Understanding the electrical side of things

[Guest]

I think I do fairly well understanding the mechanical side of things, usually can figure out how things work as I look at them. The electrical side is completely different, I can splice and get wiring where it needs to go but I don't fully undertand everything.

So what I'm asking is there any place I should look for some good information on how everytuing works, I've glanced over bikecliffs site a few times but I need to thoroughly read it. Is there anything else I should Read?

[JTGS850GL]

Try this:

http://www.leonics.com/support/article2_2j/articles2_2j_en.php

[Cyrano]

I'll start you off with a battery tip. A good battery cell will hold 2.1 volts. No matter how big or small it is, you'll get 2.1 volts. Therefore a GS battery with 6 cells will provide 12.6 volts. (bikes with a 6v system have a battery with 3 cells). When a battery starts to fail it is usually one cell at a time.

The Alternator provides plenty of AC volts (too much for the DC battery) so it passes through a rectifier to convert it to DC and a regulator to limit it to around 14.5 volts.

After that it's pretty straight forward, just routing the power to where you want it to go with a few relays and fuses in the way for protection. (The ignition coils are for another day).

That concludes my lesson for today. Hope this helps and just ask if you have any particular areas you need help with.

[Slycox]

I'll start you off with a battery tip. A good battery cell will hold 2.1 volts. No matter how big or small it is, you'll get 2.1 volts. Therefore a GS battery with 6 cells will provide 12.6 volts. (bikes with a 6v system have a battery with 3 cells). When a battery starts to fail it is usually one cell at a time.

The Alternator provides plenty of AC volts (too much for the DC battery) so it passes through a rectifier to convert it to DC and a regulator to limit it to around 14.5 volts.

After that it's pretty straight forward, just routing the power to where you want it to go with a few relays and fuses in the way for protection. (The ignition coils are for another day).

That concludes my lesson for today. Hope this helps and just ask if you have any particular areas you need help with.

So the alternator creates AC which goes to the r/r and into the battery. I read elsewhere the lights and such were run off AC, but the way you explained it, makes it seem that it goes from the battery to the lights?

[OldVet66]

Download the chart on the bottom left of this window, it includes your wiring diagram: https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=2370b...2DDF9F0C6B!177

[OldVet66]

So the alternator creates AC which goes to the r/r and into the battery. I read elsewhere the lights and such were run off AC, but the way you explained it, makes it seem that it goes from the battery to the lights?

No, the ac is converted to DC through the rectifier or rectifier part of the R/R if it is a combined unit. Everything on the bike uses 12v DC from the battery that is charged by the R/R.

[Slycox]

No, the ac is converted to DC through the rectifier or rectifier part of the R/R if it is a combined unit. Everything on the bike uses 12v DC.

That was my original understanding till I read that article which got me thinkin about this.

[posplayr]

for UJM specific information you can read the various links in the second line of my signature.

[Slycox]

for UJM specific information you can read the various links in the second line of my signature.

Thanks again, those links were a huge help! I'm just trying to grasp what I can since there's not much I can do outside now.

[Cyrano]

So the alternator creates AC which goes to the r/r and into the battery. I read elsewhere the lights and such were run off AC, but the way you explained it, makes it seem that it goes from the battery to the lights?

When you turn you ignition switch on the dash lights come on and the headlight and brake lights all work (without the engine running) using 12v from the battery.

When the bike is running, it is basically using the electricity made from the alternator (once it has been rectified and regulated into 12-14v) with any surplus going to charge the battery.

Hence if you add more lights, horns, radios, heated grips, coffee makers etc. there will come a point where it uses all the generated 12v plus drawing extra from the battery which will come as a disappointment the next time you come to start it.

Once your alternator fails you're running on battery power alone and this doesn't last long. Once the reg/rec fails, the battery over/under charges and then that fails.


Right then, starter motors. They use 12v but draw a heavy current (lots of amps) which need heavy gauge wiring to carry the load. You may have noticed that your starter button on the handlebars is a skinny wire and you wouldn't want a starter motor wire passing through your switchgear. The starter motor is connected to your battery via a relay switch. When you press your starter button this activates the relay switch and allows lots of current to the starter motor. When the engine is running and you let go of the button, it deactivates the relay and stops the current flow to the starter motor.

It was going to sound really odd if I said 'it stops the starter'.

I'm enjoying this.

[Slycox]

I kinda always knew adding more would eventually bite you in the 4th point of contact. I believe that us one of the issues I'll have to deal with on my dad's bike.

Thanks for the explanation, I am enjoying picking the brain of those smarter than I.

[posplayr]

With a Series R/R you can easily gain back power by switching to LED lighting. Typically current savings are shown below:

Headlamp 5 amps average 10 amps peak ===> 1.5 amps average (e.g. AV Monster H4 LED replacement)
Blinkers and Tail lights 5 amps average 10 amps peak ====> less than 0.125 amps peak
Those savings alone are worth 8 amps average draw.

If you try this with a SHUNt R?R you will quickly burn up your stator and R/R as it will be shunting all of the time.

[Slycox]

And the difference between the series and shunt type is that a series shuts off when no more power is needed and a shunt continues to accept power yet puts it into the ground?

[Grimly]

And the difference between the series and shunt type is that a series shuts off when no more power is needed and a shunt continues to accept power yet puts it into the ground?

In essence, yes. With this important difference - there isn't a ground on the alternator/generator for a return. The shunt type shoves the un-needed electrons back through the windings of the alternator (it's a three phase, so when one bit is going up another bit is going down and a third bit is wobbling up/down around). It's this shunting of the electrons back into the windings that causes the problems, as they add to the heat the stator is already suffering from the engine, and eventually something gives out, when the imperfect insulation breaks down thermally or electrically.

[posplayr]

As grimly describes the current in the stator is shorted back to another stator winding. The short occurs at the ground but current has to follow a circuit and can't just be dumped. The gs1100e manuals describe this well ith diagrams showing the flows