Hi all, I like many of you have issues with our bikes not keeping the battery charged in the summer months while stuck in traffic. The cooling fan kicks on, and the charge voltage drops to 12.5 or less with the headlights (and possibly brake light) on. I have a Electrosport aftermarket Reg/Rect in the bike, and I see that it brings charge voltage up to 13.3 volts at 1500 rpm, but that's not useful in summer gridlock here in Dallas, TX.

So, I decided to order this UK right hand bar cluster with the sliding headlight switch (I think it's ON/PARK LIGHTS/OFF). My goal is to be able to easily kill the daytime running headlight during heavy traffic times, and turn it back on when the road opens up. '

I ordered this new right bar switch cluster:
http://www.boonstraparts.com/en/part...&ID=B10000BD6Y

Two questions: Does anyone from the UK/Europe market know what the "park" feature is?

I'm hoping this is a simple swap, and the US version of our main wiring harness has leads to allow this new switch to work. Has anyone else in the US done this with success?

 

Park=parking light. In all euro vehicles, bike or car, there is/are parking bulbs in the headlight reflector. A little bulb usually just a few watts. It normally also keeps the tail light lit.

 

I can see what you are asking, and yes, the fan does put a drain on the battery, but if you have a decent battery, say Exide, or similar decent make, and its not more than 4 years old, one would think that its all in the peramiters of the charging system.

 

Bull, the system is in good working order and the bike has a new AGM battery. The problem is, this bike's charging system isn't actually CHARGING at idle with the cooling fan running and headlights/tail lights on at a stop in traffic. So, anytime this situation occurs, the bike is running off the battery voltage. It's really frustrating, but I guess it's a symptom of the bike's alternator and reg/rec design. The Electrosport R/R unit does have a lower charge threshold of about 14000~1500 RPM before it jumps to 13.5+ volts, but on more than one occasion I've had a tough time restarting the bike after stopping for gas. The battery would be very weak, despite having a full charge and easily starting the bike when I left my house hours hours earlier. I think other owners have also seen this during their summer riding. I'm trying to take an OEM feature for the UK bikes and make it work for me here in the great state of Texas. :-)

 

Brian,
I live in the UK where we don't really have a summer (heavy rain as I write this!) but I ride into and out of London every day. I am often stuck in traffic, my bike warms up quickly and the fan comes on. I have an Electrosport R/R with added heat sink and fan (both from a PC) and a lithium iron (LiFe) battery. The battery is extremely light and in the morning starts the bike almost before I press the starter, but I have twice had the experience of stalling the engine when the battery was almost completely dead. There was not a sound out of the starter and the idiot lights were extremely dim.
On the first occasion the RAC came and boosted my battery with their system (cables thick enough to power a city). I made it home but the dedicated LiFe charger flashed to tell me that the battery was damaged; I feared the worst but after a few forced charges the cells balanced out and all was well.
The second time I got a jump start from a portable booster; when I got home I plugged the LiFe charger in again. This time it told me that riding home 18 miles (12 miles traffic and 6 miles fast) was enough to recharge the battery without error.
Now I instinctively slide the light switch from full to 'park' when I stop at traffic lights. I can hear the fan speed up when I do this. Sometimes I leave it in park if the road ahead is clear, but the little parking light is certainly not bright enough to be seen even in pitch dark.
Now I worry that the switch is going to wear out...

 

Have you checked what the law is where you are? Lights may be required at all times.

 

Hamlin, yes, in Texas the law is all bikes made after 1975 require the headlight to be on during daylight hours. I don't plan to ride without it. I only want to be able to turn the headlights off while sitting in traffic helplessly. I could turn the bike off and restart when traffic finally moves, but I prefer the option I'm after. I also like the DRL feature for safety.

 

Hi Brian.
I guess I underestimated the temperatures in Texas, its some place I wouldnt mind visiting. A switch on or off seems the way to go. Have you thought about using an LED bulb ?

 

^ I installed LED bulbs in the tail to reduce draw. Maybe LED in tail and a switch to kill one head light would do the trick or one small white LED up front that can be seen from 300 feet ahead. That way no ticket.

SUBCHAPTER M. ADDITIONAL OR ALTERNATIVE EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR
MOTORCYCLES AND MOTOR-DRIVEN CYCLES

§ 547.801. LIGHTING EQUIPMENT in this LINK.