How many Gerbs heated accesssories can I use with my 2012 Connie

[bikelee]

Need some help. Can I safely run a Gerbs microwire liner (long sleeve), G3 gloves, pants liner and socks and not tax the electrical system. According to Gerbs all these items add up to a draw of 15.3 amps. Thanks !!

[B.D.F.]

Yes. No problem with the alternator's output. My wife and I run full heated gear and can use perhaps 90% to 95% of the capacity (judging by the ON time on the controller) before the voltage drops to near 13 volts, which I consider the maximum sustainable load on a 12 volt system. If used at 100%, the system voltage drops to the mid- 12 volt range indicating there is more power being used than the alternator can supply, and while that is OK for a moment or two it cannot be sustained indefinitely. But just one set of heat- to- foot heated clothing can be used at 100% output and the alternator will easily keep up.

Brian

Need some help. Can I safely run a Gerbs microwire liner (long sleeve), G3 gloves, pants liner and socks and not tax the electrical system. According to Gerbs all these items add up to a draw of 15.3 amps. Thanks !!

[maxtog]

Yes. No problem with the alternator's output.

As long as you are not running tons of extra high-wattage lighting or something

I use a heated vest, seat, and the factory grips; along with 30 watts of running lights, GPS, extra tail light, and it doesn't even touch the system capacity.

[PH14]

As long as you are running synthetic oil, have nitrogen in your tires and don't run with your high beams on in the daytime you should be fine. 

[B.D.F.]

Yes, of course- the alternator puts out about 580 watts, of which we can apparently slurp up between 300 and 325 (the rest is used by the bike itself). That is total power available, and while 175 watts of heated clothing (about that for a full setup), you of course have to add any high wattage items such as lighting. Otherwise, most electrical things on the bike are trivial such as GPS, MP3 players, and various electronic 'do dads'. Making heat and light in large amounts consume large amounts of power.

Brian

As long as you are not running tons of extra high-wattage lighting or something

I use a heated vest, seat, and the factory grips; along with 30 watts of running lights, GPS, extra tail light, and it doesn't even touch the system capacity.

<edited to correct alternator output and power available for the rider(s)>

[Son of Pappy]

What we need is someone to come up with an LED setup to replace the OEM lighting?  Wonder who we have that can do that? 

[BudCallaghan]

Need some help. Can I safely run a Gerbs microwire liner (long sleeve), G3 gloves, pants liner and socks and not tax the electrical system. According to Gerbs all these items add up to a draw of 15.3 amps. Thanks !!

No problem, the C14 alternator will easily power all that you mentioned.  I live in the Northwest and don't have my winter riding interrupted by snow as you do in the Northeast.  I use electrical powered clothing as follows:  Heated inner soles of my own construction made from wire salvaged from an electric blanket and sewn to Dr. Scholl's innersoles and a felt innersole between my feet and the heating elements.  A Widder electric vest, Gerbing's heated leather gloves, and when it's very cold I add a pair of electrically heated pants.  Plus a pair of heated grips from Hot Grips, as I have an '09 that did not come with heated grips as the '10 and later models do.  With everything plugged in the voltmeter reads 14.1 at idle.  I have double checked this reading by letting the bike idle for five minutes or so to see how low the voltage would drop.  It never showed a reading lower than 14.1 volts.   

[B.D.F.]

At this time, there is little point. In fact, it is a small step in the wrong direction. For the power consumed, the very best LEDs will put out about 1,000 lumens for 12 watts, not inclusive of power supply losses. HID's will produce 3,000 + lumens of light for about 40 watts. But the kicker is the light emitting density: LED's are a flat faced emitter while HID arcs (the actual light source) are a full 360 degree light producing device. That means that a parabolic cone can be used to focus up to about 58% of that light down the road while only about 25% of the led's light makes it where we want it. Further, HIDs use a projector housing very well which produce both high and low beams both very efficiently as well as very crisply; LED's do not lend themselves to that functionality.

Right at this moment, an HID arc simply cannot be beat for putting light just above the road where we use it. LED's are progressing rapidly and I expect this situation to change but they will need to reach the next generation or possibly the one after that to directly compete and crush the performance of LEDs.

Please do not that any of that the wrong way- LED's are outstanding as forward lighting, especially as supplemental lighting, already. And they will get better soon. It is just that HIDs are really so outstanding in performance that they will be hard to slam past them.

Brian

What we need is someone to come up with an LED setup to replace the OEM lighting?  Wonder who we have that can do that? 

[Son of Pappy]

http://www.webbikeworld.com/lights/cyclops-led-lights/review.htm
LEDs have come a long way.  And the draw is comparatively speaking quite low.  Just think how many C14Ps we would see if they adapted/developed LED lighting?  I will vouch for the Cyclops products, the long range 10 degree lights I have on the GS make even the 8" HID race light pale in comparison and with a variety of patterns?  I also have a light bar, which is comprised of 2 20 degree and 4 10 degree lenses for truly off road use.
It wont be long and we will see LEDs on production bikes.  Mark my words.

[maxtog]

Please do not that any of that the wrong way- LED's are outstanding as forward lighting, especially as supplemental lighting, already. And they will get better soon. It is just that HIDs are really so outstanding in performance that they will be hard to slam past them.

Infiniti has always been tops in headlights and they just switched to LED headlights with the Q50 model... (which surprised me).

[ZG]

This morning on the commute into the office it was a balmy 31 degrees but totally dry, Gerbings T5 gloves, jacket liner, and insoles all powered up, along with heated Corbin, Zumo, and TPX 2.0...


All good, and an awesome ride in! 

[Gumby]

This morning on the commute into the office it was a balmy 31 degrees but totally dry, Gerbings T5 gloves, jacket liner, and insoles all powered up, along with heated Corbin, Zumo, and TPX 2.0...

Kind of a girl aren't ya? 

[ZG]

Kind of a girl aren't ya? 

 


And a HOT one at that with the Gerbings plugged in! 

[maxtog]

Kind of a girl aren't ya? 

I don't "get" it...

[ZG]

I don't "get" it...

We know...