Installing new lights and dont want to overload the stator

[Midnight]

I purchased these lights. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Optronics-55w-Pair-Driving-Light-Kit/16680058.

I want to install them down by my footpegs/crashbar.

They are 2x50W halogens and are bright for sure and fit perfectly down there. Just had to fab up a small bracket.

What I am concerned about is at what point do I risk overloading the bikes stator/charging system.

I already have the Yamaha passing lights installed using a relay and plan on doing the same with these.

My wife has a heated vest as well that gets plugged in at times. We also pull the ALuma MCT trailer which is all LED lit.

I have the Kuryakn voltmeter installed and so far all has been well. Always reading in the green.

http://www.kuryakyn.com/products/872/led-battery-gauge

Any thoughts or advise. Thanks JR

[Flyinfool]

The best way to tell is to have an actual digital voltmeter installed. If the voltage at cruising speed starts to drop as you turn things on, then you have passed the limit. The way the charging system is set up on these bikes, an overload will only cause a voltage drop which will result in a discharged battery. If you notice a voltage drop, just turn something off for a while to charge the battery back up.

 

You can buy 35W bulbs to fit those new lights to help lower the draw. Changing all the lights on the bike to LED will also help lower the demand.

[Midnight]

The best way to tell is to have an actual digital voltmeter installed. If the voltage at cruising speed starts to drop as you turn things on, then you have passed the limit. The way the charging system is set up on these bikes, an overload will only cause a voltage drop which will result in a discharged battery. If you notice a voltage drop, just turn something off for a while to charge the battery back up.

 

You can buy 35W bulbs to fit those new lights to help lower the draw. Changing all the lights on the bike to LED will also help lower the demand.

 

Thanks for the input. That's what I was thinking. I didn't want to damage the stator by experimenting and seeing if the charging system can keep up. I'm looking at LED headlight/passing light replacements as that will help a lot. Seems they make LED bulbs (MR16) for the new lights I bought, but I they may or may not fit the housing. My winter project is to upgrade as many lights as I can to LED provided they are not crazy $$ and reliable. Hopefully some folks will weigh in on that too. JR

[videoarizona]

Agreed. I bought the same lights and put them on my VStar 950T. I swapped out the stock bulbs with 20 watt versions. They work fine. Lots of light at night that I have aimed to the side a tad and good visibility for cagers during the day...

 

You will like those lights.

 

PS I think Ikea may have LED versions of those bulbs as well...but don't know how much power they have...

This pic is with the 20 watt bulbs in...

 

OH...last thought. I drilled a tiny hole in each front housing and put a tiny screw in the hole. Did that to hold the front element to the body better. I used the little punch dimple to drill the hole.

[djh3]

Link dont work for me. But if its an H3 bulb they make a CREE LED bulb to fit. Thats what I have in my passing lights. Now they make different lengths of them, so you need to know the depth you have available. I used my calipers to measure how much depth available. If you dont have that, you could use like a tie wrap and push in hold finger at mount hole and then measure what you get to give you depth.

[Flyinfool]

A few gotchas to watch out for.

LED no longer means low power.

Many of the newer bulbs to replace headlight and driving lights the LED version will actually draw more power than the incandescents they are replacing.

 

As far as replacing the non road illuminating bulbs with LED, Most are lower power than the incandescents they are replacing. A few of the LEDs are even brighter than the bulbs they replace AND still draw less power. But these good ones are not inexpensive. With most of the LED replacements out there you will not be real happy with the result, this is one of the places that it is very worth it to by quality the first time.

 

It has also been discovered that some of the cheap LED bulbs will not work on a first gen turn signals without adding some extra diodes in line, I do not know if there is a similar issue with the 2nd gens.