Power robing lights

[motor2191]

* CAUTION * This thread may contain technical GEEK TALK! * LOL!

A few times now I've had to jump start my ST-P due to a dead battery after leaving the flashing lights on at a scene. This began to drive me nuts so I've looked into the power ratings of the lights we use. On our Honda we use six (6) TOMAR Rect 25's, two (2) of which are forward facing (R/B) and two (2) on each side (R/B), (1 on the front half and 1 on the rear half). On the rear we use one TOMAR 200s-2 (R/B). TOMAR has three type's of setups in this series, a 6 LED, a 9 LED and a 12 LED. All of the units look the same but use different numbers of LED's inside the unit. So, before I throw them under the bus, I will say that these lights are very bright! But WOW! They sure suck up the battery juice!! These are the most power hungry LED's I've seen. With our setup, the Rect 25's (9 LED unit) draw an AVERAGE of 1.2 amp's per head for a total of 7.2 amps, when you factor in the 200S-2's (12 LED) average power rating of 1.8 amps this gives a power sucking 9 amps. When you compare this set up to a similar one using the Whelen TIR 6 you have an average draw of 315mA per head. That's milliampere folks NOT an ampere! 1000 milliampere = 1 ampere. Having a similar set up, but using Whelen would use a total of 2.5 amps, if you use the more modern Whelen LIN 6 you'd be at 3.2 amps. Either way, that's about 1/3 the consumption rate of TOMAR. In layman's terms, what does this mean? Simple, if you have a 9 amp hour battery you can run the lights for one hour before it's dead, keep in mind, that even though the lights still might be flashing, you'll still need juice to start the bike. So, what's the moral of this thread? Simple, TOMAR might make bright lights but they sure use a TREMENDOUS amount of power that doesn't suit the ST-P's battery life, and to quote Jimmy Buffet, "come Monday, it'll be all right...", come Monday I'll be swapping out light heads.

[AugFern]

What the heck is all that? LOL A timely post, yesterday I left my home and stopped at my neighbors hit the kill switch and we were talking about his search for a MC. Well when it was time to leave all I got was click, click, click! Rolled down his drive to jump start. I was there for 10-15 minutes, question "is it normal for the battery to drain that fast?"

[Blrfl]

"is it normal for the battery to drain that fast?"

Yes, it is. The charging system has plenty of room to power farkles while underway, but no such margin exists at idle or when on the battery.

--Mark

[tnman]

* CAUTION * This thread may contain technical GEEK TALK! * LOL!

A few times now I've had to jump start my ST-P due to a dead battery after leaving the flashing lights on at a scene. This began to drive me nuts so I've looked into the power ratings of the lights we use. On our Honda we use six (6) TOMAR Rect 25's, two (2) of which are forward facing (R/B) and two (2) on each side (R/B), (1 on the front half and 1 on the rear half). On the rear we use one TOMAR 200s-2 (R/B). TOMAR has three type's of setups in this series, a 6 LED, a 9 LED and a 12 LED. All of the units look the same but use different numbers of LED's inside the unit. So, before I throw them under the bus, I will say that these lights are very bright! But WOW! They sure suck up the battery juice!! These are the most power hungry LED's I've seen. With our setup, the Rect 25's (9 LED unit) draw an AVERAGE of 1.2 amp's per head for a total of 7.2 amps, when you factor in the 200S-2's (12 LED) average power rating of 1.8 amps this gives a power sucking 9 amps. When you compare this set up to a similar one using the Whelen TIR 6 you have an average draw of 315mA per head. That's milliampere folks NOT an ampere! 1000 milliampere = 1 ampere. Having a similar set up, but using Whelen would use a total of 2.5 amps, if you use the more modern Whelen LIN 6 you'd be at 3.2 amps. Either way, that's about 1/3 the consumption rate of TOMAR. In layman's terms, what does this mean? Simple, if you have a 9 amp hour battery you can run the lights for one hour before it's dead, keep in mind, that even though the lights still might be flashing, you'll still need juice to start the bike. So, what's the moral of this thread? Simple, TOMAR might make bright lights but they sure use a TREMENDOUS amount of power that doesn't suit the ST-P's battery life, and to quote Jimmy Buffet, "come Monday, it'll be all right...", come Monday I'll be swapping out light heads.

We use Tomar exclusevily on or Squad's but I went with Wheelen on my ST due to ease of maounting with Wheelen. We had our cars at the shop getting digital video systems put in and the Tech called me and said that the lightbar was sucking up so major Amp's, I just kinda blew it off since it was a car and we have never had a battery issue. I know Tomar makes bright lights but I guess with bright lights come big draw. If you go Wheelen let me know and I can share some pics of our setup, easy, clean and bright!

[dond]

FWIW I was chatting with a Prescott AZ LEO about lights/batt life and he said Honda has a retrofit larger battery box that allows a bigger, higher AH battery.
His motor had the upgrade and he claims problem solved.

I have a 14ah Oddessy (SP) in my main bike and it has much high cca too. Works very well and in civilian use, I've never had it go flat. .

[bcst1300]

I don't know how much room there is after the radio gear is installed in the rear seat cell on the ST-P but like in a motor home or maybe a pick up with a camper you could add a deep cycle battery for the light gear and isolate the bikes battery. It is done all the time so the necessary isolation module should be readily available from any auto electric dealer. The performance of a motorcycle battery for powering that kind of load is not compatible. The regular battery is engineered to provide starting power with little storage capacity. A deep cycle battery is designed to give respectable power to accessories but is poor at delivering the high current needed for a starter motor. Regular Auto/moto batteries die very quickly when deeply discharged. I don't know how long you might sit on station with the lights flashing but I would aim for double the normal time. IE 1 hour stand time would demand an 18 amp hour battery for 2 hours of runtime.
The last time I was in England (2002) I spent a bit of time talking to a AAA driver that used an ST1100 with a gel pack helicopter battery in the side case. He used it to jump start the cars. He said that %90 of his calls were for jump starts and locked keys. Add a 3 gallon gas can in the other pannier and he could answer most of the calls for service that AAA gets. The company could put 3 or 4 motorcycles on the road for the cost of 1 wrecker. The wrecker gets called when the bike can't help or the car really needs a tow. Add the faster response time in bad traffic and the ST as an auto service vehicle was a real winner for AAA in Manchester.

[KLRCraig]

I have been installing Odyessy batteries in my ST1100P and St1300P. I use a PC535 in the 1100 and a PC 545 in the 1300's. The stock batteries are wrothless, I still have the riders use a charger at home made for the Odyessy battery every day so they start the day with a full charge.....
Craig

[motor2191]

What type of light setup do you have? Also, what type of run times are you getting on scene?

[KLRCraig]

A stock battery in a 1300 is 190 cca and the odyssey has 545 cca's I have never turned the sound-off LED's on long enough to kill the battery but if you want I will try. Its all about power management turn the key off, turn the radio off when you park, most of my guys leave the engine running at short car stops. The big battery is a must, I tried one of stock batteries for a year to prove a point to the Honda warranty rep and went through 6 batteries,and 10 road calls to jump start.
Huntington Beach Honda Ca. sells a Odyssey battery mounting bracket to mount in a 1300 contact Cameron Hunter. I make my own and have them on all 14 1300's.
I hopes this info helps, if you need any more info you can contact me a Huntington Beach P.D.
Craig

[motor2191]

Thanks for the battery tip. We'll be switching out to an Odyssey soon. Seems like everyone (in LE world) has a problem with the OEM battery holding up to the duties.

[tnman]

A stock battery in a 1300 is 190 cca and the odyssey has 545 cca's I have never turned the sound-off LED's on long enough to kill the battery but if you want I will try. Its all about power management turn the key off, turn the radio off when you park, most of my guys leave the engine running at short car stops. The big battery is a must, I tried one of stock batteries for a year to prove a point to the Honda warranty rep and went through 6 batteries,and 10 road calls to jump start.
Huntington Beach Honda Ca. sells a Odyssey battery mounting bracket to mount in a 1300 contact Cameron Hunter. I make my own and have them on all 14 1300's.
I hopes this info helps, if you need any more info you can contact me a Huntington Beach P.D.
Craig


Which battery model are you using I looked on the web site http://www.odysseybatteries.com/
and could not find any listing for ST's

[KLRCraig]

I use the PC545 they don't make one that fits a ST you make the bike fit the battery....Craig

[lawmanuk]

Do your 1300 P models not have a "run" position on the ignition barrel, the uk version of the st 1300 had this feature, you turned the key in the ignition to the left, locked the front wheel and was able to leave the bike running, lights on and and be able to remove the key. If anyone touched the clutch the bike turned itself off. It was a fantastic feature.

[snowmoer]

I use the PC545 they don't make one that fits a ST you make the battery fit the bike....Craig

Craig,

Could you post some photos? I have an Odyssey in my wifes Intruder and it is great.

Thanks

[agia]

I thought I heard our motor units (BMWs) had two batteries in them. I can find out but it seems doubling the amp-hour capacity would help out. IslandCopp might know something. His motor unit was an ST.

[KLRCraig]

The BMW's have 2 batteries one to start the bike and one for accessories like radio, lights and ABS Brakes. As far as photos I am heading to Indy and will post them when I get back.......Craig

[PJRNM]

Electrical stability is still hit and miss, even with two batteries (BMW). I always had problems with mine (before I switched to ST) and BMW could never find anything wrong. Do you have radar mounted to your motors? We have found a parasitic battery drain from the radar when off. (We plugged it into the socket on the rear cowl) We have added a switch to turn off that outlet. So far, it is working in the new ST's. I just had the switch installed on mine, but I think I'm at a stage where my battery won't hold a charge worth a darn due to it's age.......

[Ray]

We equiped our ST with a radar and Digital Camera. If I let it sit for about 10 hours with everything supposedly turned off my batery still runs down due to the body mic charger so I have to keep it on my trickle charger over night. Mine is equiped with 10 whelen LED's. When I'm on an accident scene I can leave them on for a long time and they don't run my battery down.

[O24]

I'm jumping into this post a little late. I've been riding my ST-P since November. I had company (Auto Additions) out of Lacey, Washington install a power management system and gel battery. The entire battery box was ripped out and a custom bracket fabricated. The power management shuts down different components: Radio, Digital Camera at different times after bike has been shut off. Normally I can leave emergency LED lights on with headlight off and kill switch off (keeps fan from running) at accident scenes for 1hr plus. If you forget about the headlight and leave it on then the battery lasts about 20 minutes.

[johncb1300]

thanks guys
you've answered all my questions about oem batteries i am upgrading my battery for sure my st spends most of its time under wraps and when i go to start it flat as a pancake
tried to claim under warranty but my honda dealer wont buy it so i will have to buy a new one its such a small battery for such a large bike
11ah upgrading to a 14ah

[mitchnj]

A few times now I've had to jump start my ST-P due to a dead battery after leaving the flashing lights on at a scene.

Whats the correct procedure for jump starting an ST? probably the same on all MC's.
Thanks

[motor2191]

Put it in gear...Pin the throttle wide open...Bypass the clutch kill....Hook up the cables....LOL! Just kidding.....Yeah, it's the same as anything...Heaven knows I had to do it a bunch with the WAY TOO small OEM battery...

[Mellow]

Seems to me the headlights are the biggest draw, is that correct? If so, could you hook your flashing lights to the acc switch on the key so the headlight could go off but the other lights could stay on...

Unless, you want the headlights on.

[motor2191]

No, most of us have already placed our "flashing lights" on a separate switch. The lights most likely will be on a "constant on" or a "hot 12v" switch. That way, we can leave the flashing lights on but the bike is locked up and safe from theft.

[Rob Hephner]

Sorry for the late post, but I found that the 4-way flasher system on the ST is actually the most draw and will pull the battery down to 10 volts at idle.

Just what I have found on my bike and a couple others.