Electrical Capacity

[2popfire]

It will soon start getting chilly and I'm considering some heated clothing, specifically a Gerbing jacket liner (77watts) and Union Ridge pants (44 watts) I have an 04' R1150R w/ABS and heated grips. Question is, do I REALLY have the capacity for all this, yes I know what the alternator is rated for, but how well does this work in the real world? I ride just over 40 miles at about 6am and as fall gets in gear the temps. are begining to drop, so if I can power these clothes it will extend my riding season considerably. This is my first BMW so be gentle. ;)
Joe

[PUDGYPAINTGUY]

I am not sure what your alternator is rated for on the r model but my GS has plenty of power for all accessories, heated grips and jacket, radio (coffee pot and portable tv only until 11:00 am though until traffic increased and I had to put the newspaper down) and GPS and power inverter too and has just proven so to me for the past 3 1/2 days. I understand your scepticism, I too shared that before I turned everything on at the same time, I must have been expecting another Northeast blackout the way I flinched and all..lol.

Seriously though it proved to me that the rating at least appears to be real, no dead or low batteries to prove otherwise.

[RevWillie]

How much you can plug in was a important question for airhead riders, but since the K-bikes and Oilheads appeared, the limit for electrical goodies use has risen greatly. As long as you have not loaded too many "Bambi-burners" (driving lights) to the load, your body-warming devices should not be a problem. Multiple users adding to the garmet count will add to the load, but it would take a lot to get that battery light to come on.

Now if you want to hear some stories about decisions pertaining to having feeling in my body parts VS having enough juice to keep the bike going, tune into a good Airhead conversation at the beer tent. :drink

[GlobalRider]

Question is, do I REALLY have the capacity for all this, yes I know what the alternator is rated for, but how well does this work in the real world?

On top of the heated gear you are thinking about, you could even throw on a set of driving lights and still have plenty of power left over for more.

The alternator is rated at 700W or 50A at 14V.

Do some simple math and start subtracting your power draws from 700W...the bike by itself (high beam, rear tail light, ignition, etc), heated gear, and whatever else you connect to it.

I run a heated vest on my R100 GS (280W) and KLR 650 (238W). Power is never an issue.

[2popfire]

Thanks for the backup guys, so I guess if I don't plug in the microwave the toaster and the hairdryer at the same time I'm good to go!
Thanks again,
Joe