VT 1100C Spirit 1100 how many amps?

[ihavethespirit]

I want to mount some stronger lights on my 2003 spirit but dont' want to burn anything out. I have the standard headlight 55/60W (?) and have 2 50w "fog" lamps on a separate switch with fuse.
I want to upgrade the 2 50's to two 100w's - basically, can I? or will my bike come to rolling stop in the middle of the desert on a dark night....
. Oh, I also mounted a Steibel compact airhorn and fuse- I understand that pulls 20amp when blowing.

Thanks

[PainterD]

By the look of the photo, you have an 1100 Spirit, correct? Then the answer is NO, don't even think of using two 100w lights on yur bike. Not even the 55w lights should be used unless you upgrade your charging system first. The Shadows have poor charging systems to begin with. There's just enough power going to the battery to keep it charged and that's about it.
The voltage regulators on the 1100s are not built to sustain a full charge for any meaningful accessories without eventually burning out the regulator or the stator (or both) and the wires will also get too warm because they are too thin in the wiring harness.
If you want to run extra lights (lightbar, etc.) just PM me and I'll explain the upgrade you can do to your charging system so it will allow you to run more accessories without running the battery down while riding. PD

[ihavethespirit]

Thanks, I will PM. And for anyone else reading this, take a look under your seat in the little back condom 2"x3" up front toward the tank, you will see a very burned connector that needs to be replaced before you don't have any charging system in the middle of nowhere...

[Nehalem Dave]

One way to protect your circuits is switch the 55W H3 fog bulbs to 35W. Check an auto parts store.

We'd never go to megalights since the risk of getting killed in the dusk/dark by a deer, Roosevelt elk or drunk is too high....but we live in the boonies. Consider just running your high beam all the time since cycle lights don't tend to blind drivers like auto lights do.

If being seen is your objective, go to a running light with larger reflector. I have 5" offroad lights with only 35W bulbs and people say they can see me coming 1 mile away.

[ndshadowrider]

Originally Posted by PainterD

...If you want to run extra lights (lightbar, etc.) just PM me and I'll explain the upgrade you can do to your charging system so it will allow you to run more accessories without running the battery down while riding. PD

PD, could you maybe do a write-up on this for the rest of us ("Juice-ology" or "Ampology" would be appropriate)? I think everyone would appreciate it...

Thanks man! And, nice to see someone (relatively) close to home on here!

[rocksolid]

I have a 1100, so I'm facing the same situation.

Available wattage "Excess" is almost non-existent

Honda Shadow 1100 329 watts max at 3000 rpm
Normal wattage used by a carb. bike is around 200 watts.
329 - 200 = 129 watts absolute max @ 3000 rpm
Less at lower rpms


High Beam 55 watts
Low Beam 55 watts
Number Plate 5 watts
Brake/Tail 21 watts
Instrument Panel 2 watts
Computer 25 watts
Fuel Pump 60 watts
Cooling Fan 60 watts
Electronic Ignition 50 watts

Aux lights 35 – 100 watts (each)

[marcham]

Originally Posted by PainterD

If you want to run extra lights (lightbar, etc.) just PM me and I'll explain the upgrade you can do to your charging system so it will allow you to run more accessories without running the battery down while riding. PD

Can you post here? I'm sure many others are interested ...

[ShadowBmtTx]

Originally Posted by rocksolid

I have a 1100, so I'm facing the same situation.

Available wattage "Excess" is almost non-existent

Honda Shadow 1100 329 watts max at 3000 rpm
Normal wattage used by a carb. bike is around 200 watts.
329 - 200 = 129 watts absolute max @ 3000 rpm
Less at lower rpms


High Beam 55 watts
Low Beam 55 watts
Number Plate 5 watts
Brake/Tail 21 watts
Instrument Panel 2 watts
Computer 25 watts
Fuel Pump 60 watts
Cooling Fan 60 watts
Electronic Ignition 50 watts

Aux lights 35 – 100 watts (each)

Excuse me if this question is a no brainer. I understand the max amount of watts available, but with adding total watts used to power add ons, what is the minimum amount needed to keep the battery fully charged.

[PainterD]

As I've posted several times in the past, those plastic connectors are problematic on most bikes and need to be attended to from time to time. They get moisture in them and corrode, making a poor connection which makes them heat up and eventually melt if not attended to in time. My solution to them is to cut them out and solder the wires, using heat shrink to seal them off so you won't have problems in the future.
I also try to use LED lights where ever possible to take the strain off the charging system, which also helps to some degree.

There are some members who have 55watt driving lights, running with the stock stator, regulator and wiring, and probably all the stock plastic connectors still intact, so it can be done, but I'm not sure how long thing will last with that setup. I know our charging systems are not all that good to begin with, so the upgrade I posted is a good idea if you plan to add any accessories to your bike.
I run 35 watt sealed beam driving lights, which for me are plenty bright to light things up after hours (I get the highbeams from oncoming traffic once in awhile too) for two reasons - they are readily available if one goes out on the road and easy to replace, and they are less strain on the battery vs the 55 watt halogens some are using. I seen alot less drop on my volt meter with the 35 watt lights than with the 55 watt halogens I used at one time, so I stayed with the sealed beams as they seem to get the job done just as well as the halogens did.
Just make sure when running added accessories that you use relays to power them instead of just a switch to turn them on. That way things go off when you turn off the switch and won't leave things on accidently and run down the battery when you stop (been there - done that)
And be careful, take your time running extra wires for your accessories. Keep them from touching sharp edges on the frame and use wire ties to keep them from moving around (and possibly shorting out) And using fuses with any accessory is a good idea. It's better to replace a fuse after finding an electrical problem, than to have wires melt and causing a possible fire onboard. Just a thought. >PD<

[marcham]

Not sure if this is of any use to anyone, but I tested my system as follows:

Idle: 12.6-12.7 V, 11-12A drawn from the stock regulator.

With 3000-4000 rpm, I get 14.0V, 15-16A drawn from the regulator.


I did notice the 3 yellow wire connector does warm up quite a bit. Doesn't get burning hot but is certainly warm enough to notice. I did solder the wires direct but I suspect a proper crimp may be in order. There was about 8A going through each yellow wire.