Howie, the dead=dead start the bike thing is an issue. However, in the push-starting process, turning over the engine also means turning over the alternator, which generates electricity to juice up the ECM to make the EFI work. So if it's dead-dead, it's gonna take a pretty spirited push to make things happen, but it can happen.
See, here's where my first problem starts. If my knowledge of modern electrical systems is what I remember, a generator WILL create electricity with a "spirited" push. It's a purely mechanical current creator, but an alternator requires a voltage input before it can create a voltage output.
Now as for the overworking the alternator thing, just because it has a maximum amperage output rating, doesn't mean it will be happy working at its' maximum capacity for an extended period of time. And if the battery is in a very low state of charge, it will prompt the alternator to work extra hard to satisfy the battery's need, and the alternator will try its' hardest to satisfy that need. So if your battery is very low, it WILL force the alternator to work to its' maximum capacity, which the alternator will comply with...it just won't like it much. Does that answer your question??
Nah, not really. Again, if my concept of an alternator based charging system is faulty, forgive me, but if I recall, an alternator delivers maximum amperage all the time. It's just that the voltage regulator determines the load required by the battery and simply switches the output off when it's not needed. So if the battery is only slightly discharged and the voltage regulator determines a flow of current is needed, all 470 watts flows to the battery until the voltage feedback, determined by the state of charge of the battery, and measured by the voltage regulator, simply switches the alternator's output off. But it's still 470 watts, whether it's for 5 minutes, to top off the battery, or 2 hours, to completely charge an almost totally discharged battery.
Try this; lift a 75 lb weight over your head. I'm guessing you can probably do it. Now try holding this weight over your head for one minute. Let me know how that turns out.
Now you know how the alternator feels.
I don't think anthropomorphizing here is appropriate to the situation for a couple of reasons...first, I doubt I can get 75 lbs over my head -
- and isn't the charging output determined by engine speed, not current draw? So even if the battery is mostly toast, unless you're winding the hell out of the engine, the altnernator ain't putting out its max if your cruising down the road at 70/4,000rpm? My owner's manual says max output is 490 watts at 5000rpm, so unless you're running down the superslab in 4th gear, you're not maxing out your alternator anyway, regardless of the state of charge of the battery.
Finally, if you analyze the concept of "overworking" the alternator, are you referring to overworking it in a mechanical sense, as in the stator bearings are under a heavier load during a high demand state? Or are you speaking in an electrical sense, where the windings of the stator, the diodes, the voltage regulator internals, are only good for 490 watts, and constantly recharging a near-dead battery is running current through the components at the bleeding edge of failure due to current resistance and heat buildup?
Under either circumstance, I don't think there's additional strain. The alternator is under the same mechanical strain, rpms, whether it's charging or not. And I'd bet the failure load of the electrical components of the charging system are considerably higher than the 37 amps its capable of putting out. Having a 50 amp main fuse tells me that, so there's basically a 13 amp "cushion" if you will, between the potential failure level of the charging circuits electrical components, and it's actual output capabilities. That's a 172 watt margin of error.
If anything, I'd guess a nearly dead battery is
less demanding to the charging system than a fully charged one, since in a fully charged scenario, the mechanical components of the voltage regulator are constantly switching on-off-on-off-on-off as the battery goes from completely charged to slightly discharged, whereas the mostly dead battery will cause the regulator to remain in the switched on mode for a much longer period of time in order to charge the battery, thereby creating less mechanical wear and tear for the same given period of time the engine is running. Finally, if the switching is done electronically, through a transistor/diode pack, there isn't any mechanical wear at all, which makes any wear issue moot.
Damn this is fun.
