klx250 lighting

[Devon Jarvis]

What you describe is totally normal for any bike with an AC magneto. Voltage is purely a function of how fast you spin the rotor. On more modern bikes (although some new bikes have AC magnetos for simplicity's sake) the voltage can be increased by supplying more power to the field windings, AND/OR by increasing RPM. Though these alternators will generate NOTHING if they are not hooked up to a battery in decent shape. Devon A15 RM wrote:

> > (sending this to the list since it looks like it was intended to go there > in the first place). > > On Thu, 17 Jan 2002, jamackinlay wrote: > > >I have a permanent-mounted voltmeter and due to the headlight's power > >draw, the voltmeter is always somewhere between 10.5 and 11.7 volts when > >idling. ...That means my battery is being discharged every time idle... > > >Has anyone checked this? Is this normal? > > I think so. The KLR's voltage sags pretty low at idle. > > >Worried about this, and as my OEM Yuasa was 4 years old, I recently > >replaced it with a new one. Still, the voltage has not increased at Idle > >and is below 12v. At higher RPMs the voltage goes up to ~13.5v so the > >generator is charging OK, but I am worried about long low-RPM commutes > >and damaging the battery. > > >Can somebody check the voltage on his bike? Lo beam (60/55 bulb) on and > >idling at 1300~1400 (no vest, no grips, etc) and tell me if is below > >12v? > > Checkout Dual Sport News at > http://www.dualsportnews.com > Be part of the Adventure! > > Visit the KLR650 archives at > http://www.listquest.com/lq/search.html?ln=klr650 > > Post message: DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com > Subscribe: DSN_klr650-subscribe@yahoogroups.com > Unsubscribe: DSN_klr650-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com > List owner: DSN_klr650-owner@yahoogroups.com > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

[lbauer2]

A guy wrote up some instructions for making a digital voltmeter for his Wing. Here's the page: http://www.dallas.net/~jsides/dvm.html. I'm going to try to build one like it as soon as the parts arrive. -Lujo

> I'm thinking out loud - It appears that this type of thing is an

issue for

> people using stuff that draws current, so I wonder if a permanently > mounted voltage gauge, (or whatever would be correct), would be a

good

> idea? Where to mount it would be a problem, possibly, but then you

would

> always know what's going on...

[hens_p]

A GARMIN GPS45, GPS2/+, GPS3/+, etc. can be used as a voltmeter if you run the unit from the bike battery. Pat

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., "lbauer2" wrote: > A guy wrote up some instructions for making a digital voltmeter for > his Wing. Here's the page: http://www.dallas.net/~jsides/dvm.html. > I'm going to try to build one like it as soon as the parts arrive. > > -Lujo > > > I'm thinking out loud - It appears that this type of thing is an > issue for > > people using stuff that draws current, so I wonder if a permanently > > mounted voltage gauge, (or whatever would be correct), would be a > good > > idea? Where to mount it would be a problem, possibly, but then you > would > > always know what's going on...

[Richard Ohnstad]

> A GARMIN GPS45, GPS2/+, GPS3/+, etc. can be used as a voltmeter if > you run the unit from the bike battery. > > Pat

Yes indeed, and it's a great toy besides. Rich in Tucson 94 KLR650 86 VFR750

[clint750]

Battery discharge at low RPM is normal for motorcycles with headlights on. This is the case with the KLR, but is mitigated by the self-powered ignition. I put a connector in the wire to the high-beam bulb and leave it disconnected in the day. I can then turn the headlight off during traffic jams and extended idling by selecting high beam. At night I reconnect the high-beam wire. Clint

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., RM wrote: > > (sending this to the list since it looks like it was intended to go there > in the first place). > > On Thu, 17 Jan 2002, jamackinlay wrote: > > >I have a permanent-mounted voltmeter and due to the headlight's power > >draw, the voltmeter is always somewhere between 10.5 and 11.7 volts when > >idling. ...That means my battery is being discharged every time idle... > > >Has anyone checked this? Is this normal? > > I think so. The KLR's voltage sags pretty low at idle. > > >Worried about this, and as my OEM Yuasa was 4 years old, I recently > >replaced it with a new one. Still, the voltage has not increased at Idle > >and is below 12v. At higher RPMs the voltage goes up to ~13.5v so the > >generator is charging OK, but I am worried about long low-RPM commutes > >and damaging the battery. > > >Can somebody check the voltage on his bike? Lo beam (60/55 bulb) on and > >idling at 1300~1400 (no vest, no grips, etc) and tell me if is below > >12v?

[jamackinlay]

How so?

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., "hens_p" wrote: > A GARMIN GPS45, GPS2/+, GPS3/+, etc. can be used as a voltmeter if > you run the unit from the bike battery. > > Pat > > > --- In DSN_klr650@y..., "lbauer2" wrote: > > A guy wrote up some instructions for making a digital voltmeter for > > his Wing. Here's the page: > http://www.dallas.net/~jsides/dvm.html. > > I'm going to try to build one like it as soon as the parts arrive. > > > > -Lujo > > > > > I'm thinking out loud - It appears that this type of thing is an > > issue for > > > people using stuff that draws current, so I wonder if a > permanently > > > mounted voltage gauge, (or whatever would be correct), would be a > > good > > > idea? Where to mount it would be a problem, possibly, but then > you > > would > > > always know what's going on...

[Ralph Hanson]

I raised this question a couple of months back. The vest cord and the battery tender use the same SAE plugs. To use the battery tender, just turn the power switch on your cable to on, and let it charge away. Make sure you turn the cord off when you disconnect the charger so the little light on the cord doesn't undo the charging you just did. Ralph

>If you do a lot of city commuting, buy a Battery Tender, splice on a >connector from Radio Shack that fits the one for the vest, and >trickle-charge the battery every time the bike is parked overnight. Your >battery will last longer anyway if it is kept fully charged.

Ralph E. Hanson rhanson40@... 99 KLR 650 http://www.wvu.edu/~journal2/west

[johnm01880]

Does anyone have any experience upgrading the lighting on an old (1980) KLX250? I'm considering using a BajaDesigns kit to make the machine street legal in Massachusetts. BajaDesigns suggests that I send them the stator so they can test it to see if it will work with their system. Thanks. John Leone ossamc@... 01 KLR650 73 OSSA Six Day Replica 80 KLX250