Touring with electronics

VIVID1 · 09-23-2004, 04:59 PM

I already tour with so much crap that needs recharging at the end of the day. Since most motel rooms have shortage of unused electrical outlets, I have recently started to tour with a power strip. I don’t want to attach any more gadgets to my bike’s battery. My GPS is already hooked up directly to the battery and I’m getting some heated grips pretty soon and next season possibly a fuzz buster which I will want to attach directly to the bike’s battery (I hope it can take it).

Stuff to recharge every night:
2 digital cameras
2 camcorders
1 helmet cam
1 ipod
1 cell phone

Since I only carry one charger for the two cameras and one charger for the both camcorders, as soon as I get in the room, I start charging, so after 3-4 hours I can switch and charge the second set of batteries.

What is your setup or procedure for recharging on the road?

Ducboy · 09-23-2004, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VIVID1

What is your setup or procedure for recharging on the road?

If I can help it I'd rather not rig up my brackets and panniers or carry my tank bag or backpack and instead packmule my buddy on his BMW

And since I don't have much pocket space on my jacket the only electronics I carry are my cel and two way radio for comms, and that lives on the bike.

RickC1957 · 09-26-2005, 10:29 AM

Motorola is now coming out with a cellphone you can use as an iPod, you download tunes from iTune, up to 100 songs. It's available from Cingular. I travel with a digital camera with two rechargeable batteries, and takes regular batteries too, that way I don't have to bring a charger. GPS is batteries only (4 aa) radar dectector is battery also (2 AA). I hate electronic gizmos, takes away from the ride IMHO.

Target900 · 09-26-2005, 12:24 PM

Hey VIVID1 after reading some of your well written posts and seeing that you are truely an iron butt about the long trips, let me ask... Do you guys ever use stuff like a chatterbox? And why or why not? Seems like those long trips would be better being able to talk? I've never had a riding buddy consistantly for trips so I've never gotten one but always something I wanted to try.

try&keepup · 09-26-2005, 01:18 PM

also if you don't mind where did you get the risers for your bike

alaska cajun · 09-26-2005, 11:31 PM

Yall need to check out her website,she is a true IRON BUTT.

http://www.excessivelocity.com/

Buellbomb · 10-06-2005, 07:00 AM

I put two hookups on my bikes, and try to charge things going down the road. I run my GPS on battery while I charge my cell, or if I'm running my Gerbing.

I'm thinking of getting a satellite radio setup, so I may have to modify things.

VIVID1 · 10-06-2005, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by try&keepup

also if you don't mind where did you get the risers for your bike

I have the converti-bars on the 954, but I don't like them, I should have bought the heli-bars instead.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Target900

Do you guys ever use stuff like a chatterbox? And why or why not?

I don’t use any communication devices yet. I had a chatter box, I didn’t like it. Most of the sport-touring types use short wave radios with a helmet hookup.

try&keepup · 10-09-2005, 11:32 AM

[quote=VIVID1]I have the converti-bars on the 954, but I don't like them, I should have bought the heli-bars instead.

are you lookin to sell them?

VIVID1 · 10-12-2005, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by try&keepup

are you lookin to sell them?

No, I'm keeping them, not worth the hassle to un-install and buy heli-bars. Now that I got the ST3, the 954RR is just a back up bike anyway.

FordCrusherGT · 10-14-2005, 07:46 AM

I do a lot of long hauls in my truck (how else does one put down 67,000 miles in 13 months?). While not the same as on a motorcycle, I carry with me a 1200 watt power inverter that keeps my laptop, cell phone, and whatever else I'm carrying with me charged. Now, if you're carrying two digicams and two camcorders, my first thought would be that you could get away with a much smaller power inverter and keeping one plugged in at all times while you use the other. Let's say that for the first half of the day you use the first digicam and camcorder, and then for the second half of the day you use the second digicam and camcorder. Meanwhile, the other two are happily charging away. A little 250-300 watt power inverter will only cost maybe $30, and I'm sure that a motorcycle alternator can power it, especially on the ST3.

The way that I look at it, when you're traveling, your vehicle is your mobile home (this goes doubly so if you have a Winnebago). As such, the vehicle should be able of sustaining itself and everything that you're bringing along so long as it's provided with fuel. This way, the only thing you're truly dependent on is a gas station.

RickC1957 · 10-23-2005, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FordCrusherGT

I do a lot of long hauls in my truck (how else does one put down 67,000 miles in 13 months?). While not the same as on a motorcycle, I carry with me a 1200 watt power inverter that keeps my laptop, cell phone, and whatever else I'm carrying with me charged. Now, if you're carrying two digicams and two camcorders, my first thought would be that you could get away with a much smaller power inverter and keeping one plugged in at all times while you use the other. Let's say that for the first half of the day you use the first digicam and camcorder, and then for the second half of the day you use the second digicam and camcorder. Meanwhile, the other two are happily charging away. A little 250-300 watt power inverter will only cost maybe $30, and I'm sure that a motorcycle alternator can power it, especially on the ST3.

The way that I look at it, when you're traveling, your vehicle is your mobile home (this goes doubly so if you have a Winnebago). As such, the vehicle should be able of sustaining itself and everything that you're bringing along so long as it's provided with fuel. This way, the only thing you're truly dependent on is a gas station.

I have seen power inverter at harborfreighttools.com for as little as $20.00 It looked like it plugged into a standard cigarette lighter and had 2 standard outlets. I add power to my tank bag using a kit made by powerlet.com So now I can charge my cell phone if needed, run my gps, radar dectector, mini- compressor and heated vest. No, I can't run them all at the same time but I can run at least the 2 items at the same time. vest and gps, or gps and dectector, or vest and dectector or if I need air the compressor. I never thought of the power inverter, I could charge the batteries while riding, excellent idea

cherrypicker · 10-23-2005, 11:35 PM

I've used a power inverter in my car to charge things in the past. It should work well on a bike, but you need to remember to add up everything that running on your bike. The generators are relatively small (usually less than 500W). Headlights, ingition, taillight and instruments will eat up at least 200-250W. I'd leave 10% in reserve, so you're only left with 200W. Plenty to charge a few batteries, but add heated grips and vest and you might find your engine mysteriouly shutting off while riding.

Be sure also to add a fuse on the pistive side between the inverter and the battery if you decide to modify the normal cigarette lighter plug which has a fuse inside it.

RickC1957 · 11-27-2005, 11:30 AM

My electrical hookups, finally. I bought a powerlet tank bag power kit, took the power cable that came with it (18") and extended to 26" (cost under $2) and now I way power to my bag. I have a splitter with one Hella (BWM) and one cigarette socket, then I use another splitter to plug into the cigarette socket to give me an additional two cigarette sockets. With this set up I can power my widder vest, radar detector and gps. I can also power if needed a small 12vdc compressor, cell phone charger, a small power inverter (60W) to charger a host of other small electronics. Best thing I can, when I sell the bike, take the entire set-up with me, nothing is hardwired to the battery and everything is powered thru the bikes power outlet which has a 20 AMP fuse.