Need Help with Max wattage of Lights

[cabreco]

Currently on my 84 I have a few lights added to the oem setup.

I have:

1. the rear light bar which has 8 Baron mini twin running lights

2. a pair of 50 watt driving lights

3. a small amp for my MP3

 

I have the factory radio turned off.

 

When I drive around with just the amp, the OEM lights & the markers on everything is good. If I turn on the driving lights on the charging drops below 12 volt at 3000 rpm. if I shut them off goes to 13.5. Obviously the light are too much for the charging system.

 

I'm going to replace the bulbs from 2 - 50 watt to something lower.

Can somebody tell me what would be the max wattage I should use?

[reddevilmedic]

im not sure. i went with low wattage/hi power led driving lights. the lights on my Bestem trunk are also led. i also have a Ricks hot shot stator and Shindigen r/r. so, ive upgraded lights and electrical all around. i did remove the hid headlight, i thought it was drawing too much.

[Flyinfool]

The stock headlight is 55/60 watts, my HID is 35 W for both hi and lo beam.

When I have the two 55w driving lights on also the electrical system is just barely keeping up, if I had a stock headlight I don't think it would make it. I am planning to change the driving lights to two 35W HID and also have the upgrade stator and R/R to put in. I want to add a LOT more lights.

 

You could save a lot of power by changing all of the Barons to LED bulbs.

[cabreco]

I just bought a set of 20w bulbs for them at Home Depot. At quick check the 40w total vs 110w total seems to helped. I really won't know for sure until I take her out for a ride tomorrow.

 

 

 

I have plans on changing all 8 baron bulbs over to LED as well as the turn & brake lights this winter. So that will reduce the draw

[GeorgeS]

The turn signals, and brake light bulbs won't make much difference as they are very rarley " On ".

Replaceing the Tail light bulbs with LED, will help some.

 

If you are going to run 50 Watt running lights continously you need to Upgrade the Stator, and install a DEKA 330 CCA battery. ( AGM Dry Cell type battery )

 

The stock charging system is just able to keep up with the Stock Equipment, as set up OEM.

 

I had lower wattage driveing lights on my 89 ( now sold ) but I only used them at night when the extra light was actually needed.

[mbrood]

Stator 14.5 v = 30amp at 4-5000 rpm =420 watts, but only 20 amps at 2k rpm = 240 watts

 

"Rectifier" (not regulator) =26amp =312 watts so our stock 30 amp stator is not the limiter. (p.32 of pdf manual)

Main fuse is 40 amp, 10 more than stator!

 

Fuel Pump =.7 amps = 8.4 watts

Headlight = 4.6 amps = 55 watts

Tail/brake light 8w/27w X2 =16/52w

Toss in the turn signal/running lights and you are hitting over 1/2 the rated capacity @ 2k stopped at a light, holding the brake and a turnsignal on and you probably want some juice feeding the ignition system. Add on two 55 W lamps and you are pulling everything it can dish out and then some, expect stator, rectifier and wiring to start heating up quick and you would still be draining the battery!

[cabreco]

I took it out today to see what drain would be caused by the new 20w bulbs.

I have a plug in voltage tester that check battery condition when off as well as charging

output.

 

At 2000 rpm (which is below what I usually drive at) my charging system was putting out 13.68 volts. at no time did it drop below 13.5 volts while at this rpm. So I can definitely say that the 2 20 watt bulbs replacing the 2 55w did the trick.

[mbrood]

Just remember each accessory running light is typically 4 watts and they add up quick, but exchange them for LEDs and you have about 1/4 watt each, plus no appreciable heat behind the lens.

 

With the increased load, be sure and check the white stator connector above the driver's left foot peg for heat shortly after a ride a couple times... a good cleaning and a good dialectric grease will go a long way in helping also.

[JoeKanuck]

Definitely check the three post connector that runs from the stator to the R/R. The wire on my bike ran up from the R/R to a loop on the gas tank just under the left side of the seat.

 

One wire had fried the insulation and was bare. When I removed the wire harness from the frame, that wire had gotten so hot, it had actually melted the metal crimped connector and pulled out with the lightest effort.

 

I removed the entire connector and connected the three wires individually but have since just soldered the wires together.

 

It was a very close thing that could have been expensive.

[cabreco]

Just remember each accessory running light is typically 4 watts and they add up quick, but exchange them for LEDs and you have about 1/4 watt each, plus no appreciable heat behind the lens.

 

I swapped out EVERY 168 bulb on the bike. Baron lights, chin, front fender lights as well as all of them in the dash cluster. 22 in all.

What a HUGE difference in power consumption.

 

With the headlight, amp, driving lights & all the running lights on I am still charging at a stop. (for a while that is) I think if I change the tail & directionals & will be in the positive most of the time.

 

The best thing is thee dash is now all bright & crisp!

[dingy]

I swapped out EVERY 168 bulb on the bike. Baron lights, chin, front fender lights as well as all of them in the dash cluster. 22 in all.

What a HUGE difference in power consumption.

 

With the headlight, amp, driving lights & all the running lights on I am still charging at a stop. (for a while that is) I think if I change the tail & directionals & will be in the positive most of the time.

 

The best thing is thee dash is now all bright & crisp!

 

What is LED source & part #'s ?

 

Gary

[cabreco]

Odd thing, I was going to take a pix of my dash & noticed that the lights are all out

Also the High Beam indicator light too.

 

Is there a fuse that I am overlooking??

[mbrood]

I used superbrightleds.com... real reasonable pricing and super customer service. If in doubt, give them a call for info. I did a side by side comparison of the single red LEDs and incandescent used on my accessory running lights, behind the lens, I would have picked the LEDs hands down. Always remember to pick LEDs the same color as the lens... red light goes through red lenses, white loses all of the other colors to come out red and thus the perceived intensity goes in the bucket.

 

The high beam indicator and dash lights use an interconnected common ground. The dash lights' power routes through the start switch while the high beam gets power from the reserve lighting unit.

Edited September 14, 2012 by mbrood

[cabreco]

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The high beam indicator and dash lights use an interconnected common ground. The dash lights' power routes through the start switch while the high beam gets power from the reserve lighting unit.

 

Well after replacing the reserve lighting unit I replaced all the bulbs back to OEM & still no lights. (having full parts bike is useful) still no lights. Then I started digging with my multimeter. I had no power to the bulbs but I did have power to the dimmer switch.

 

When I ground the white wire on the switch the dash lights come on.

I removed the 3 wires from the switch & wired in the parts bike switch. it works. So ...My Dimmer control switch is FRIED!!

 

I had 2 choices. Since I don't usually dim the dash:

1. leave the replacement switch attached & bury it in the cluster & leave the OEM bulbs

2. attach a small ground wire from the white wire of the broken switch to the frame & replace the LED again.

 

I did the ground wire to the middle terminal & bypassed the dimmer.

What I suspect is the dimmer couldn't deal with LED. They were lit up & working fine then I played with the dimmer but didn't notice the light kicked out because I was outside.

Or it could be an INCREDIBLE coincidence.

In either case, this was a fun job.

 

IDK if I shorted something or if the LEDs caused this but I would test your dimmer BEFORE reassembly if you plan to cut over to LED.

 

If you do blow the switch at least here's the fix.

 

BTW REPLACING the dimmer is brutal. The tach & voltmeter have to come out of the housing 1st!

 

This whole process was time consuming!

[mbrood]

The LEDs pull about 1/10th the current that the incandescents do, I see absolutely no way they could have affected the dimmer, especially since it is fed by the reserve lighting unit and goes directly to the computer monitor.

 

Although LEDs weren't designed to be put on a dimmer, they can be dimmed... just EXPECT some to dim faster than others, it's just the mechanics of their construction.

[Wizard765]

I just bought a set of 20w bulbs for them at Home Depot. At quick check the 40w total vs 110w total seems to helped. I really won't know for sure until I take her out for a ride tomorrow.

 

 

 

I have plans on changing all 8 baron bulbs over to LED as well as the turn & brake lights this winter. So that will reduce the draw

 

 

 

This is exactly what I did. All the running lights on the bumper have been changed to LEDs and I also rewired it so that some were running, brakes and signal.. My bumper has 22 bulbs in it all together. I also changed the 50 watt hwy lights to a smaller wattage but I found going to 35 was perfect and still gives me very good light coverage at night and makes be easier to see during the day. I run those lights all the time..

 

Your amp is what I don't have but I do have heated jacket for my missus and everything can be on without a problem as long as I'm moving..

[Flyinfool]

So I am thinking that for the white LEDs to illuminate the dash, I will want the type that outputs light to the sides, and for the replacements for the idiot lights in the dash, I will want the LEDs that shine forward.

 

It would be a real help if you could post a night pic of your LED dash along with a list of bulbs that you used in the dash.

 

Just what I need, another project........

[cabreco]

Although LEDs weren't designed to be put on a dimmer, they can be dimmed... just EXPECT some to dim faster than others, it's just the mechanics of their construction.

 

I thought so too. Most likely the dimmer switch was going or I may have shorted something. I did find 1 LED that smoked & died. That may have been the culprit.

[cabreco]

I just bought a set of 20w bulbs for them at Home Depot. At quick check the 40w total vs 110w total seems to helped. I really won't know for sure until I take her out for a ride tomorrow.

 

 

 

I have plans on changing all 8 baron bulbs over to LED as well as the turn & brake lights this winter. So that will reduce the draw

 

UPDATE:

I was going to replace the aux lights I installed with LED units to free up more amps. I happened to be at Lowes today & saw these

 

http://images.lowes.com/product/converted/046135/046135784927lg.jpg

 

Brighter than the 20w halogens, more lumens than the 35w units and they only use 6w each!

So I dropped another 28w total of the bike & have brighter illumination!

[Big Lou]

I have an 89 royale , all the plastic for sure

 

sounds like from everybody that has posted here that your bikes came wuth a LOT more lights than mine ,, ,,

 

all i seem to have is bare neccesities.. .. if you put these on where did you put them???

 

I would like fog. and a spot.

 

. I seen the otherday a bike mounted driving lights on the saddle bag looking forward???

 

I am fixing to check the led. websight rite now

[Flyinfool]

A popular place to mount driving lights is on the horn brackets.

 

I found a neat set from KC Hilights that is focused in between driving and fog lights. They do a real good job of lighting up the shoulders to see deer coming at night and still throw some useful light down the road straight ahead.

I plan to convert mine from the 55W halogen to 35W HID.

[cabreco]

I have an 89 royale , all the plastic for sure

 

sounds like from everybody that has posted here that your bikes came wuth a LOT more lights than mine ,, ,,

 

all i seem to have is bare neccesities.. .. if you put these on where did you put them???

 

I would like fog. and a spot.

 

. I seen the otherday a bike mounted driving lights on the saddle bag looking forward???

 

I am fixing to check the led. websight rite now

 

Lou,

 

I've seen aux lights mounted everywhere from next to the mirrors to the more common horn mount area.

I chose to mount these to the chrome chin.

[Adavidson56304]

I had the 55w driving lights on my bike but went to LEDs, similar to what someone posted above. They are brighter than the halogens and save power. My gauge would drop at all stops before and now it barely budges. I've only had them on a couple months so I don't know the life span. I couldn't find any waterproof so I siliconed around anywhere that looked like water could get in. They cost about $20 a piece, but if they last a year, they'll be worth it for when I turn on my heated grips and gear.

[Daitan]

I have been reading these posts about the stator upgrade and r/r change. Question...where can I get the replacement stator and what is the r/r that needs replacing also, and where can I get that one too?