Because I'm Electronically Challenged...

[Guest kitestiff]

....I'd like to tap into the VFRD collective for some guidance with respect to running electrical accessories on a '00. Currently on the bike I'm running (all relayed to a Blue Sea fuse block):

- 2610 GPS (supposedly draws 6W @ 1/2A)

- Starcom1 box as per website - "150mA typical Intercom operation 100mA typical (PP3 approximate time 4 hours) Music playing into 2 Headsets 250mA typical (PP3 approximate time 2 hours)"

- Warm 'N Safe heated liner and gloves using a Heat Troller (jacket rated at 100W @ 7.75A at 12.8V and gloves at 13W @2A at 12.8V each under max draw)

My question is (and I've used the search to no avail) can I safely run another heated liner for my wife (women's Warm N Safe rated at 90W @ 7A) while using the above mounted accessories without running afoul of the bikes electrical capabilities?

I know the bike puts out about 470W @ 5K rpm, and so far I have found the following regarding accessory consumption:

Headlights - 45W x 2 - 90W

Brake/Tail light - 21W/5W

Turn Signals - 21W FR/21W RR

Tag Light - 8W

I cannot find the resulting power requirements for ignition/fuel pump systems on the bike. I'm not too sure if the bike can handle the second heated liner due to lack of this information. Reason being - we're planning a Canadian Maritimes trip this September and I'm assuming we may run into some foul/cool weather along the way - especially in Gaspe.

So if any of the VFRD electrical gurus in the know could provide some opinions/answers I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

[Guest]

....I'd like to tap into the VFRD collective for some guidance with respect to running electrical accessories on a '00. Currently on the bike I'm running (all relayed to a Blue Sea fuse block):

- 2610 GPS (supposedly draws 6W @ 1/2A)

- Starcom1 box as per website - "150mA typical Intercom operation 100mA typical (PP3 approximate time 4 hours) Music playing into 2 Headsets 250mA typical (PP3 approximate time 2 hours)"

- Warm 'N Safe heated liner and gloves using a Heat Troller (jacket rated at 100W @ 7.75A at 12.8V and gloves at 13W @2A at 12.8V each under max draw)

My question is (and I've used the search to no avail) can I safely run another heated liner for my wife (women's Warm N Safe rated at 90W @ 7A) while using the above mounted accessories without running afoul of the bikes electrical capabilities?

I know the bike puts out about 470W @ 5K rpm, and so far I have found the following regarding accessory consumption:

Headlights - 45W x 2 - 90W

Brake/Tail light - 21W/5W

Turn Signals - 21W FR/21W RR

Tag Light - 8W

I cannot find the resulting power requirements for ignition/fuel pump systems on the bike. I'm not too sure if the bike can handle the second heated liner due to lack of this information. Reason being - we're planning a Canadian Maritimes trip this September and I'm assuming we may run into some foul/cool weather along the way - especially in Gaspe.

So if any of the VFRD electrical gurus in the know could provide some opinions/answers I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

I don't have the definitive answer you are looking for, but I put a set of 55W driving lights on my 06 VFR and they drained the battery down the point the bike would not start after 150 mile ride, 90% of which was over 5K RPM. Turned off the driving lights, push started the bike (Thanks for the muscle, cruzinaz) and drove 60 miles home. I have checked the battery since then and it reads 12.96V after sitting overnight.

The charging system on a VFR sucks azz.

[Tightwad]

55W at 14 volts is 3.92 Amps, or 7.85 when doubled. You should have been just fine as the output is 33 amps at 14 volts.

watts = volts * amps

or

watts/volts = amps

Kitstiff: You should be perfectly OK to run the additional liner.

[Guest]

....I'd like to tap into the VFRD collective for some guidance with respect to running electrical accessories on a '00. Currently on the bike I'm running (all relayed to a Blue Sea fuse block): snip......

I want to wire up some bar grip heaters and need a solution to the lack of a switched power supply on my 2002 VFR.

When you say "relayed", do you have some sort of solenoid or relay so that the Blue Sea fuse block is switched on/off by the ignition?

Or have you found another way of supplying switched power?

Thanks for any advice!

[Guest]

RRW: Running dead does indeed suck, that's why I want to ensure I'm still in the green with my proposed modification.

Tightwad: Thanks for your advice! I've looked at your wiring offerings before and will admit that it is on my list of mods in the future.

srskypuppy: Yes "relayed" means I have my Blue Sea box supplying switched power only - I have no HOT connections for my farkles. I just purchased an automotive relay with a mounting tab and tapped the license plate light for the switch source on the relay. Here are a couple of examples I picked up off VFRD over the years. I cannot take credit for these wonderful installs photographed by other members, but alas I don't know which threads the pictures were taken from:

[Bad Boy]

My Warm n Safe jacket is 100 W when the heatroller is on full power. I usually have it about 25% turned on. Depends on what you wear over it. Actual draw should be much less. I run my jacket on my 240 watt KLR650 with no problem.

[spud786]

I think your going to have to test it out.

the other day , I had my lights(lowbeams) on for less than 10 minutes trying to adjust the clock, this after a 4hour ride, and the voltage dropped down to 12.4 volt , there wasnt enough power to turn the motor over. I charged with tender, just enough to get the motor to turn over and start. Then went on a 5 hour ride, battery was reading 13 volt afterward.

but still only at 80% charged via the tender, took another 5 hours on the tender afterwards before it shut down at a full charge.

If nothing else the vfr could use a larger battery with more reserve power, it seems its just adequate .

The battery has 44,000 mile on it and 2 and 1/2 years old, its probably weaker than a new one.

[Guest]

My Warm n Safe jacket is 100 W when the heatroller is on full power. I usually have it about 25% turned on. Depends on what you wear over it. Actual draw should be much less. I run my jacket on my 240 watt KLR650 with no problem.

Well thanks to all those involved in the thread everything worked out perfectly on our trip. My wife and I returned from a two week, 5200km NE USA and Cdn Maritmes run, returning to Ontario via Gaspe Quebec. We both ran a Warm n Safe heated liner, plus on occasion I ran my W&S gloves as well. How did it work? Spectacular! We typically ran through temperatures ranging from 13-18deg.Celcius and on occasion we rode in 2-4degrees.....chilly.

The VFR stator output was sufficient to run our gear at close to 85% of max draw with no problems at all. Now I'm not saying we didn't tax the charging system pretty good, and we did shut off the gear when at idle in random traffic/city environments, but overall the bike performed flawlessly!

Thanks to all for your assistance.