Question to ask about batteries. I have a 12v 4amp battery and wanting to put another battery in parallel so it will still be 12 volts but bigger amps. Now the hard bit if for example my magneto puts out 4 amp and I have a capacity of 12 volts 14amp will this over load the magneto/charge system? <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o> Cheers stuart <o></o> <o> </o> Its on my scooter but need the extra battery for a adv ride Im doing. <o></o>
monkeywaythere, What is your load in amps? If you charging system only puts out 4 amps and your load is greater that 4 amps then your batteries will discharge. Of course if both your batteries are fully charged at the start of your ride then you will have power for a longer time than with just your smaller battery.
Right done some more research and decided that the risk to the genarator/magneto/reg rec is to much so just going to invest in one good battery and take care of it!! might even put a charge meter on the scoot? The scooter is geared(or will be with in the next week or two) for long distance touring. By long distance i mean 3000+ miles in 8 days in mid next year and in feb 500+miles in 2 days.
I thought about a variation of this for my Helix with its trunk in back. My idea was to have an additional, smaller (space considerations) 12v to use as a total loss system, isolated from the normal charging circuit. Use would be to power various campground electronics. The next day, after the primary battery is charged, 100 miles into the day, parallel the TL batt and get it re-charged. In a nutshell, extra capacity while stopped rather than while riding. Never followed through with the project but the space is there, wiring diagram, connectors, etc. all fit perfectly together in my head.
the isolated battery is the way to go for powering additional loads. think of your charging system as a pump, your battery as a tank, and the load (stuff you're running) as the outflow. you can get a bigger battery (tank) and it won't affect your charging system, however, you can never get more out (continuously) than your charging system puts in. a second battery will provide additional power for a short period of time, hence why the isolator is a good idea... you can do this easily with a HD switch or maybe with a switch and solenoid... I would think that over time the additional load will wear out your stator faster, but not catastrophically. there's no such thing as a free lunch and in physics there is no free power....
Stuart, are you talking about a real scooter (like a Vespa) - or is it some "Britishism" I am missing? If it is a "real" scooter, my hat's off to you! I've been planning a scooter loop of Europe in my college days, many decades ago - ultimately went by car - thus I have a really soft spot for your adventure. Good for you! (And post some pics). Here is a suggestion: I saw somewhere, either on ADVrider or on BMWLT.com, a setup with a small solar panel mounted on the top case of the bike. It charged up the battery (batteries?), so that the rider could power up his electronics. As I remember, it was not big at all - but sufficient for the use. As others suggested in previous posts, the extra batteries will not overpower the magneto - if charged - but it is the accessories that will kill you. If your power draw exceeds what the magneto puts out, you need a secondary source of power. Solar may be it. Search the forums for this solution. If I find something myself, I'll post here. Good luck on your adventure!
