| Author | Message | ||
     Ratbuell |
So, on the way home tonight I noticed a new feature of my S2. All stock electricals save for the addition of a HD dual thermostat for heated gloves and jacket, and a pair of PIAA 35w lights (boy, are they B-R-I-G-H-T!!). Both accessories wired through their own fuses directly to the battery. Switch for the PIAAs is fed by ignition so they turn off with the key (because the guy who rides the thing is a moron and likes to leave stuff on, LOL) - heavy wires from the battery to a relay, from the relay to the lights, and light gauge wires from the relay, to the switch, and to dash lights for the key-on switch "trigger". All the PIAA wiring came in the kit and is brand new. Anyway. 40 degrees and raining on the way home tonight, wonderful night for a spin...without rain pants, D'OH. Had the gloves and jacket on "medium", which the thermostat accomplishes by cycling power on/off/on/etc to the garments. Lower settings are more off than on; higher setting = more on than off, until you get to "high" which is just constant on. Noticed the PIAAs dimming a bit as the thermostat cycled. Not a lot, but enough that it caught my eye thru the rain. Turned the thermostat full-on, everything was fine. Checked the system at home with a meter, 12.6v at idle (1100-ish) at the battery terminals; 13.8v at 2000 rpm...with everything turned on. Should I worry? If I do cook something, is there an easy upgrade for the electrical system? My 50k mile '96 FLHP doesn't flicker any lights (factory passing lamps, factory headlight) when using the same thermostat...but I don't know how different (electrical capacity-wise) the big evo is from the evo XL. Oh. The last piece of the puzzle may be the no-name battery that was in the bike when I bought it this past spring. I think it has a lower CCA than stock...craank...pause...crankcrankstart every time, no worse now than it was 5k miles ago. | ||
| Reepicheep |
You won't cook anything, at worst you will just drain the battery on a long ride at low RPM's. |
