HOw good is the XJ charging system?

My Maxim 750 has about 21000 miles on it, it has the auxillary light on it. I want ot remove the aux. light and replace it with two smaller automotive driving lights I think they are 55 watts each. Will the charging system be able to support this much of a load?

Thanks

 

If you are riding highway miles (i.e. higher revs) , it might work.

Alternator is rated 19A @ 14V @ 5000rpm = 266W.

Normal load on the bike is : headlight 55W, Tail Light = 8W X 2 = 16W, Meter lights 3.4W X 2 = 7.2W which leaves you with 188W.

However, at maximum load, the brake lights = 27W X 2 = 54W, the Neutral light can add another 3.4W, any flashers will add another 27W X 2 = 54W + 3.4W for the flasher indicator, and the high beam indicator light adds another 3.4W., plus 60 watts when the high beam is on. So, under very heavy load, you will have only 87W left over. This could be a problem if you are running at low revs in stop and go traffic, but I don't think you would be running all of this at once. Of course, I am neglecting the load required to charge the battery.

I guess it boils down to a definite....maybe....if you are keeping the revs up, and not idling with all high beams on in neutral, holding the brake on, with the flashers running and blowing your horns.

I don't know what effect having the charging system running flat out might have on the components.

I have seen more than one post moaning about the charging system on these bikes, however.

 

Point to note: might be an idea to replace the normal T10 instrument lights (probably around 7 of them depending on model of bike) with the LED version. On top of that, LED stop/tail lights will further reduce the load. Also the aux light in the headlight shell (a BA9S) was replaced with an LED version.

I did all of the above and it improved the capacity. Before, stopped at a set of lights, headlight on, brakes on, indicator on...well almost - it flashed a few times and stayed on. Not enough power going through the system to keep the flashers going. Now, much better. Next step is to replace the flasher/indicators (4) with LED's combined with an electronic flasher unit. Should be perfect then.

 

That's a crazy idea, I say forget it. It might work with a new battery or one that's larger than normal to hold him over during times he's sitting at a red light just idling but if the battery is weak it will go dead running at slow speeds and the engine will die because it needs battery power to run.

 

Doesn't the TCI and Regulator and Coils/Relays/Etc. (even the wiring itself) use up some amount of wattage also?

 

108 watts is huge... I think you'd be better off finding a lower wattage setup. You can probably find something at about half that wattage.

 

Anybody know where I can find lower wattage driving lights?

Thanks

 

Dunno... a FZ600 (a Close twin to an FJ or Radian) uses.. 2.. count 'em!
H4 halogen headlight bulbs these are on with the ignition ..always on.. they are 55 watts each on low beam. .. 65 watts each on Hi.
Obviously the power system can handle this.. for over 20 years even.

 

I put a pair of THESE on mine.



They throw a lot of light, although I don't like the look of the amber lenses I have in. I'm going to change to the clear next time I'm wrenching.

 

Anybody considering putting a pair of running/driving lights on their bike might want to check the legality of it in their state first. I know it's illegal to have more than two forward facing lights on a motorcycle in WA.

While I doubt a cop would ever ding you for something like this, it's something to consider.

 

I kinda like the look of them, do you have a pic of them on your bike?

 

Nope. I got them on just after global warming ended here in Michigan and right before the new ice age set in. I'll get some pics up when the snow is gone and I can get it out of the shed.

I think they do look good. I've got them mounted low (like fog lights) on a set of case guards. They light up the front wheel really nicely, which works well because I was looking to make the bike more visible.

Yesterday I couldn't stand it anymore and went out and fired the bike up. It happened to still be connected to the battery maintainer. I noticed that at idle (~1100 RPM or so) the maintainer would indicate it was charging. A slight increase in RPM would cause the maintainer to switch to the charged state. My conclusion: With the extra lights (I also have an extra taillight) and the headlamp on low beam the charging system can not quite keep up at idle. I don't forsee a problem as the charging system easily keeps us at 1300RPM.

 

Some cops do get that board, I got pulled over in chicago because my lisense plate lights were out on my truck, now that's a board cop.

 

I have a pair of those that I use for my turn signals. Bright suckers, aren't they. No one can say that they can't see my blinker anymore, and they look a LOT better than the stock ones (to me at least)

 

Since most off the XJ-Series Bikes share the same electrical system; I’ll report on my experience to get more light on the road.

I commuted second-shift on my Seca-900. The ride home, at night, was scary ... with a light bulb that seemed far more yellow than white. I’d follow a car to benefit from its headlights showing me some of the road ahead.

Needing more light; I thought about fabricating the fairing to allow me to use a higher wattage automotive sealed beam in place of the headlamp lens and light bulb OEM arrangement.

Having learned the hard way; back when I tried adding some extra lights to a XS-650 ... I decided to research the issue and went to have a talk about it with a good friend and Master Yamaha Technician, before doing any mod's or adding more load to the electrical system, and burning-up an alternator rotor.

The very bottom line, after batting the issue around every which way but loose -- is; that the electrical system is simply not designed to accommodate a much heavier electrical load.

When Sylvania introduced the SilverStar Series light bulbs; we did get a little bit of relief in the headlight performance category.

I wish there was a rheostat panel, light dimming switch -- with an OFF option on the 900.

Blow the headlight, at night, the suddenly released extra wattage causes the panel lights to go high-intensity, blinding you!

 

You could try to install a rheostat yourself. Jumper it in and post it where it is handy. An on/off switch would be a simple addition.

 

What if you added a Cap, like people do with high powered subwoofers in there car. It prevents the lights from diming by charging and quickly expelling the charge, I don't know if it would work in this situation, but its worth a thought

 

Photos in Mods section

 

How bright are they?

 

Well, I haven't ridden it since I put them on in Jan. My impression is that they have a fairly narrow beam so might project down the road well.

They are each 20W halogen. 2x20=40W which is the same wattage as the standard sealed beam on low. Halogens should be more efficient, so I think it's safe to say that the total light on the front has at least doubled.

 

Hey guys, so what's everyone's recommendations on a headlight upgrade for a round-headlite bike (XJ650)? Are the silver star lights better than the halogens? Anything else or other products to consider. Do not want to go over the stock wattage. Thanks......

 

North American "Silverstar" bulbs are crap - stay away from them. Well - unless you like paying $25 a bulb every 10-12 months (or sooner on bikes).

A much better choice for "performance" lighting is the GE Nighthawk bulbs - also expensive at around $20/ea, but they've got better light and greater longevity. A good rule for bulbs is if they have any kind of coloured coating on them (mainly blue these days) then they're not what you want. Anything with a coloured coating is taking away from light output - no matter what they claim.

 

I changed my headlight with a 9003 automotive headlight. It's alot brighter and doesn't seem to run the battery down any. I've had it in for 5 years now. I also have a pair of Halogen 30w driving lights (much like the ones in the previous post) that are run by a relay off the battery. The relay is activated by the switch, so I can't accidently leave them on when I shut the bike off.
The only difference I've found is that I have to add a little distilled water to my battery a couple times a year. I assume the extra load on the system is causing the battery to be charged more than normal. I try not to run the lights when driving around town at lower rpms. I also run heated grips, and I use a cigarette lighter on board also. I figure if you don't run any of the accessories at the same time, I should be in good shape.
I shut off my heated grips and running lights when I use the cigarette lighter. I never run my extra lights when the heated grips are on.
I have since replaced my tail light with an LED which lightens the load a bit. My next step is to change the signal lights with LEDs also, which will help.
I've tried those 50w driving lights, but they seemed to defeat the purpose, because the headlight would dim when I used them, so there was a substantial drain on the electrical system. I think the 30w driving lights are a good addition and do add alot of extra light (cars flash their high beams at me)
Always run extra accessories thru relays that are activated by the switch and you won't leave anything on when you shut off the bike. Never run lights or any accessories thru a switch as most won't be able to take the load for any length of time. And use fuses on everything.... wires stink when they get hot (don't ask) and can cause a fire, as some have found out the hard way. >PD<

 

Gearhead76 its not the fact that officers get bored. It is a law that has to be
addressed but if you were pulled over for a tag light being out he was checking you out for some other reason. most stolen vehicles tag lights are disabled to keep the tag from being seen but it really only draws more attention. what i'm saying is its a tool used to stop a vehicle for some other reason.

 

Okay Guru's...here's a chance to shine!

In the XJCD there is a somewhat cryptic metnion of an "upgrade" to the XJ charging system to be had by using the stator (and rotor?) from a Maxim X (XJ700-XN, -XNC, -XS, -XSC models, I suppose). Supposedly it puts out 26A vs. the stock 19A of all the other models.

So does anyone know whether this is a direct bolt-in swap to non-X bikes?

 

I'm puttin' my money on Bosozoku for the answer. No offense, Rick. :wink:

 

Hey Robert! So what size rheostat would be needed to do the guage light-dimming trick? I'm assuming that one out of a car would be overkill..... What are the parameters/specs of how such a stat would need to be "sized"? Would Radio Shack be a likely place to acquire one of these devices?

As far as installation, it would just interrupt the hot lead in the dash lights wiring circuit, correct?

 

A GM type or VW type switch would work just fine (rather big but functional). I would use a potentiometer for the application, something like this:
http://www.alliedelec.com/Search/Produc ... 8075B3E17F
Just got to tie the wiper to the return line.
I've posted a schematic in my gallery.

Radio Shack has plenty of parts to perform this task (I avoid them because their sales persons usually don't have a clue about what they sell).
And yes, you would interupt the hot lead as you suggested, good call.

 

Oh yes, you want a 100 ohm/ 15 watt pot.

 

Thanks Robert, you are a veritable treasure trove of very useful knowledge!

 

Thats basically a dimmer switch right?

 

Pretty much, but if you try to use a dimmer switch like the kind you'd use to dim the light above your dining room table, it won't work. 120 VAC dimmers work on a different principle.