help me my pcx brethren! (fog light question)

[happyscooter]

So i bought me some fog light auxilliary lights to put on my pcx and they work and all with pcx on but im not sure if my stator is charging the battery or the lights just suck too much juice and its not charging it so im scared to ride with em on all the time. with fog lights off i have my voltmeter touching the batt terminals and its reading 14.1 volts.....normal good charging. when i switch the fog lights on then its just displaying 12.7 volts on the voltmeter and dropping slowly.

I have it wired like this, positive fog wire to positive terminal and black negetave wire of fog light to a grounded screw. its 55 watt bulbs. can the pcx just not handle it?

heres the set i got
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NAVIGATOR-4-ROU ... 1056713379

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-1Hh1SZbpU

[gn2]

Can't see that there would be any benefit having front fog lamps.
To my way of thinking the biggest source of danger in fog is being hit from the rear, so additional rear lighting would be the way to go.

[happyscooter]

more light for dark lonely roads. plus it looks pretty cool. but darn i hope the pcx can handle the powa!

[gn2]

but darn i hope the pcx can handle the powa!

Probably not.
You're doubling the normal load for the lights.
The output of the alternator is listed on here somewhere, seek and ye shall find.

[Theboybilly]

I think the front lights on the PCX are pretty decent as it is. For me, extra illumination in fog tends to make things worse if anything as far as seeing the road ahead, they just light up the fog! If people can't see that headlight they really shouldn't be on the road (but they're out there I grant you)
I have front fogs on my truck and, to be perfectly honest, I never switch them on. If it was a real 'pea-souper' I'd be leaving the PCX at home.

Bill

[cessna151]

The battery doesn't really charge at idle. Put the bike up on the the center stand and rev the engine while checking the voltage. The service manual says the alt. capacity is 343 watts at 5000rpm. I'd guess you're fairly close to maxing it out.

I think the PCX lights are absolutely terrible on those dark lonely roads. They're a bit pricey but I'm thinking about getting these 5w LED lights: http://www.twistedthrottle.com/denali-d ... d-m8-mount

[Theboybilly]

"I think the PCX lights are absolutely terrible on those dark lonely roads."

Strange you feel that way cessna151 as I ride on some seriously dark country lanes at unearthly hours and the first thing I noticed was how bright my lights were. I've had various bigger bikes and the PCX headlights are up there with the 2002 BMW 650 I had, which I also found very good. I would imagine the lights on the latest machines are top notch by now, but for a little 125 scooter I was pleasantly surprised as I was expecting not much better illumination than I got from my old Yamaha RXS100 and it's 6v monstrosity.

Bill

[happyscooter]

i ordered me some 5 watt led fog lights. soon as i get em (hopefully today) ill hook em up and see what the voltage is doing. i'll post pics when and if they get installed

[maddiedog]

Cessna151 was dead-on -- the PCX won't give a good charge at idle, you have to look at voltage while running. This thread would be relevant if we had an answer: http://www.hondapcx.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1080

The PCX was not equipped stock with even a 12v outlet. Short of changing the stock headlights and taillights out for LEDs, one could assume that ANY auxillary lighting or hardware past ~10 or 15w might be bad, but I think that's also a bit arbitrary.

The problem is, the bike pulls a lot of cranking amps when you start it. You don't charge much unless you're moving, therefore even with NO accessories, if you ride a scooter for half a mile a day every day, you'll likely drain the battery over time. On the other hand, if you commute 20 miles each way at 40+mph, you might be good using heated grips and some massive foglights. It's all about whether or not the stator can keep up, which again, is arbitrary and will vary with your situation.

I would monitor your voltage while riding, see if you drain, and keep adding watts until your power usage exceeds the charging capabilities based on your circumstance.

[happyscooter]

well got the 5 watt led fog lights installed and they work great, no fuss on the charging system. heres pics and a video of the lights in action!.

to mount em i used 3M vhb tape and a screw the tape is expensive. goes for retail for $40 bux for a roll but i found it on ebay for 10 bux.
i had to connect extra wire to the stock wires because it was too short to route it the way i needed to going from helmet storage compartment routed underneath the scooter along the red panels going to the lights. drilled a small hole in the storage compartment. Looks as professional as this amateur can do

heres the vid showing them off and on watch in 720p or 1080p to see it the best
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-iL4BkVIaA

[maddiedog]

Gotta love VHB tape -- works great as a permanent mount.

[you you]

Looks factory

[Theboybilly]

Not for me I'm afraid....sorry

Bill