Gyrobob wrote on 10/16/11 at 06:20:14:If you must watch TV, just use your Droid.
Seriously, a 400 watt inverter on this bike is too big.
-- These things have an efficiency of something like 80% or so.
-- A 400w inverter will surge momentarily to around 800w when a load is hooked up.
-- 800w with an efficiency of 80% equates to 1000 watts.
-- 1000 watts at 12 volts is over 80 amps. Ask the gurus here what an 80 amp load, even a temporary load, will do the charging system on a Savage.
-- At a steady 400w output, that would be a steady 40 amp load at 12v. (way too much for a Savage charging system)
Use the 400w inverter in your car. Forget about it for the bike. If you really need 110v on the bike, use a tiny inverter or bring a loooooooooooong extension cord.
Pretty good statement of the facts Gyr, but I think you miss one point...
TV watching and beer sippin' is while the bike is off. The inverter will drain a second battery.
So the real question is how long to recharge a dead battery to full?
Most people will say m/c's aren't good at recharging a dead battery. Being that this is a 'backup' battery, can't tell you for shure. But I would take a couple precautions. You want a battery isolator, kind that rv's use. Be sure that it's isolated while you start up or you'll have 2 dead batteries. Initially, you want to monitor voltage and current while charging the backup battery. See if there's a charge regulator for 12v to 12v charging.
The most you'll want to hook up to this is a 200 watt load. It maybe rated for it, but nothing lasts long at peak rating. So the big screen tv you were going to put on the back of your savage is out. One of those battery operated DVD players is in. Hmmm... don't those have 12v adapters already? Same thing with the laptop. I think I'm back to the concensis... ditch the inverter. Hell, ditch the tv too. Laptops will play dvd's. want tv channels, get tv converter for it. Less wt. more go.
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