I will be off in the woods for 2 weeks without electricity or generator and want to use the bike charging system to recharge a 12v utility battery I use for lighting in camp.

My idea is to run the utility battery down to 11.0volts (while lighting at nite), then connect it to the bike battery during the 5 - 6 hours I would be riding during the next day. I am hoping it would come close to being fully recharged during that time.

Bike is a 1997 Explorer 400 4x4 with a new battery.

Anyone any idea how well this recharging would work and/or if this would damage the bike charge system??

I would try it first with no lites or accessories on. Also thought it would be good to allow both batteries to become kind of voltage balanced (battery leaching)before starting the bike to reduce the initial charging. load.

 

these bikes do not have great charging systems for running alot of acess. and trying to charge a battery. there more of a maintaining charge for the bike however you might be able to hook the battery in series to use both and keep it charged up. i wouldn't run it to flat and then try to charge it. imo

 

Why not buy/bring one of those cheap solar charging panels with you..
My buddy make a hyd. dump trailer and installed a battery under the frame and uses a small 10 inch by 24 inch(app) solar charger he pick up at the local Auto parts store for around $30.00
This way you can charge your battery all day when you don't need your camp lights on!!
......Caper............

 

From previous posts, I suspected there was not a lot of extra charging poop but thought I would at least get the equivalent of a trickle charge plus another 25 - 50 % which over 6 hours should give enough for my purposes.

Has anyone tried charging a second battery this way? ...with what results??

I don't understand how a series connection you suggest would work here; 2 12 volt batteries in series??

Thanks for responding!

 

In series the voltage would be 24V. I assume you mean parallel.

 

For a charge he must have meant Parallel.......Caper.............

 

Caper

Looked into solar panels but all calculations I saw, inexpensive panels would not recharge anywhere near enough.

Running 50 watt lite for 5 hours is 250watts. Inexpensive (<$100) solar panel gives 15 watts but with efficiencies to convert this to AC with inverter of 80%, I would need to run the panel at least 20 hours. Therefor 2 -3 days of good sun......which doesnt happen to often in late October in Quebec!
Wish solar would drop dramatically in price as I agree this would be the answer.

 

I thought you were using 12 lighting at the camp. Why are you using the AC inverter if it's just for lighting?
You must have other 120 volt stuff to plug in?
.....caper............

 

Caper

Used to use DC lites but with Compact Fluorescents (Spiral) bulbs I can get 3 or 4 times as much lite as with DC bulbs...and inverters are cheap for these power levels. e.g. 100 watt DC bulb = 26 watt spiral witk same lite output.....way more than enough to overcome inverter inefficincies.