Battery drain

[Ugarte]

I just installed a heated seat and will be installing the heated grips and maybe the Triumph running lights. Starting to wonder now if I might end up killing the battery running all those at once.

Anyone know the capacity of the Rocket battery in terms of running electronic accessories without draining it?

[vonbonds]

I run a few electric do-dads myself and am thinking of adding running lights too. I bought this product last fall so I can monitor my electrical capacity on the fly so I can see if I am draining the battery or not.

Kisan Charge Guard

There are other products out there that do what this does but something like that should be on any guys list who likes to add "farkle" to their bikes.

So to finally answer your question....I am not sure what the excess capacity is of the alternator .

[Ugarte]

Thanks Vondbonds, the Kisan looks like a good idea for the electrically challenged like me.

And its also a farkle...a farkle that monitors farkles....cool!

[Diego]

"...and who would farkles bear, when a bare bodkin across the terminals, by shorting opposing poles, could end them?"

<p align=right>-- Hamlet, a Great Dane</p>


It's not really a question of the battery's capacity, unless you plan to run all the goodies without the engine on, but of the alternator's capacity. The alternator spec is 37 amps at 2000 RPM.

In adding up all your loads, you'll want want to keep the total drain enough under this (a generous safety margin) so there'll also be sufficient current left to recharge the battery after the drain of starting, and to replenish what the battery may have to furnish for lights, fuel system, ignition and accessories while idling at stoplights and such.

[Pig9r]

The charge gauge would be the way to go. Diego is right on. The question is how many things at one time can you run. At my place of work we have a vehicle that has loads of electronic equipment in it and has a bank of batteries to run them off of. We constantly monitor the drain on the batteries or alternator output if the engine is running with a very similar type of meter. Sometimes it becomes a balancing act comfort vs essential items.

With 37 amps and the few things you are going to be running you should be pretty well off.

[ This message was edited by: Pig9r on 2006-04-29 14:52 ]