Hitchcocks Forum

I recently got a new Continental GT which I have now put off the road for the winter. However, living in chilly Scotland, I would like to wire my heated waistcoat and gloves into the bikes battery when I bring the bike out next spring, does anyone know if the generator is up to this, preferably without having to switch the lights off?

It has a 3-phase alternator that is well up to running an extra pair of 55W-each spotlights with the headlamp, so yes, probably

Unhelpfully the EFI workshop manual doesn't specify the output of the alternator or how much current the ECU takes, so it's not possible to work out what spare capacity there actually is with or without the lights on. It's probably man enough for the job but given the need to maintain a strong cold cranking capacity in the battery so as not to precipitate sprag clutch issues I'd be careful about overloading the system.

The battery is 14Ah Fiamm on the C5 EFi but that alternator is bigger than anything previously put on a bullet. I thought I was going to have problems with the pair of Bosch car fanfare horns (same as Benz german taxi, loud!) that say they want a 30A fuse, but not. Didn't blow the standard fuse, so I did not bother adding a relay (CGT has twin horns?). See spot light kit 92110 which pulls 110W on top of the 60/55W headlamp.



Personally, my legs get cold, leather bike jeans, sorted. And my fingers can find winter nippy, might need thicker gloves or find my old gauntlets. I don't like freezing cold but I don't ride bikes on ice, I've got a 4x4 for that if necessary. I've been cold enough to get exposure but that was below -25°C, I didn't feel warm for about a week.