What's new
Honda Trail 125 Forum

Welcome to the Honda Trail 125 Forum! We are an enthusiast forum for the Trail 125, Hunter Cub, CT125 or whatever it's called in your country. Feel free to join up and help us build an information resources for this motorcycle. Register a free account today to become a member. Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Will the CT 125 electrical system support a Widder heated vest?

MisterB

Active member
Joined
Apr 8, 2022
Messages
168
Location
Monroe County, Ill
The value "60 watts" has been thrown around but I can't verify. There are a few threads about the charging system and accessories.
If you can find the rated current draw of the vest that may be a good starting point. If it's at or above that number the system may not be able to keep up.
For a big load like that you'll want to run off the battery with your own fuse as (to the best of my knowledge) we don't have much in the way of high-power accessory hookups on this bike.
If it drains the battery there's always the kick start.
 

SneakyDingo

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 6, 2021
Messages
1,560
The value "60 watts" has been thrown around but I can't verify. There are a few threads about the charging system and accessories.
If you can find the rated current draw of the vest that may be a good starting point. If it's at or above that number the system may not be able to keep up.
For a big load like that you'll want to run off the battery with your own fuse as (to the best of my knowledge) we don't have much in the way of high-power accessory hookups on this bike.
If it drains the battery there's always the kick start.
I found a site that said Widder rated their new vest at ~48W on the high end. If I had a lot of idling on my ride, like long periods of riding below 4000 RPM, I'd probably feel a little worried about battery levels dropping and want a voltage meter of some sort on the bike to keep an eye on it. IIRC 4000 RPM is ~10 mph in first and 28 mph in 4th on the stock configuration, and there's a few options for voltage monitoring.

Honda says if you're using something that has that high a current draw, you should be regularly trickle charging the bike to protect the battery so you don't end up with a flat battery, but as MisterB says, there's a kickstart and riding cold until you can charge the bike if you do end up draining the battery, and the kickstart is easy to use.
 

ShawninPA

New member
Joined
Dec 6, 2022
Messages
8
I ran 87 watts of heated gear for about 5 minutes so the CT can do it. I am told if you do it to much electronics overheat, can burn out. I have Warm & Save brand gear, run 11 watt glove liners (22watts) ran that with my jacket liner (65watts), so 87 watts, but only for a short time, no aparant harm. I have the "Heatroller", dual remote (velcro to my front brake resevoir), so I dont have to run anything full on, or run just the gloves, or just the jacket. Run the jacket at 1/2, gloves full on, thats 55 watts, under the "60" watt safe imit.

Still playing with it, love heated gear, I have riden in low twenties, as long as the roads aint slick, the suns shining, not to windy, Sunday morning with little traffic, hell yeah. Thats local on the CT. For a long haul in the cold and rain, my Shadow (miss my Vee). Heated liners for socks, pants, jacket and gloves. Balaclava under a full face Shark helmet. And if it rains, make sure to have plastic grocery bags handy. Over your socks before you pull on your boots, dry feet forever. I dont have the budget for super boots, if there is such a thing, wear Tourmaster boots, pants and jacket, good stuff. Oh, and carry a set of Frog Togs, pants and jacket se, a must have for rain, easy to carry and put on, good stuff. Nothing worse than a couple hundred miles from home and.....
 

SneakyDingo

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 6, 2021
Messages
1,560
I had a bad experience where my heated gear caught fire (improper installation from the previous owner on my V-Strom) so I'm very interested in more passive solutions nowadays :). Heated gear is great, but it trades one set of problems for another set of problems. Thankfully around here, with the pogies over the bars you can generally ride barehanded most of the year, comfortably with light gloves.

I love that most decent jackets nowadays have a tendency to have a small pocket somewhere on them, usually in the small of your back. I keep 2-3 folded plastic bags in that pocket. Subway footlong bags are pretty convenient for the ol' waterproofing trick, but they do make a Sealskinz sock that's waterproof for those who are less budget contentious. I'm sure other manufacturers have some equivalent version, but about 15 years ago they were pretty popular with cyclists who didn't want to buy winter shoes. I too love my Frog Togs are awesome, amazing value for the price point; I have some proper winter gear that's harder to use and heavier, but if I had to do it again (or when that gear wears out) I'll probably just keep buying replacement Frog Togs.
 

SLO

Active member
Joined
Nov 26, 2021
Messages
377
Location
meadowview virginia
I found a site that said Widder rated their new vest at ~48W on the high end. If I had a lot of idling on my ride, like long periods of riding below 4000 RPM, I'd probably feel a little worried about battery levels dropping and want a voltage meter of some sort on the bike to keep an eye on it. IIRC 4000 RPM is ~10 mph in first and 28 mph in 4th on the stock configuration, and there's a few options for voltage monitoring.

Honda says if you're using something that has that high a current draw, you should be regularly trickle charging the bike to protect the battery so you don't end up with a flat battery, but as MisterB says, there's a kickstart and riding cold until you can charge the bike if you do end up draining the battery, and the kickstart is easy to use.
A battery on the back rack would get it done,I mean how many hours are you gonna use it? That would be about 4 amps.
 

SneakyDingo

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 6, 2021
Messages
1,560
A battery on the back rack would get it done,I mean how many hours are you gonna use it? That would be about 4 amps.
Most portable battery packs are 2.4A @ 5V, because they're designed for USB. For USB-C that number jumps to 20W. You could potentially use multiple battery packs connected in series but... I don't really recommend that. 4A is quite a lot with respect to a battery pack.

IMO it's overcomplicating the issue. Yesterday morning was 20F when I started and 23F when I finished; I rode in wearing some light gloves and the pogies over the hands and my regular winter gear. The only difference I made to my regular gear was instead of wearing my neck buff around my neck, I pulled it over my head into a miniclava to give better neck protection. For my area, where it doesn't really hit these temperatures that often and they're pretty manageable, cold weather is a solvable problem with passive solutions.

20230130_160921741_iOS.jpg 20230130_160825075_iOS.jpg Still had ice on the bike when I got to work. Ignore those two other bikes, they haven't moved in over 3 months. The guy on the right needs a bolt extractor kit to remove one of the bolts on his bike due to crash damage.

20230130_161457000_iOS.png
 

SLO

Active member
Joined
Nov 26, 2021
Messages
377
Location
meadowview virginia
Most portable battery packs are 2.4A @ 5V, because they're designed for USB. For USB-C that number jumps to 20W. You could potentially use multiple battery packs connected in series but... I don't really recommend that. 4A is quite a lot with respect to a battery pack.

IMO it's overcomplicating the issue. Yesterday morning was 20F when I started and 23F when I finished; I rode in wearing some light gloves and the pogies over the hands and my regular winter gear. The only difference I made to my regular gear was instead of wearing my neck buff around my neck, I pulled it over my head into a miniclava to give better neck protection. For my area, where it doesn't really hit these temperatures that often and they're pretty manageable, cold weather is a solvable problem with passive solutions.

View attachment 4785 View attachment 4784 Still had ice on the bike when I got to work. Ignore those two other bikes, they haven't moved in over 3 months. The guy on the right needs a bolt extractor kit to remove one of the bolts on his bike due to crash damage.

View attachment 4786
I was thinking a lawn mower battery not hooked up to the electrical system on bike
 

oldskool

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 1, 2022
Messages
445
I was thinking a lawn mower battery not hooked up to the electrical system on bike
That seems like a smart way to address this. Why put undue stress on the little bike's electrical system? There is plenty of room in your crate and it is a cheap, reliable solution that will not harm the bike. You already should have a charger or two to keep the battery charged up.
 
Top