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The most important question no one is asking

52K views 49 replies 32 participants last post by  Bill J 
#1 ·
What's the electrical output on this bike, and how much is left for us?

Can you run a Skill saw on it or are we looking at only charging a gps? Somehow I've gotten old and spoiled and have grown attached to my heated gear. I'm sure there will be more than enough, but I'm curious to what extent.
 
#6 ·
Battery isn't the issue, it's what the Stator/Regulator can put out. If you draw more power than the bike makes, you draw from the battery and it's only only a matter of time until the battery goes flat. Bigger battery or more battery would lengthen that time, but it's really not a good idea. Only real option would be to upgrade the stator (rewind or wait for someone else to make an aftermarket one).
 
#7 ·
I Use a Separate Modular Battery Setup

I often ride at night in the woods and I use a lot of lighting. I mounted a Pelican case with vent holes in it on my rear cargo plate and I placed a smaller AGM battery in it that I would keep charged via a Battery Tender. I ran bayonet connectors to removable LED lighting that I clamped onto my handlebars.

Since LED's draw so little amps, I could get a solid ride with all the lights on, which was about an hour. The lights were crazy awesome. Being an AGM, I could run it way down and not worry about losing a cell. Charged quickly and did not get too hot. I sold that setup and I will build another for the AT, buying Lifetime LED Lights for it this time. I'm aiming for 20K lumens with a runtime of at least a decent ride's duration.

I like the modularity of this and I can remove everything when I don't need it, for a cleaner look during daytime riding.

I can't wait for the AT. I bet it's stator will kick out a boatload of power.

Cheers and have a great week.
Palm
 
#29 ·
I'm curious, too.
My VFR had almost no extra output and fried a battery, rectifier and stator. My current ride, the Varadero, has very little useable extra power and with two 30W lights, GPS and heated hand grips it frequently draws from the battery.
Hopefully, since the AT is an 'adventure bike' it will have enough to run GPS, heated gear, grips, etc.

I can't wait for the AT. I bet it's stator will kick out a boatload of power.
 
#11 ·
Honda NC700, also with a parallel twin SOHC engine (not Unicam), valve inspection distance is 8000 miles/12,800 Km. (Note: schedule for the Fit car from which the NC engine is derived, recommends inspecting valves when they are noisy or 25000 miles.) I know, it's all very interesting but not helpful. Or maybe it is; if it demonstrates that Honda motorcycle maintenance engineers might be on the obsessive end of the spectrum.

Maintenance schedule for the Pioneer 1000 (found here: http://www.hondaprokevin.com/2016-pioneer-1000-5-maintenance-service-schedule-sxs-utv-atv/), which shares the basic engine with the AT, calls for inspecting valve clearances at 1800 miles, 3000 km or 300 hour intervals.

Since motorcycles run at higher speeds than 1500-1700 pound, 4x4 SXS's (Pioneer) in cleaner air and generally impose lighter loads on the engine, 300 hours would seem to be most appropriate interval. To estimate distance, use your average speed per hour to determine the correct mileage to inspect valves. Or better yet, wait for Honda to release the maintenance schedule for the AT.:laugh:
 
#12 ·
My VFR1200F has the same valve train. Valve clearance inspection every 48000 Km. Mine did not need any adjustment. There are examples with more than 100000 km with no need to adjustment. It surely depend how you use the bike. But me ,with normally use on road, what means between 3000 - 6000 rpm bike needs no valve maintenance.
My son raced five years with CRF250 same valve train. Valve inspection every week. He raced till 70 hours without need to adjustment. After that the intake valves are tapping in(don't now the exactly techn word) and the clearance became less. That was the time to chance the valves(valves seat was worn out). New valves and on the track again for +- 70 hours. Than you need to change the 4 valves and the chain.Why intake, because they are differently from the exhaust material where exhaust where titanium. This is what they told me at honda)
So this was my experience, in case off my sons racing capacity, but I can tell you in Dunkerque (france) in the sand riding at full throttle for an hour the bike is suffering.
 
#17 ·
I've got the AT owner's manual in front of me and I can confirm the valve interval is 24,000 km or 16,000 miles (which is actually 25,600 km!).

Stilll looking for information on the original question though - what's the alternator power output and how much is "spare"?

If you look under the seat area you can see the reg/rect - I haven't inspected it closely but it looks like a Shindengen FH020, which are rated at 50 Amps I believe. I just fitted one of those to my KTM 990 to replace the original which had failed.
 
#21 ·
Haha... actually, yes! :grin2: I'm planning a Prudhoe Bay trip and also the Dempster Highway within the next couple of years.

I expect to very rarely / never use the heated pants liner and heated socks. But if traveling into the unknown (I also want to do the Altiplano at some point, and it can get ferociously cold there I'm told) I want to at least have them in my luggage just in case.

Mind you, I once did a trip in the UK from London down to Cornwall on Christmas Eve in torrential rain... heated socks would have been nice to have then too!
 
#22 ·
When you say pants do you mean "pants" UK or "pants" US?! I have (somewhat unwanted) visions of an electrified jock strap for some reason. Must be because the other half is watching Magic Mike (again!).

Anyway, that aside, all sounds pretty awesome - I hope you get to do it all.
 
#25 ·
Charging System

If it is 490 watts that will be ideal. That should run your Led driving lights, GPS, charge your phone, and your Gerbings heated jacket and gloves. The thing that we need to check out is the size of the charging wires from the regulator-rectifier to the battery. Honda has been known to go under-size in gauge and run it through a cheap 20A fuse holder. It gets a bit of corrosion on those contacts and the resistance and heat increase until it's "China Syndrome" melts that wire and fuse holder. My VFR800 and many more suffers this show stopper. Honda also tends to use the less expensive shunt type RR which converts all the excess charge current coming from the stater into heat. It is usually easy to upgrade to a Mosfet style RR and upgrade the gauge of the charge wire and a good water proof fuse holder. The Mosfet is electronically controlled and are more efficient and less heat.
 
#28 ·
If it is 490 watts that will be ideal. That should run your Led driving lights, GPS, charge your phone, and your Gerbings heated jacket and gloves. The thing that we need to check out is the size of the charging wires from the regulator-rectifier to the battery. Honda has been known to go under-size in gauge and run it through a cheap 20A fuse holder. It gets a bit of corrosion on those contacts and the resistance and heat increase until it's "China Syndrome" melts that wire and fuse holder. My VFR800 and many more suffers this show stopper. Honda also tends to use the less expensive shunt type RR which converts all the excess charge current coming from the stater into heat. It is usually easy to upgrade to a Mosfet style RR and upgrade the gauge of the charge wire and a good water proof fuse holder. The Mosfet is electronically controlled and are more efficient and less heat.
STILL NO ANSWER

WHAT is the total output

WHAT is the running electrical load with spots and heated grips

WHAT is the spare capacity

CRAP THAT Honda CANT TELL US its 2016 you know

We need a 100% Factual answer

My Tiger 800 states the output and running load
 
#30 ·
Honda told me today

max output is 0.49kw@5000rpm / 12 V – 11.2 Ah (10 HR)/11.8 Ah (20 HR)

my sums tell me

correct me if I'm wrong

so 0.49kw = 490 watts / 12v = 40 Amps

did not say what the running usage is

but 30 amps will run a fair bit of gear

Honda finished by saying "advise the customer that any failure that can be attributed to a non genuine part being fitted to the bike will invalidate the manufacturer warranty for that part" Heated grips included I suppose
 
#32 ·
That warranty statement will be bad for me. I always add more electrical equipment and ports to handle the GPS, charge a phone, heated clothing, and a volt meter to monitor the load.
Superfunkomatic; My VFR suffered the same failure as did many more. It was caused be poor connectors on the 3 stator wires to the RR. Corrosion started, resistance increased,as did heat. The wires melted and touched a ground. That burns out the stator. The RR were poor quality Shunt type. The fuse connector at the battery was the same poor quality and that heated and melted that wire. There is a neat kit for that bike called The VFRharness that addresses the charging wire issue. Some mechanics used soldered connections Stator to RR with no connector. That seemed to handle the corrosion issue in that circuit. Lets hope Honda has upgraded all this so we do not repeat history
 
#33 · (Edited)
me thinks that

My Jacket is 7.4 amps

heated grips on high 2.9 amps

don't know what sat nav uses ?? I think 1.9 amps
========================================
All standard stuff.
490w so if charging at 14v current output will be 35 Amps, so ok whilst engine turning over at maybe 5000 rpm.
Battery is a starter unit so smallish but normal size. Total capacity is 5.9 amps for 20 hrs or 11Amps for 10 hours.
I suppose the real question is what is the total consumption of the standard bike with everything on?
So I would say room for 15 amps extra. So you only need to think of your heated kit. What is the rating of that?

I am using 12.2 amps so should be okay

on the grips front some manufacturers don't recommend fitting grips to ally bars as they dissipate the heat to quickly ?? Honda haven't got this wrong ???? as I've used them on ally bars before without a issue
 
#34 ·
I am sure the AT will be fine whatever you want to run. I have a NC750X and run Warmnsafe full heated jacket, long johns, and socks, plus Gerbings heated gloves AND Honda heated grips. Of course they are rarely on full power but I have never had a problem. And these Honda grips function as a low voltage warning too. The light will flash if there's too much drain. It never has.
Mike
 
#35 ·
Su0perF, maybe you're not running the engine RPM's high enough. Oh hold it, I think I've riden with you and that's NOT the problem. Assume you're still waiting for the AT to reach Alta,. did you buy std or the DCT unit.
I'm "thinking" about a AT, hence just joined this forum tonite. Lots of info already, and some "scary" happenings on the DCT, which I was leaning towards.
 
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