LED light bar

[AJ1]

Currently I have LED headlights which draw 90W (45Wx2) and Rigid LED spot lights that draw 94W (47x2). I am thinking of adding a LED light bar. What's the max wattage I can add?. Will a 310W light kill the battery ? . I will be using dedicated switch, relay and fuse for the light bar. All the other bulbs (tail, brake, turn) are all LEDs.

Many thanks,
AJ

 

[Bob R]

Maybe I am over thinking this but aren't you more worried about current draw than you are light output? @DEcosse can answer your question and my question I am sure. I thought one of the benefits of LED lights was more output with less current draw. But I am not sure because it has been about 40 years since I was involved in electrical stuff on a day to day basis.

bob

 

[AJ1]

Maybe I am over thinking this but aren't you more worried about current draw than you are light output? @DEcosse can answer your question and my question I am sure. I thought one of the benefits of LED lights was more output with less current draw. But I am not sure because it has been about 40 years since I was involved in electrical stuff on a day to day basis.

bob

Yes, i am trying to find how many amps are left to draw . Currently drawing around 15.3A for front lights alone. Adding 310W (26A) is feasible ? Else, whats the max AMP I can safely add to the electrical load ?

 

[Ralsmith]

Your concerns should be the stator output at 540W if it will overheat more with the high load. Also the ignition switch and how much current you are drawing through it. If you draw too much load from stator you will not be able to charge battery. If my calculations are right you would max out the stator with just the lights and no power left for battery charge, ECU or engine management functions.
Why so much light. I have two day runner duke led lights that provide plenty enough light for night runs

 

[barbagris]

Currently I have LED headlights which draw 90W (45Wx2) and Rigid LED spot lights that draw 94W (47x2). I am thinking of adding a LED light bar. What's the max wattage I can add?. Will a 310W light kill the battery ? . I will be using dedicated switch, relay and fuse for the light bar. All the other bulbs (tail, brake, turn) are all LEDs.

Many thanks,
AJ

At total 184W (ish) - You're close to if not over the limit. With two 55W halogen headlights and two 55W Halogen fogs (total 220W) I had the voltage start to drop at just over 4000rpms. Do not underestimate the power the 6 spark plugs need.

 

[AJ1]

Your concerns should be the stator output at 540W if it will overheat more with the high load. Also the ignition switch and how much current you are drawing through it. If you draw too much load from stator you will not be able to charge battery. If my calculations are right you would max out the stator with just the lights and no power left for battery charge, ECU or engine management functions.
Why so much light. I have two day runner duke led lights that provide plenty enough light for night runs

The wiring to ignition switch would be use only as a trigger for the relay with a additional switch inline. Essentially no load on through ignition switch. That's how I wired the current set of LEDs (RIGID D-SS PRO). The current lights put a a great amount of light. I thought it would be cool to add a 24 inch light bar below the radiator

 

[DEcosse]

Currently I have LED headlights which draw 90W (45Wx2) and Rigid LED spot lights that draw 94W (47x2).

Are you sure they are really that high? Sometimes automotive LEDs rating is as per an incandescent equivalency (in terms of light output) rather than the ACTUAL power consumed. So study the specs carefully

... Will a 310W light kill the battery ?

Yes. If your numbers are correct. The max spec current from the generating system is 37A at 2k rpm and 41A at 6K rpm

Don't also discount the fact that where your current is already lower, at low engine speeds around town, when your fan kicks on that is another very large drain.

Your concerns should be the stator output at 540W if it will overheat more with the high load

Actually, the stator heat will be exactly the same regardless of the bike's load - because of the way a Shunt Regulator works, the stator ALWAYS produces the maximum current which is either expended in the bike load directly, or via the shunt path in the R/R.
The stator also saturates at the max spec, and once the current demand exceeds that saturation, it absolutely cannot fulfill that.

Do not underestimate the power the 6 spark plugs need.

Well recognize that the plugs are not a constant load and indeed only two (and its really only the power consumed by one single coil) at one small part of the cycle are actually consuming current at one time.
A bigger component of constant current is going to be the Fuel Pump.

Not counting anything for lighting I would estimate the standing current when running to be somewhere around the 10A mark.

The wiring to ignition switch would be use only as a trigger for the relay with a additional switch inline. Essentially no load on through ignition switch.

A Roadster does not route any current for lighting through the key-switch regardless.

 

[AJ1]

Are you sure they are really that high? Sometimes automotive LEDs rating is as per an incandescent equivalency (in terms of light output) rather than the ACTUAL power consumed. So study the specs carefully


Yes. If your numbers are correct. The max spec current from the generating system is 37A at 2k rpm and 41A at 6K rpm

Don't also discount the fact that where your current is already lower, at low engine speeds around town, when your fan kicks on that is another very large drain.



Actually, the stator heat will be exactly the same regardless of the bike's load - because of the way a Shunt Regulator works, the stator ALWAYS produces the maximum current which is either expended in the bike load directly, or via the shunt path in the R/R.
The stator also saturates at the max spec, and once the current demand exceeds that saturation, it absolutely cannot fulfill that.



Well recognize that the plugs are not a constant load and indeed only two (and its really only the power consumed by one single coil) at one small part of the cycle are actually consuming current at one time.
A bigger component of constant current is going to be the Fuel Pump.

Not counting anything for lighting I would estimate the standing current when running to be somewhere around the 10A mark.



A Roadster does not route any current for lighting through the key-switch regardless.

Thank you @DEcosse!. Really helpful information. I am going to get a device () to measure the current draw and see where am compared to the 37A max.

 

[DEcosse]

That's a LOT of current to be passing through a meter - most will not take anything over 10A

 

[Ishrub]

Thanks @DEcosse , lucky I had finished my breakfast or the screen would have been covered in Weeties and milk!

@barbagris I was shocked you didn't pick up on the 'LED factor'

And if he is looking for upgrades we should point him to the later model Suzuki Vstrom 1000 Series Regulator upgrade
Suzuki Part No. 32800-31J00 - RECTIFIER ASSY.
Manufactured by Shindengen - Model No. SH847, that @DEcosse originally told us about.

Bad Voltage Regulator ...OR?

I'm sure that was tongue in cheek but just to clarify, the OEM is actually a VERY good part as far as SHUNT regulators go - in fact I would say it is probably the best Shunt R/R you can get.
Series Regulators, although the technology itself is not really new, are pretty recent addition to Motorcycles - in fact the Suzuki DL1000 is the ONLY production motorcycle of which I'm aware that actually utilizes a Series R/R as OEM
(not counting Polaris vehicles which use one)

In this case, we are not worried about the R/R itself from a reliability standpoint, but the effect on the stator.
But yes, with a reduced load on the bike, the Shunt R/R will indeed be 'shunting' more current so it will dissipate more power than one running std loads.
And of course the reduced loads with the Series R/R also translates to even less load on the stator.

Partzilla even has this on EBay for $168 (and offers international shipping) https://www.ebay.com/itm/Suzuki-32800-31J00-RECTIFIER-ASSY-/273474042312