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82 gsx400 - LED upgrade load question

  • Thread starter Thread starter GS(X)400
  • Start date Start date
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GS(X)400

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Hello everyone

I recently purchased an 82 GS(X)400 the pic is my avatar.

I have some plans to replace the majority of the lights in the bike with LED's including the head lamp by using Truck-Lites drop it LED replacement 7 inc lamp unit. I have previously completed LED conversions on my 2001 katana (save head light) without much issue.

I plan Source a 2 pin Electronic flasher to replace the thermal unit currently in there (Any recommendations our sources would be appreciated). I will also order replacement tower LED's for use as break and Turn signals. I will also replace as much as the Gauge cluster as possible. Using resources from Mikes site (great resource)

My question that i have is if i reduce the load on the electrical system will i have to worry that the power output will remain the same as previous causing excess head to build up causing overheating wires/fires and is there anything i can do to prevent it?

Thanks in advance
 
Welcome to the forum! Good to see another twin on here :)

If you reduce your load, just make sure you've covered off the essential charging system modifications as per BassCliff's site and you should be right as rain... maybe replace the R/R with a series type just to be sure not to fry the stator.
 
I just LOVE it when guys want to "reduce the load" on a charging system with a permanent magnet and stator arrangement. :D

Seriously, since the strength of the magnet can not be adjusted, it will put out MAXIMUM output, and will do it ALL THE TIME. At engine idle speed, the stator is probably not putting out quite enough to run the bike, so the battery is keeping things going. The output of the stator will go up with engine RPM. It will continue to go up until it gets to the set-point of the voltage regulator. When it reaches that set-point, the regulator will then divert ALL of the stator's output directly to ground. Now, there is not enough voltage, so the regulator diverts ALL of the stator's output back to the bike. It does this over a thousand times per second, so it appears to be relatively steady, unless you look at it with an oscilloscope.

When you have a maximum load, like driving lights, heated hand grips, heated vest, whatever, the charging system will do all it can to supply enough power. As long as the engine is spinning fast enough, it will probably do it. As the engine slows down, the battery will have to fill in more and more.

The point is ... the stator is going to put out maximum output all the time, the only difference is how much goes to the load (the bike) and how much is wasted by being diverted to ground. "Upgrading" to LEDs will only increase the amount that is diverted to ground, there is no real reduction in output.
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Thanks for the reply are you saying that by reducing the load more will simply go to ground so not to worry about performing any king of balancing?
 
If you are wanting to reduce your load so you can add other power-consuming goodies, like a heated vest, go for it.

If you are wanting to reduce your load so your 'alternator' doesn't work so hard, forget it, it's still going to run at max capacity, only that more of it will go to waste.

There will be a slight advantage at lower speeds, where the alternator (that's what the stator really is, after all) is barely putting out enough to keep the bike running. By reducing what the bike demands, you will have a little more available to charge the battery at idle speed. By the time you get over 2500 RPM or so, and the R/R is starting to shunt current to ground, there won't be any difference.

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Ahh I see my goal isnt to reduce load its to use LED's as i am a fan of them. I particularly like the LED headlight. I thing that the body style on my 82 will work well with the whiter light output. Thats good news thanks for the clarrification
 
I like LEDs, too. No problems using them, except for the usual "lack of load" problems if using them as turn signals. Use an electronic flasher, problem solved.

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