Increasing power output to handle accessory overload

[burkbuilds]

Okay, so last night I finally got a chance to install the new stator and rectifier and before I did, I ran the bike up to 4000 rpms (I have a tach) and checked the OEM stator output, and it was dead on 60 volts which is book specs for this bike. (Vulcan 500). I then installed the new stator and rectifier, ran it up to 4000 rpms, and it was only putting out 52 volts! I made several attempts and checked really good but that was it at 4000 rpms, so off she came and back on with the original unit and rectifier. I guess I will be finding out how good the "guarantee" from Electro Sport really is. I will be requesting a full refund for both stator and rectifier and shipping charges since they failed to even meet OEM specs much less exceed them by their written (to me in an e-mail which I kept) guarantee that it would produce 20% more power than the OEM unit specs.

The "good news" is that I went back and checked all my paperwork from my heated grips, gloves and vest and found out that the total draw on all three on high was 10 AMPS, so I can run them at medium or low no problem or even a combination of low/med/high without a problem just not all on high together. The other thing I learned was that my OEM unit puts out about 72 volts at 5,000 rpms which is where I run at 70 mph on the highway so I have a little cushion there at highway speeds as well.

I know this is gonna make all you "northerners" laugh at me, but when I came home Friday from Atlanta it was 53 degrees and cloudy and my legs were fine for the first 30 minutes in just thermal underwear and jeans, a little cool for the next 30 minutes and by the time I rolled in to the big city of Rossville, I went straight to the Suzuki dealer (RT Cycles) in town, they have a pretty good selection of riding gear, and bought some Gortex insulated riding pants! My knees were so cold I didn't think I was going to be able to walk!

Well, I'm going to try out the heated gear in the morning. I'll be heading back to school early and the temp is supposed to be 37 degrees F. when I leave here for my 2 hour ride. I usually go back Sunday afternoon, but the Falcon's are playing the Bears tonight at the Georgia Dome and traffic will probably be heavier than I want to deal with later today. I'll let you know how the gear did tomorrow night.

[dhgeyer]

I have an electric jacket liner and gloves, but no electric clothes for the bottom half of me. My riding pants are more waterproof than any rain suit I ever tried, and have a removable, fairly heavily insulated liner. They also have armor in the knees. With those, long johns, double wool socks, and good boots, my legs/feet don't get cold at highway speeds down into the 20's Fahrenheit. The heated jacket liner keeping the core warm makes a big difference, even in the extremities.

I got all my serious riding gear, after having done without it for years, at MAX's BMW dealership in North Hampton, NH. BMW sells itself as the brand for serious riders, and their dealerships are the best source I have found for serious riding gear. They not only have the stuff you need, but also people who have used it and can help you make intelligent choices, and sell you stuff that fits properly. They will not put you down if you ride in on something other than a BMW. They see their market as consisting of people, like you, who want to ride a lot in whatever conditions are. Their strategy is to get people hooked on that attitude toward riding, and then figure they will want the bikes after a while. Unfortunately BMW is (deservedly) losing its reputation for reliability and quality. If they don't clean up their act I fear they will go down. People who have been faithful to the marque for decades are abandoning it for Jap bikes. But, for now, it's a great source of riding gear.

[Water Warrior 2]

BB, I'm not laughing believe me. I know what the difference between comfy and freezing is. Especially getting older you no longer are able to handle being cold and miserable for long. After getting my Tour Master heated jacket liner I am a happy camper but still want more. T.M. has just now come out with heated pant liners and I should be ordering some when funds are available. The climate here on the west coast is darn nice but winter as we know it can be really chilly on 2 wheels if you want to ride. Both Lynda and I want to have jacket liners and pant liners eventually. Heated grips are a great help and one of the first things for the bikes to get. Most bikes seem to be a bit electrically challenged and the T.M. Synergy heated clothing has an excellant wattage to heat output. Also a bargain as the heat/power controller is standard issue not an overpriced option.

[burkbuilds]

Well, I jumped on the bike about 8:30 this morning to head back to school and it was a crisp 33 degree's but at least it was clear skies and sunshine when I headed out. Plugged in my heated jacket liner hit the control switch and nothing, NOTHING! CRAP! No time to check, I've got classes in a few hours and I've got to get going, at least I was happy with the new insulated riding pants I bought Friday afternoon, my legs stayed okay over the next 2 1/2 hours of riding, and fortunately my heated grips did their job and my hands were okay if not cozy warm like I had hoped! If I have time this evening I'll check the electrical and see if the problem is in the outlet side of the mix or in the vest/control unit. Hopefully it's just a blown fuse or something simple to correct and not a bad liner or controller for which I will only be able to ask for a replacement from the manufacturer.

[Water Warrior 2]

Ouch and Cold. Hope it is an easy fix.

[burkbuilds]

Finally had a chance to check things out this weekend with the power on the heated accessories. I had power at the outlet and everything was reading good there, checked continuity in the lines of the jacket and everything looked okay. Finally found the "Controller" seemed to be the problem. If I took it out of the loop everything worked, vest, gloves, but when I put it in I couldn't get it to work. I watched as I plugged it in and it would come on for a second or two and then go off and I couldn't get it to come back on no matter how many times I pressed the power button. Spent the weekend e-mailing back and forth with the rep from the company I purchased it through. Finally left to come back to school early this morning and just took the controller off and plugged in directly. Of course this meant that the heated vest and gloves were on high the entire time and I did turn the heated grips on low because my palms were getting a little cool. Everything seems to be working okay, my hands stayed warm and the vest was actually getting a little to warm for me near the end of the ride. When I checked my e-mails this afternoon I had one last "tip" from the rep, it said to "hold the power button down for several seconds and it would turn on". So I went down to the bike and tried it, guess what, that worked! O_o You would think they might have mentioned that somewhere in the literature :??: Oh well, I'm glad it is working and running the gloves and vest on high with the heated grips on low didn't seem to create any problems on my 2 hour journey so that's good to know. I was running right at 5,000 rpms the entire time and when I checked my output at 5,000 rpms it was producing about 70+ volts compared to the 60V it is rated at @ 4,000 rpms. Anyway, seems to be working okay, I'll have to see how it goes if the temps drop down into the low 20's or more later this winter.
I mailed the Stator and rectifier back to the mfg, they said they'd have to test it and if it wasn't producing 20% more power at 4,000 rpms like they promised then they'd refund my money, hope that's not going to become an issue and they'll live up to that guarantee.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by burkbuilds

I was running right at 5,000 rpms the entire time and when I checked my output at 5,000 rpms it was producing about 70+ volts compared to the 60V it is rated at @ 4,000 rpms.

I think I'd still want to connect a good charger and see how long it takes to get a "fully charged" indication......or on an older low capacity charger with a meter, to see how long it is for the charging current to level off at a low level.

As long as the charging voltage stays above the nominal battery voltage (12.6) with everything on HIGH, then you should be OK......until you get caught in traffic!! Judicious use of the controller should keep you out of trouble.

[burkbuilds]

Thanks for the advice ER, I can actually check that when I have some time, and see what the numbers are. Now that I've learned how to use the controller that

should help as well. Fortunately, once I checked the literature that came with all my heated accessories I found that they draw a combined total of 10 amps when

they are all on high and less on lower settings so I should be okay at the 4000 rpm mark if I don't have them all on high at once since the Vulcan is supposed to

supply 10 amps of accessory power at 4,000 rpms and my stator measured the exact factory specs at 4000 rpms. In top gear I'm going 55mph @ 4000, so as long as

I stay above that and watch that I don't have everything on high at once I should be okay, but I will check the charging voltage at 4000 rpms with everything on

high and see if I'm staying above 12.6volts or not. If not, I can see where it reads as I drop things off of high and find out what I can and can't do with this set up.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by burkbuilds

I will check the charging voltage at 4000 rpms with everything on
high and see if I'm staying above 12.6volts or not. If not, I can see where it reads as I drop things off of high and find out what I can and can't do with this set up.

Check.

P.S. Unless you have a really good meter, check the nominal battery voltage some morning after it sits overnight to get a good reference. I thought I was having some serious electrical problems......until I realized my old meter was a good bit out of calibration.

[Water Warrior 2]

I plan on putting voltage meters on both bikes to monitor the systems. I do not anticipate any dead batteries on either bike but it is always nice to have the option of watching what is really happening. More $ spent but worth the security factor.