The Honda PCX / Forza / ADV150 / SH Forums

I have a list of goodies that I'd like to add to my 2015 PCX150, but before I go shopping I'd like to get an idea of what kind of electrical budget I've got. My shop manuals weren't terribly helpful in this regard, and short of making my first purchase a shunt so I can run the bike with an ammeter, I'm hoping someone here has already run into the limit.

Anyone know how many amps I can safely plan for aftermarket accessories?

Not sure about this - but I know I bought a USB adaptor and phone mount, plugged in and saw the charge indicator light up...but when using GPS for half an hour my iphone battery dropped from 99% down to 60%. I'm not happy, and I'm hoping it's more to do with the (cheap) USB adaptor than the 12V power outlet.

I have not done the shunt, but can tell you what im running with no problems off the stock batt:

*Fob controlled siren theft system- set every night all night.
*Two 9 LED strips as driving fog lights -always on with ignition
*1 12 LED strobe lisc plate frame for braking-always on with ignition

Batt tests 12.5v anytime, bike ridden 5 days/wk.

All these mod pics in my build thread in sig.

Ben2talk wrote:Not sure about this - but I know I bought a USB adaptor and phone mount, plugged in and saw the charge indicator light up...but when using GPS for half an hour my iphone battery dropped from 99% down to 60%. I'm not happy, and I'm hoping it's more to do with the (cheap) USB adaptor than the 12V power outlet.

In my experience, even in a car, the cheap USB adapters don't have enough power. Most of the cheap ones are around 1 amp which isn't gonna cut it for charging and GPS. I wired up an OptiMate O-107 which delivers 2.1 amps. It keeps my phone happy.

Best to go by what Honda specify for the accessory socket on the new PCX LED - which I believe has a 5A in-line fuse (need to check on the circuit diagram or manual). The new battery is uprated but it's still a tiny battery so taking too much current will not do the battery or alternator much good.

If a 5 volt 2.1 amp USB adapter is plugged into the 12v volt socket it will take a draw of 0.9 of an amp through the socket so not really a problem.

Alibally wrote:If a 5 volt 2.1 amp USB adapter is plugged into the 12v volt socket it will take a draw of 0.9 of an amp through the socket so not really a problem.

What? The 2.1A is the stated current it can supply to USB devices so V/A conversion is the wrong thing to do. It's not the current taken by the convertor it's what it's specified to supply.
Normal USB 1.x/2.x standard was 500ma which is why charging devices via an older PC USB port was slow, but mains USB chargers as per Nexus and such provide more current and charge devices quicker - quite like what this 12V to 5V 2.1A (max) device does.

Ohms law
12volts 0.85 amps = 5 volts 2.1 amps. Both are 10.5watts approx.

iceman wrote:Best to go by what Honda specify for the accessory socket on the new PCX LED - which I believe has a 5A in-line fuse (need to check on the circuit diagram or manual). The new battery is uprated but it's still a tiny battery so taking too much current will not do the battery or alternator much good.

So far I've added:
* USB Power Supply (0.85A)
* Skene Designs -- Photon Blasters (0.35A)
* Skene Designs -- P3 Lights (0.15A continuous, 0.39A braking)
* Alarm (0.006A continuous)
* Voltage Monitor (0.085A max)
* Stebel Horn (18A intermittent)

Total is about 1.4A continuous, 1.7A when braking, and up to almost 20A when I (rarely) use the horn. I feel pretty safe with that load. It will (probably) draw on the battery when I use the horn, but other than that brief moment, it seems to be comfortably sized.

I'm trying to decide if I have the electrical capacity to run heated jacket liner (6.4A max) and gloves (2.2A). I'm also considering a pair of Clearwater Glenda lights (2A total on high). My gut tells my I could probably run the gloves OR the lights. I guess I'm asking with a sliver of hope that the alternator has more output capacity than I think.

Maybe I should have clarified. By accessory power, I don't mean just what plugs into the accessory port. I mean any electrical load that didn't come from the factory. I have my accessories wired via a relay to an aftermarket fuse block.

Seth wrote: So far I've added:

* Voltage Monitor (0.085A max)


I'm trying to decide if I have the electrical capacity to run heated jacket liner (6.4A max) and gloves (2.2A). I'm also considering a pair of Clearwater Glenda lights (2A total on high). My gut tells my I could probably run the gloves OR the lights. I guess I'm asking with a sliver of hope that the alternator has more output capacity than I think.

Well I drew a blank except for a local number for the tech guys at Honda Thailand but persuading my wife to call and then expect to get a straight answer is another question. The main fuse is 10A which should give us a clue. Yes there is a 20A and a 30A but what those do I have no idea. 30A maybe for the starter circuit?
The battery is only 5Ah. That the newer models disable the Idle-Stop if the battery voltage drops is also another clue to the maybe lowish gen output which cannot keep the battery up in dense stop start traffic.

I think the smart thing would be replace your voltage monitor with an combo ammeter version and monitor the amps delivered right after starting or after 3 or 4 or 5 starts in close succession. This would also give a clue, although the system may not be designed for constant high amperage charging.