the lights availible and found some I like at oreilly's but the bulbs are different than the 35watt ones I wanted to replace with at lowes. They have a metal type retangular base with a round metal "slug" at the bottom that a small screw attaches to the reflector with. The lowes h3 replacement bulb only has two metal pin/prongs that stick out the base of the bulb for connection. Now what I'm unsure of is, will these bulbs inter-change? Tried to pull the bulbs from the metal base but didn't get stupid with it because I didn't want to buy lights I couldn't use. Both bulbs are suppose to be "H3" bulbs, are there different physical types of h3 bulbs? Has anybody seen the "platinum burners" spoke of here at a walmart in the south? Help please. Roy & Lydia
lonestarmedic Posted January 17, 2009 #16 Posted January 17, 2009 The "Platinum Burner" lights from Wal-Mart utilize an MR16 bulb. Designed like a projector bulb. The reflector and bulb are 1 piece with a bi-pin connector. You can find these in various wattages and beam patterns. Just make sure it has the glass sealed front. Stock they come with a 24 degree spread and a 55 watt power. I have tried the narrow spot pattern and switched back to the 24 degree. I have them aimed at the exact same distance forward as my low beam. They light up to the side great. On the open road if I switch to high beam the rear of the high beam pattern meets the front of the driving light pattern. Really lights the road. JB
mechanic1 Posted January 17, 2009 Author #17 Posted January 17, 2009 Is this the name of them by brand or slang name for them? Don't recall seeing "platinum burners" in the store by that name. What shape are the light housings, rectangle or round or both? The projector type bulbs hold up well to viberations and are they availible in 35watt each? I'm afraid 55watt would be an over-draw on the charging system? Really like to add some lights but don't want to create any problems, right?
Squidley Posted January 17, 2009 #18 Posted January 17, 2009 Is this the name of them by brand or slang name for them? Don't recall seeing "platinum burners" in the store by that name. What shape are the light housings, rectangle or round or both? The projector type bulbs hold up well to viberations and are they availible in 35watt each? I'm afraid 55watt would be an over-draw on the charging system? Really like to add some lights but don't want to create any problems, right? The Platnum Burners are made by Optronics and have been in every Walmart store in the USA that I have been to, heres their website.... http://www.optronicsinc.com/ Look under the fog/driving light section
mechanic1 Posted January 17, 2009 Author #19 Posted January 17, 2009 Thanks, I found optronics brand all over the place! The platinum thing I couldn't find. Pro burners are everywhere(walmarts). Looked at the ones availible on their site but didn't see the one that uses the MR-16 bulb mentioned, or is that a replacement bulb? Thanks for the info, want to get this done right. Roy & Lydia:hurts:
Squidley Posted January 17, 2009 #20 Posted January 17, 2009 Thanks, I found optronics brand all over the place! The platinum thing I couldn't find. Pro burners are everywhere(walmarts). Looked at the ones availible on their site but didn't see the one that uses the MR-16 bulb mentioned, or is that a replacement bulb? Thanks for the info, want to get this done right. Roy & Lydia:hurts: Roy, Here is specifically the light many are talking about, it's the model QH-7CC http://www.optronicsinc.com/competition.htm They ahve the #'s for the replacement bulbs up top of the page
mechanic1 Posted January 18, 2009 Author #21 Posted January 18, 2009 Thanks, I kind of liked the looks of them when I was checking out their site earlier. I'll have to take a closer look at them and see if they will accept a lower wattage bulb for sustained use.
Gearhead Posted January 19, 2009 #22 Posted January 19, 2009 They have a metal type retangular base with a round metal "slug" at the bottom that a small screw attaches to the reflector with. The lowes h3 replacement bulb only has two metal pin/prongs that stick out the base of the bulb for connection. The H3's I am familiar with are like you described in the first sentence above. They have a short hot wire attached as well. The Lowes bulb you describe does not sound like an H3. You can get 35W H3 replacements at the Hella website. A few months ago I only paid maybe 3 bucks a bulb, but now I can't find them for less than 5. Here's a good pic of an H3, although it's a 100W model: http://www.bulbs.com/Category-/results.aspx?AffID=6&cm_mmc=google-_-light+bulbs-_-halogen+bulbs-_-halogen+bulbs&Ntk=all&Ntt=h3+bulb&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nty=1 Jeremy
mechanic1 Posted January 20, 2009 Author #23 Posted January 20, 2009 Found that Napa auto parts has H3 bulbs that are 35 watt. Unfortunely they are about $9.00 ea. but hey, if you gonna play you got to pay. So, I bite the bullet and bought the lights I wanted and going to get the replacement bulbs, and relay,.... to finish the job. I'll let you know how it turns out. Thanks everybodt for all the info. Appreciate it very much indeed. Roy & Lydia:farmer:
Wizard765 Posted January 20, 2009 #24 Posted January 20, 2009 Thanks, I kind of liked the looks of them when I was checking out their site earlier. I'll have to take a closer look at them and see if they will accept a lower wattage bulb for sustained use. I'm using those exact lights with 35watt bulbs from Lowes. They work perfect and light up the road very well. They look great, work well, and not expensive.. win win win Wayne
mechanic1 Posted January 27, 2009 Author #25 Posted January 27, 2009 Got the lights on, haven't got to try them out yet but I like the way they look and think they will be a big help. Thanks for everything guys. Roy & Lydia
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