KLR electrical upgrade

rodneyw71

KLR'er
Premier Member
#1
I have a '14 KLR, I'm wanting to add driving lights but worried about frying the electrical system, I run a heated jacket and my cell and sometimes gps, do they make an upgrade for the bike and has anybody installed it?
 
#2
The GPS and your cell phone draw so little current that they are not an issue.

If you add a pair of LED driving lights you will likely stay within the capacity of the charging system. Best to hook up a digital voltmeter and observe the voltage at 3-4000 RPM with no accessories and then the jacket plugged in.
The difference in these readings will let you know how much more load you can add without bogging down the charging system. Stick with LEDs and you should be OK.

Stuart
 
#3
I have a '14 KLR, I'm wanting to add driving lights but worried about frying the electrical system, I run a heated jacket and my cell and sometimes gps, do they make an upgrade for the bike and has anybody installed it?
From my experience and observations, I would leave the stator stock, for reliability reasons. If you want to upgrade anything in your charging system, a Mosfet regulator is a worthwhile and reliable mod.

To get the most out of your electrical system, convert every bulb you can on your bike to LED. Headlights, brake, instrument, etc.., You will free up alot of wattage and gain improved lighting and conspicuity.

Then add a couple of 10 watt LED driving lights.
With the latest generation led bulbs in the headlights of your newer KLR and a pair of 10 watt driving lights, you will be impressed with your newfound visibility.

Use a temperature controller for your heated jacket or vest.
Note the wattage rating of your heated liner. Different brands draw in varying degrees. Vests draw less.

Install voltmeter to monitor and manage your electrics.

Install high quality AGM battery.

If needed, you can also wire in a kill switch for your headlights allowing you to run without them in daylight if you had to run alot of heated gear in cold weather.

Then you are on your way to being a wattage miser !
 

rodneyw71

KLR'er
Premier Member
#4
From my experience and observations, I would leave the stator stock, for reliability reasons. If you want to upgrade anything in your charging system, a Mosfet regulator is a worthwhile and reliable mod.

To get the most out of your electrical system, convert every bulb you can on your bike to LED. Headlights, brake, instrument, etc.., You will free up alot of wattage and gain improved lighting and conspicuity.

Then add a couple of 10 watt LED driving lights.
With the latest generation led bulbs in the headlights of your newer KLR and a pair of 10 watt driving lights, you will be impressed with your newfound visibility.

Use a temperature controller for your heated jacket or vest.
Note the wattage rating of your heated liner. Different brands draw in varying degrees. Vests draw less.

Install voltmeter to monitor and manage your electrics.

Install high quality AGM battery.

If needed, you can also wire in a kill switch for your headlights allowing you to run without them in daylight if you had to run alot of heated gear in cold weather.

Then you are on your way to being a wattage miser !
I like all the ideas except for running without a headlight.
 
#5
I like all the ideas except for running without a headlight.
It is more of an emergency option instead of a practice, in case you get in a predicament where more wattage needs to be freed up.
Likely would not happen, but just thought for any eventuality. If setting out on some extreme ride or remote destinations.
 

rodneyw71

KLR'er
Premier Member
#6
I'm riding my klr in the rockinride rally, putting a sealed battery in it, if I decide to enter and get into a rally like butt lite then I'll add all the stuff you mentioned, from what I've read the new edition klr's electrical is way better, so this rally will be the test.
 

OX-34

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#8
Rodney if you are running (far) too many gizmos rather than frying your electrical system, you may well just run your battery flat as you ride. You will find that out as you climb back on to ride away from a bonus location. RRRR-rrrr-rr.... A voltmeter would give warning of the battery slowly going flat. Waterproof voltmeters with digital readout can be sourced from ebay or Amazon for under $10





Maybe buy and carry one of those new lithium battery jump starters. They are about the size of a large cell phone. They will get you started again, and then you will have to decide whether LEDs or heated gear is more important at that moment. But you will be mobile.

 
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rodneyw71

KLR'er
Premier Member
#9
I just installed a volt meter on it, haven't got to test it out yet. I like the jumper battery, have to look into that one.
 

JAVGuzzi

Premier Member
#10
Rodney, If you turn your headlight off ( with the added switch ) , and the LEDS spots are ON, you won't have a problem not being seen by cagers. That will save you some amps, even with the LEDS being on.

When I did the Lake Huron SS1K a few years ago, one of the guys I was riding with got ahead of me by about a half mile on a two lane road when I missed the traffic light. He told me later, he could see my ( low power ) LEDS in his mirrors easily being that far up the road. I have a set of SuperBright LED spotlights ( cheap ). Eddie on the Lake Superior SS1K ride told me about the same thing when I came up to him at a stoplight.
 

rodneyw71

KLR'er
Premier Member
#11
Jim, I put in a sealed battery, have a volt meter so I can watch how my farkles are doing, I'll have a set of lights on it this summer. I'm still planning on doing the mio, going to use that as my test ride before I do the void.
 
#12
I like all the ideas except for running without a headlight.
You can swap out the 60/55W headlight bulb for a 20W LED that will give you more light, at a better color temp. and save half a heated jacket.

You can swap all running light, tail light and instrument cluster bulbs for LEDs, usually at a considerable power saving too.
 

rodneyw71

KLR'er
Premier Member
#13
I have a high intensity high beam installed, it does a good job, I have thought about switching everything to led, normally my battery runs at about 14.2, when I did my first rally two weeks ago I had heated jacket, gps, cell ph and high beam on and it fell to about 13.4 or so.