SparkBright Battery Voltage Monitor

[Setchman_imp]

If anyone else out there is as anal as I am about wanting to know everything you can about your engine's systems, in this case, electrical/battery, this little device might be just what you're looking for.

On my old bike I used a Signal Dynamic's Head's Up which was fine because I had a fairing I could use to hide the module that houses the "brains" of the device. This wasn't practical on the CB1100 since there was no good place to mount the module. Thankfully, the same type of monitor is made by a company in the U.K. It's perfect for the CB since the microprocessor is so tiny it's installed inline with the wiring, super simple. The one with the dimming feature is the Eclipse which is the one I installed.

[url=http://www.sparkbright.co.uk/index.php]SparkBright Home Page

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This is a cheap mod, too. Delivered from the U.K. in about 2 weeks, it only cost about $29 depending on the exchange rate at that moment. The rest of the parts I used I bought at the local hardware store and where also inexpensive. It's also non-invasive unless you chose to splice into the bike's wiring, which I did not. I wanted an accurate reading and simple installation so I hooked it up directly to the battery. Because I did it this way there is a nominal draw on the battery if left connected. Since I can't ride everyday I always hook the battery up to a Battery Tender after each ride so this is moot for me but for those who don't use a Battery Tender like this you may want to tie into a switched circuit. If I need to I can disconnect it by taking out the fuse I installed just in case I'm away from my Battery Tender.

The wires are not long enough to reach the battery unless you have the manufacturer make them longer for you which they will do on request. I decided to splice into some wire I had lying around the house which worked better since I wanted a beefier wire anyway.

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I then taped up the thin wires and covered it with shrink wrap for added girth and to hide the red and black wires. It blends in much better up near the headlight where all the wires are already black. The instructions recommend adding a small fuse so I found an inline fuse holder and .5 amp fuse at Radio Shack. I then soldered on some ring terminals and it was all done. The shrink wrap made the finished wire nice and stiff so there was no need to completely remove the gas tank to get it to the front of the bike. Just remove the tank bolt so you can lift it up a bit and push the wire up to the front. It'll just slide right up there.

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I bought a cheap piece of aluminum strapping and cut a couple inch piece off, bent it, drilled a 5/16" hole in it (didn't do a very good job centering it, though ), painted it with some flat black paint I had lying around the house and added a piece of double-stick tape for mounting it on the side of the instrument cluster.

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Here are a few shots of the finished installation:

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Under the seat I have the wire coming up and over the tool compartment so I can have easy access to the fuse if I ever need to disconnect it.

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This isn't my video but it shows the SparkBrite in action, even comparing it to the Signal Dynamics one.

[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pR7RJ2LevTM]Motorcycle (KLR650) Voltage Monitors

This is a great little device if it just happens to be something you're looking for. It might even keep you from having to push her home someday.

 

[Lord Popgun]

Nice write-up and nice install

 

[dr_rock_imp]

Very nice write-up and clean installation. So this will signal green when the system is functioning properly (charging)?

 

[the Ferret]

Nicely documented, moved to the How To Section

 

[Setchman_imp]

Very nice write-up and clean installation. So this will signal green when the system is functioning properly (charging)?

Yes, under normal charging i.e. anytime the bike is running, you should see a steady green light. When hooked up to the Battery Tender you will also see steady green. If you turn the ignition key on and start drawing from the battery before starting the engine you can see the colors change to indicate the drop in voltage at the battery. The various color/flashing indications that correspond to the different voltages are all listed in the documentation.

The usefulness of this monitor really starts when you've been watching it for a while and get to know when the lights change colors. If you have a GPS and your using your hand warmers, for example, you probably will see the light changing to amber when you come to a stop sign but those are the things you learn. It's when you start to see amber and red, etc. at times you aren't used to that might warn you that there's a problem.

 

[dr_rock_imp]

Thank you again!

 

[TINK_imp]

I'll have to try them next time.

I recently purchased a Signal Dynamic's Head's Up for my 2000 VFR.

I'm a little disappointed in that the voltage ranges they advertise for the lamp colors is not very accurate. It displays a lower voltage status than the actually voltage. For example; if the bike is idling at a stop light the voltage monitor lamp is Steady Red indication 12.1V - 12.6V, when in fact the voltage is someplace well north of 12.6v, according to my radar detector (which has a voltage display feature). I wrote to Signal Dynamic's about it in detail, but never heard back.

 

[Setchman_imp]

I did do a few voltage readings for the various light modes and found it to be pretty accurate. At least the readings I took fell within the parameters listed or were very close. Nothing was really far off. We're talking about 100th of a volt in most cases and I doubt my cheap Radio Shack voltmeter (although it is digital) is as accurate as the one the manufacturer uses to test his products.