Question about Battery Voltage/Amp Draw and Heated Gear

[Pseudo-Fed]

Bought the Kisan Technologies CG-25 voltmeter/ammeter. When running the Gerbings heated jacket liner and G3 gloves at full heat, I show voltage at freeway speeds of 12.3 or so, and amps at -12. I generally turn off the jacket liner a few minutes before my destination. The gloves alone allow voltage to read 12.8 or so and amps at 0 or -1.

I plug into a battery tender every night, and my voltage at the battery once I've gotten off the bike and disconnected heated gear shows 12.8 or so.

Should I be okay doing this daily as long as I plug the battery in at night?

 

[04fizzer]

What's your reading without any gear on?

 

[Motogiro]

Negative amperes is not good. That means that the bike's charging system is not producing enough wattage to compensate for the gear. Your bike needs current for it's lights ,ECU, fuel pump, and cooling fan intermittently. As previously asked. What are the readings at highway speed with the gear off?

Also since the bike uses a shunt regulator are you getting accurate readings from the units shunt for reading current?
My tender tops off the battery at 13 VDC and I noticed your reading is 12.8 VDC

You should be seeing close to 13 volts while riding hiway..

 

[major tom]

It seems that our FZ6 is lacking in alternator output to add after market electrical accessories. Does anyone know if a higher output stator is available?

 

[lomax]

Subscribed for my own information.

Last year I did three days on my 06 FZ6 running a GPS, Heated grips, Synergy heated jacket, pants, and gloves and had no problems with electrical. As far as I know anyway.

I do not have a volt or amp meter on the bike but it did start every morning with no issues and never did anything out of the ordinary.

Marc

 

[major tom]

Wow! I just went to the Gerbings website and your G3 gloves draws 27 Watts. And that alone is enough to essentially drain your battery?! That can't be.

 

[Motogiro]

Wow! I just went to the Gerbings website and your G3 gloves draws 27 Watts. And that alone is enough to essentially drain your battery?! That can't be.

That's about 2.11 amperes at 12.8 volts.

 

[major tom]

That's about 2.11 amperes at 12.8 volts.

Correct, but can this possibly drain the battery with a up-to-snuff charging system and battery? What about high beam then, did Pseudo mention if perhaps he leaves it on?

 

[Pseudo-Fed]

13.8 volts and 0 amps at speed with no gear. 13.3 or so idling

 

[major tom]

13.8 volts and 0 amps at speed with no gear. 13.3 or so idling

I've gone back and looked at previous posts on this subject and I have a handle on it now thanks to some smart guys. The FZ6 has 100 watts to play with. I'm toying on getting LED auxiliary lights which have only 10 watts draw each but put out 900 lumen each which is about what a 55W halogen has. That and a heated vest will max me out. Boo-hoo, I'll have to put hand guards on to keep my delicate old sensitive hands warm. But my FZ to me is still #1 all time, and I'm 71 and have been riding since '56!

 

[Motogiro]

Correct, but can this possibly drain the battery with a up-to-snuff charging system and battery? What about high beam then, did Pseudo mention if perhaps he leaves it on?

He said he had heated vest and gloves?

 

[Motogiro]

I've gone back and looked at previous posts on this subject and I have a handle on it now thanks to some smart guys. The FZ6 has 100 watts to play with. I'm toying on getting LED auxiliary lights which have only 10 watts draw each but put out 900 lumen each which is about what a 55W halogen has. That and a heated vest will max me out. Boo-hoo, I'll have to put hand guards on to keep my delicate old sensitive hands warm. But my FZ to me is still #1 all time, and I'm 71 and have been riding since '56!

Good for you for keeping a leg over on the bike! Some people think the low fat/carb diet and running 26 miles a day is going to save them. But those of us that know, know the mysteries to long life are, a ride on your bike that leaves a smile on your face and a bag of pork rinds. :BLAA::iconbeer:

 

[SirIsaac]

Bought the Kisan Technologies CG-25 voltmeter/ammeter. When running the Gerbings heated jacket liner and G3 gloves at full heat, I show voltage at freeway speeds of 12.3 or so, and amps at -12. I generally turn off the jacket liner a few minutes before my destination. The gloves alone allow voltage to read 12.8 or so and amps at 0 or -1.

I plug into a battery tender every night, and my voltage at the battery once I've gotten off the bike and disconnected heated gear shows 12.8 or so.

Should I be okay doing this daily as long as I plug the battery in at night?

A lot of good information has already been presented, but I just wanted to add, in answer to your last question, no, you will not be OK doing this every night unless your daily ride is very short. I think our battery is rated 10 Ah (Ampere-hours), so at a discharge of 10 Amps, it will be dead in an hour. Even if you manage not to kill it while riding, the discharge-charge cycle you are subjecting it to will likely shorten its life dramatically. According to Gerbing’s web site, their jacket liner is only 77 Watts, which should require only about 6 or 7 Amps, whereas yours seems to be drawing about 10 or 11 Amps. Is it new? It almost sounds like it has a short in it somewhere. Even if you get it down to 77 Watts for the liner and 27 watts for the gloves, that’s still 104 Watts, or about 9 Amps. Without the dual headlight mod, you might squeak by, especially if you charge every night. If you have the dual headlight mod, you will need to find a way to drop 40 or 50 Watts somewhere else. If you replace your brake/tail light bulb, plate light bulb and the front running/turn signal bulbs with LEDs, you will come close. But be aware that the brake/tail and running/turn LEDs are not quite as bright as the incandescent versions.

 

[ChevyFazer]

Ill.throw some info out there and maybe it will help ease your mind. I have/run a first gear heated jacket and gerbings gloves hooked up to a dual controller. For the past month ive been using both in the morning on my comute. Normally the gloves stay on at about 75% and the jacket 25% power. I make 2 stops every morning one about 2 miles from home and the other about 15miles from home with anothr 7mile run to work. I leave the gear on until i get off the bike and everyday with no tender the bike starts right up when getting ready to leave work. Keep in mind that i do not have the stock headlights i have hids as well as led front signals and running lamps. So far though all good!

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