Neosophist wrote: I'm going to buck the trend and say I don't know if thats good advice.

If you make short trips, running with the lights on will leave the generator with less available power to re-charge the battery, making the system work harder.

It will do the reg/rec more good than harm I would think.

All imports in Oz are wired so that lights are on at all times, no problemo.

Stickshift wrote:

Neosophist wrote: I'm going to buck the trend and say I don't know if thats good advice.

If you make short trips, running with the lights on will leave the generator with less available power to re-charge the battery, making the system work harder.

It will do the reg/rec more good than harm I would think.

All imports in Oz are wired so that lights are on at all times, no problemo.

I think thats somthing to do with imports and new bikes. Ive had a few bikes that have the lights on with the ignition and had a few problems with short trips and the battry condition.

The DC power will not necessarily be at the correct voltage to charge the battery. The alternator always tries (for a given engine RPM) to put out the same amount of power. Since power is equal to volts times amps, if the bike is not using much current (battery fully charged, no heavy electrical loads), the voltage will rise. It is the job of the regulator to supply the load so that the voltage is kept within specified limits. It does this by consuming the excess electrical power as heat. [/quote]source[/quote]


i think this says it all


william

That just the power equation law.

It doesn't take into account battery condition and battery charge rate, available electrical energy and about a million other things.

The reg/rec will get hot during normal operation anyway as it's converting 50v + (rms AC) into 14v DC.

The reg/rec is designed this way (ie to convert excess electrical energy as heat)

The main culprit of killing the already fragile reg/recs is a poor battery that isn't able to accept a charge, which over-heats the reg-rec.

If you make sure the battery is in good condition and replaced before it gives up the ghost your electrical system should stay in good condition.

Running with the lights on all the time is just taking away 110watts of power from the charging system, which while not a bad thing (you can have the lights on if you want) it might hide symptoms of a failing battery.

If your electrical system is in proper order you should be able to do what you want with the lights, not think that they should be on to protect the battery. ^_^

splitting hairs here i think.....
the lights being on is not for the benefit of the battery but the reg rec as was mentioned.
i personally have had no problems(most of the time)with running my nc30 with lights on and off for short and long distances.
i have however suffered from a fecked reg rec and alternator....reason why?i do not know!!!!!
the problem is now solved and i now usually ride with at least the sidelights on and thankfully(touch wood)nothing else has went wrong.

Neosophist wrote:The main culprit of killing the already fragile reg/recs is a poor battery that isn't able to accept a charge, which over-heats the reg-rec.

is this not the point i am making.......but the difference being the battery is fully charged!!!!!!

i have also heard the main reason for reg rec getting gubbed or one of the main reasons is because of vibration which causes the wires,connections to arc!!!!!!!

william

wullvfr wrote:i have also heard the main reason for reg rec getting gubbed or one of the main reasons is because of vibration which causes the wires,connections to arc!!!!!!!

Not sure about main reason and I don't think its vibration, more likely corrosion.

Druid

Regulator/Rectifier
Like its 750cc brothers, the regulator/rectifier on NC30's can fail. However, the problem is not as common as many people make out. The actual problem does not usually lie with the unit itself. Road vibrations can cause electrical arcing within the block connector
http://www.v4power.ukonlinehosting.com/ ... ml#RegRect" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



william

pb article on nc30 recomended drilling subframe and cable tying reg/rec connector plug to prevent vibration causing arcing and premature failure. does it make any difference or are all late eighties early nineties honda reg/rectifiers made of chocolate ?