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I recently installed a full fairing and luggage from a GK on my GS1100GL (which makes it a GS1100GLZ(K) I think :? ). Anyway, I'm finding that there's a small delay when I hit my brakes (discussed in another thread). What I'm considering doing is redesigning the whole electrical system. From the voltage regulator on up because I'd like to add marker lights to the side of the baggs and fairing. Can anyone point me in the right direction? I'm going to start by looking at large cruiser regulators (Goldwing and the sort) just to see how the regulators differ. Is there an Engineer in the house?!!
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Uh oh, I must confess to being a 4th year Electronics Engineering student. Too bad I don't know anything yet...
Steve from Carleton University (where the k stands for kuality
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If you don't have any luck getting other regs to work on your bike, you can help your Suzi's electrical system by using LED lights on the brake and side markers. I did on mine and they use so little electricity that it doesnt bother mine to leave it on at all times when riding. And at night you cannot miss it, as it is very bright.Comment
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I think that's what I'll do. LED's for the side markers.
I also was just in touch with our sponsor, ELECTREX, and Ritzo Montinga said that I could acually go to a 20 amp fuse from the 15 amp that's there. He said that regulator should handle the extra load of the brake lights. He also said that the regulator that I have is probably the original junk. I might try to find a 17 amp fuse. If that's even manufactured.Comment
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I don't agree with Ritzo. It's not a matter of blowing fuses here; it's a matter of over taxing the stator and the rectifier/regulator. The insulation systems on the early stators are not what I would call cutting edge and do not have a lot of extra capacity. Heat is what kills insulation on wound electrical equipment (motors, alternators, coils, transformers) and what causes heat is current and ambient temperature. The more current you pull from your stator, the faster the insulation on the stator windings will fail. If your stator were cooled by freon, I would say go for it but since it is cooled by hot motor oil, I would be very careful.Originally posted by E. W. Mitchell IV
I do agree with the idea about replacing your bulbs with LEDs...BUT your turn signals may not work properly if the resistance is not there to operate the flasher unit.
A more conservative answer would be to replace the stator and the R/R with a new Electrex stuff. That way when you are on the long haul and a million miles from home you do not have to worry about the stator or R/R failing.
HapComment
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I only use the LED bulbs on the rear brake/tail assy, as you are right Hap, LED do not have enough resistance to operate the flasher. I just use a regular bulb there, as the signal lights are not used often, unless turning, opposed to the brake/tail operating al the time. you would be suprised how much it helps the electrics just changing that one bulb....remember a standard 1157 uses 8w and 23w of power.Comment
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I have a Windjammer fairing, and a Windjammer trunk on the Koot Scoot. The fairing has two running lights, and the trunk four running lights plus four brake lights, as well as the single dual light on the rear mudguard. Total seven running lights and five brake lights. I have replaced the stator and the regulator with Electrx units.
The stator was faulty before the addition of the trunk, and checking with a couple of local bike mechanics they agreed the lights would do no harm, but suggested I not add an electrc vest. It has too much draw.
Let's do the math. Headlight 60w, running light 8w, brake light 23w, turn signal 23w; so with every thing working we have 60 + 8x7= 56 + 5x23= 115, and 2x23=46 total 277w. Alternator output 300w. Phew! just made it.
Seriously though, the likelyhood of having all these lights running for anything but a short period isn't too likey. My main fuse hasn't blown yet.
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Seeing as you guys have so many brake lights you could try out this circuit. It has the effect of blinking some of your brake lights briefly and then going full on when you hit the pedal. I'm gonna give it a shot since I have a pair of 555 timers here.
SteveComment
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ONCE AGAIN,, it DOSEN'T MATTER TO YOUR STATOR HOW MANY LIGHTS YOU HAVE AS LONG AS YOU DON'T EXCEEDED IT'S MAXIMUM OUTPUT!! iT PRODUCES AT FULL OUTPUT THE MOMENT THE BIKE STARTS! YOUR REGULATOR "BLEEDS" THE EXCESSIVE WATTAGE TO GROUND! THE SYSTEM ON YOUR GS IS NOT THE SAME AS AN AUTOMOBILE CHARGING SYSTEM!
P.S. don't forget to add the wattage of your ignition coils to your total wattage, and leave a few watts for recharging your battery,,,Comment
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Someone had mentioned that they had wired their rear turning signals to to be on all the time but to blink when actually functioning as turning signals.
Anyone know how to wire that up?Comment
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Once again, the stator does NOT bleed excessive wattage to ground. As with all magnetic field excited generators, when the current draw is reduced, the coils get magnetically saturated which reduces power output. It does not produce full output all of the time. It will produce full output when you first start the engine because the battery has seen a voltage drop (due to the inrush current to the starter motor and the work required to turn the motor over) and the regulator (which is just a bunch of switches that turn off and on depending on voltage levels at their base) has the transistors (switches) fired to the sequence to recharge the voltage drop.Originally posted by deogi11
Wattage is power...power is volts times current when you are talking DC circuitry...if you lost your headlight (say it burned out) and the only current you were pulling were for the running lights and coils (which is a very small drain) you would be sending 200W or more to ground. When you send excess wattage to ground it is called a "short" and when you get a short you produce heat so in effect you would have a rolling stove top burner element for a motorcycle.
This stuff about sinking the excess wattage (power) back into the stator or to ground was developed by some marketing guy (in my opinion) who does not have a full understanding of electrical and magnetic field theory.
Why does the GS have electrical problems? First, the transistors where not very good compared to today's stuff. Second, the insulation systems on stators were not as good as it is today. Third, our stuff is old, we have corrosion that causes resistance and increases current draw on electrical equipment that is borderline already, and we add more electrical stuff to a system that is over taxed already.
I think I might write a article for the GS Resources that will give a layman's explination to how the charging system works (and doesn't work).
HapComment
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[quote="Hap Call"]Hap that would be great if you could do that me and electrics do not get along at all know the basics but that`s about allOriginally posted by deogi11
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Hap, Couldn't you use an electronic turn sig. flasher to flash LED lights? That would make more sense to me than adding resistors to the circuit. And have the added benefit of reducing overall load of the charging system.Comment
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That makes a lot of sense to me..I don't have a lot of experiance with the electronic turn signal flashers but I would hazard a guess that is a very good way to go.Originally posted by HiSPL
HapComment
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Hap, yes an article would be of great benefit to all us poor GSers who still think it's all magic anyway. You turn the key to on, utter the right incantation such as, "Start you son of a bitch", or similar abra cadabras. and it starts. Put simply it's magic!
Another childhood myth shattered.
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