Rectifier/alternator xs400

[Shane]

Hi everyone I'm Shane..i live in mandurah western Australia. I don't have a motorbike as such but a buggy with an xs400 motor. I don't use it alot, maybe a few hours a month. My question is..Is the magneto/alternators sole purpose to charge up the battery? Does it have any other purpose? I wanted to run a battery bank instead to keep 12v..that grommet where the magneto wires go through at the bottom of cover is always leaking and I want it gone if possible.. Only electrics I I I have are led bar lights and starter motor. Cheers for any help provided..great site.. Thanks

 

[Narratis]

Yeah I'm pretty sure that's all it does, charge the battery and power the circuit. So yes, you could take it off.
As a bonus you'd have (somewhat) increased power output since the engine won't have the extra resistance of the alternator.
I'm not 100% sure what that chain does, but If you could lose that too, that's another few fractions of bonus energy

 

[BBS360]

Seems kind of goofy to say the alternator "only" charges the battery. There's no separation between powering the bike and charging the battery.
Without the alternator keeping the battery voltage high you won't run the motor for long, especially if you're using the electric start.

When you say battery bank, how many batteries are you planning to use? With enough capacity you'd be all right for a while.

 

[Narratis]

Without the alternator keeping the battery voltage high you won't run the motor for long, especially if you're using the electric start.
When you say battery bank, how many batteries are you planning to use? With enough capacity you'd be all right for a while.

Was gonna say the same thing, but then I got lazy

 

[NewHavenMike]

It doesnt make sense to remove anything. With extra batteries, you will add a ton of weight and take up space. What happens when you roll over and you have a heap of batteries on top of you leaking acid?

Theres ways to essentially remove the battery and just have a small capacitor. I have not read into this, theres also small batteries you can buy that will be enough to kick start and run lights.

You do have options, One of which is to clean all that mess up around the coil and get the gasket surfaces clean. Then you could put a nice clean bead of sealer there.

 

[Shane]

It doesnt make sense to remove anything. With extra batteries, you will add a ton of weight and take up space. What happens when you roll over and you have a heap of batteries on top of you leaking acid?

Theres ways to essentially remove the battery and just have a small capacitor. I have not read into this, theres also small batteries you can buy that will be enough to kick start and run lights.

You do have options, One of which is to clean all that mess up around the coil and get the gasket surfaces clean. Then you could put a nice clean bead of sealer there.

Hi mate.. The alternator has never worked.. In the years I've had it and it runs fine.. Was just wondering if it was needed there at all.. Batteries are in a aluminium box..im looking at a different option to charge the batteries.. One that could be more efficient than the original

 

[Shane]

Hi mate.. The alternator has never worked.. In the years I've had it and it runs fine.. Was just wondering if it was needed there at all.. Batteries are in a aluminium box..im looking at a different option to charge the batteries.. One that could be more efficient than the original

And the motor is on one side of my buggy.. The batteries would aid in some balance

 

[NewHavenMike]

I think there was a conversion from a banshee or some other Yamaha quad that enables you to run with no battery at all... I'm am unable to research at the moment but I thought I saw this out there.

 

[Shane]

I think there was a conversion from a banshee or some other Yamaha quad that enables you to run with no battery at all... I'm am unable to research at the moment but I thought I saw this out there.

I have no kick-start on my buggy..it does have a starter motor in which I do need a battery..all I'm really wondering is if the alternators sole purpose was to charge the battery and not for any other purpose. I'm looking at putting a pulley on the back cog to run a belt driven alternator out of a car to charge battery.. Thanks for your input though.. Has opened my eyes to other ideas

 

[BBS360]

Yeah, functionally you'll only lose the ability to charge the battery.

If you remove the rotor you'll lose the timing marks. Could always pop it back in if you feel the need to check timing.
The engine will rev up faster without the rotors weight.

 

[Shane]

Thanks mate.. All I needed to know. Ive put a 15t front sprocket on the front for it to rev harder through the gears..i dont need top speed as i use it on dirt tracks etc..if the pulley idea doesnt work to charge battery.. ill be using a battery of 200ah . At the most ill drive it for 3 hours..in which i can take a spare charged battery if i need to. Im trying to simplify things as it takes weeks to months to get spare parts to australia