Jason Fletcher
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| posted on 5/11/08 at 02:49 PM |
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generator not man enough
Although the generator is charging, if I drive at night with the lights, wipers, heated screen and using the klictronic the thing wont start the
following morning. Is there a higher output generator available? Its a Busa by the way.
thanks
Jason
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 5/11/08 at 03:00 PM |
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not using the hot water from the engine for the heater? LEDs for the lights might help also.
Have you put a meter across the battery to see if it's actually charging when everythings on, just incase the battery is rubbish
[Edited on 5/11/08 by Mr Whippy]
Fame is when your old car is plastered all over the internet
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02GF74
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| posted on 5/11/08 at 03:00 PM |
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should have gone with a CEC!
I doubt there would be a larger generator, certainly not one for a sports bike. *** Had the donor been something like a gold wing
which would have stereo system, fridge, kitchen sink, plasma TV fitted as standard would have been ok.
Alternative is to look at reducing the current drain.
LED lamps.
Brighter head lamps that take less amps.
Ensure current generator is working fully.
Ensure recrtifier/regulator are cooled.
Esnure cables a big to carry the current with least loss.
Heated windscreen is gonna sap current big time, not many motorbikes have these fitted and I suspect replacing this by hot air will give you ghe best
benefit.
Otherwsie you are stuck - fit plug in side so you can recharge overnight.
What batery are you running with?
*** seems not so; how about
25%
more?
at http://www.ricksmotorsportelectrics.com/
[Edited on 5/11/08 by 02GF74]
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BenB
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| posted on 5/11/08 at 03:01 PM |
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Not to my knowledge!!!
Is it definately the alternator? It's worth checking the amps in the wire to the battery to make sure you're getting negative(!) charging
of the battery (ie battery draining).
Changing the lights to LEDs (where applicable) is a good option.
Otherwise ditching the heated screen and using the excess heat in the coolant system (ie a mini heater) is a good option.
Other option is to try and somehow fit an external alternator. I'm fitting a supercharger to my BEC so I'll have an extra crank pulley
anyway and one of the things I'm doing is fitting a bigger alternator....
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 5/11/08 at 03:18 PM |
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buy two of these kits and mount them on the wing brackets so they touch the front tyres
saved the day again... 
Fame is when your old car is plastered all over the internet
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britishtrident
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| posted on 5/11/08 at 03:35 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
buy two of these kits and mount them on the wing brackets so they touch the front tyres
saved the day again...
Memories --- used to a standard trick in Special Saloons & Modsport to get round the "must be fitted with a generator regulation".
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mcerd1
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| posted on 5/11/08 at 03:49 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
buy two of these kits and mount them on the wing brackets so they touch the front tyres
saved the day again...
...and when you stop your lights go out - so what you really want a pinto  
but seriously - any savings you can make in the demand like LED lights are a good idea
if you do it, get the right flasher relay for LED indicators (fitting the resistors is pointless)
on the other hand I know several people with Busa cars that don't apear to have a problem (no windscreens or electric heaters though)
so if your sure its all working right - how much current does all that kit actually use ?
If you've got the space I can't see whats stopping you fitting a small CEC type altenator and extra crank pulley (in a similar way to a
supercharger drive as above)
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l0rd
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| posted on 5/11/08 at 03:52 PM |
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Leds and all sounds ok. Fitting anothe alternator is a good idea< Won't he need a bigger battery though to hold the extra charge?
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Jason Fletcher
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| posted on 5/11/08 at 03:55 PM |
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For those with the sensible replies, yes I have checked things are working ok and they are and I have of course got an electric water pump sapping too
but no heater.
And for those with very funny but equally unhelpfull comments. I had thought of fitting a towbar and towing one of
these.
[Edited on 5/11/08 by Jason Fletcher]
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l0rd
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| posted on 5/11/08 at 04:00 PM |
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Too much effort fitting a two bar for that.
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l0rd
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| posted on 5/11/08 at 04:02 PM |
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What about solar panels?
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Guinness
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| posted on 5/11/08 at 04:07 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by l0rd
What about solar panels?
What, in front of the headlights?
Nice idea.
Mike
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jimgiblett
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| posted on 5/11/08 at 04:13 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Jason Fletcher
Although the generator is charging, if I drive at night with the lights, wipers, heated screen ....
You are making a big demand on a bike generator.
Heated Screen will be sapping the power 13-14amps. Do you need it on all the time or just on start up to clear.
Other than this I guess all the other bits are essential. You may be able to trim a bit here and there but it will be minor.
You could fit a larger battery or just plug in charger each night.
- Jim
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Jason Fletcher
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| posted on 5/11/08 at 04:13 PM |
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I thought Locost members were inteligent.. but with more and more rediculus suggestions I am starting to wonder...... It is obvious to anyone with
half a brain cell that a wind turbine strapped to the rollbar is the way to go.
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Jason Fletcher
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| posted on 5/11/08 at 04:29 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by jimgiblett
quote:
Originally posted by Jason Fletcher
Although the generator is charging, if I drive at night with the lights, wipers, heated screen ....
You are making a big demand on a bike generator.
Heated Screen will be sapping the power 13-14amps. Do you need it on all the time or just on start up to clear.
Other than this I guess all the other bits are essential. You may be able to trim a bit here and there but it will be minor.
You could fit a larger battery or just plug in charger each night.
- Jim
Hi Jim
I did not know the screen took that sort of power. I guess I'll have to be carefull how much I use it. I would like to know what the car is
drawing when all the things are running but my meter only goes to 10 amps so its dificult to measure properly.
Thanks
J
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BenB
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| posted on 5/11/08 at 04:48 PM |
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You can work it out if your multimeter has a volt setting by measuring the voltage drop across the main +ve supply cable. Then (if you've worked
out the resistance of the main supply cable) you can use I=V/R.
To work out the resistance of the main supply cable apply a measurable amount of load on the cable (eg without the engine running switch on the
headlights) to get about 10A (the more the merrier- check with your DVM). Then take the ampeter out of the circuit and measure the voltage drops
across the cable (ie put the DVM on volts, attach one lead to one end of the supply cable and one on the other).
Easy 
(even easier = buy a 30A ampeter )
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jimgiblett
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| posted on 5/11/08 at 07:53 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Jason Fletcher
quote:
Originally posted by jimgiblett
quote:
Originally posted by Jason Fletcher
Although the generator is charging, if I drive at night with the lights, wipers, heated screen ....
You are making a big demand on a bike generator.
Heated Screen will be sapping the power 13-14amps. Do you need it on all the time or just on start up to clear.
Other than this I guess all the other bits are essential. You may be able to trim a bit here and there but it will be minor.
You could fit a larger battery or just plug in charger each night.
- Jim
Hi Jim
I did not know the screen took that sort of power. I guess I'll have to be carefull how much I use it. I would like to know what the car is
drawing when all the things are running but my meter only goes to 10 amps so its dificult to measure properly.
Thanks
J
Thats what my friend's Fury screen with single filament takes. A Caterham screen may be slightly smaller but there isnt going to be much in it.
I think you can get twin filament ones which heat either driver or passenger sides or both which allows you to halve the current pull. Try Ricky Evans
Motorsport who makes heated screens.
- Jim
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Ivan
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| posted on 5/11/08 at 08:24 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
buy two of these kits and mount them on the wing brackets so they touch the front tyres
saved the day again...
I likwe your idea Mr W.
And if you feed current through them & reverse polarity you might just have a reverse gear.
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l0rd
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| posted on 5/11/08 at 10:13 PM |
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Not exactly perfect for reverse gear.
You could make a braket and fit a starter motor. I am sure you could use some sort of switch to regulate the power to turn it ?
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02GF74
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| posted on 6/11/08 at 08:40 AM |
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electric water pump too .... no wonder the poor generator is strugling. 
You've followed the linky to the uprated gen? From what I could tell. That is gonna set you back over $ 300 so although it will allow you to go
a bit further, it won't solve your problem.
[Edited on 6/11/08 by 02GF74]
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Jason Fletcher
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| posted on 6/11/08 at 11:17 AM |
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yes, had a look at that upgrade and I think it might be the way to go. All I have to do now is try and justifie another 200 quid on this locost build
of mine.
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lococost
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| posted on 8/11/08 at 08:58 AM |
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install a good connector and charge the battery overnight?
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Koss
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| posted on 9/11/08 at 10:11 PM |
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Not sure if you have seen these.
Clicky
Another way is to buy the pulley as used on the Rotrex super charger kits and use a car alternator.
On my race engine I am removing the flywheel all together, having a 1/2" alloy plate machined with an oil seal in the middle. A 70a car
alternator bolts to the plate and will be driven from a machined multi v belt pulley with machined slots for the cps.
There is quite a lot of room behind the cylinders on the sprocket side of the engine.
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