GM alternator

[Incubus]

I saw this posting on a SOHC Honda forum. Has anyone ever tried anything like this to address the inherent weakness of the XS electrical system?

Mounting a GM alternator on a Goldwing:

http://home.comcast.net/~rkekeis/Alternator/alternator.htm

Patrick

[Douglas Money]

You can take this one step further and change out the regulator with a self-exciting regulator. Then you have just the battery lead to hookup. Tap the gas and it starts charging all by itself.

[TomKat]

I'll be doing this conversion on my GL1200 in March. Not sure if it is plausible on the XS as there is not an exposed crank shaft to attach a drive pulley/ is there?

[rover]

I had considered putting a small auto type alternator on my XS. It would have to go on the right side. The XS alternator rotor would be removed, and a pulley installed on the crankshaft. Then the cover would have to be modified to allow a belt to go around the pulley and to the alternator. I am not sure if an alternator could be run in the opposite rotation, if not, then the alternator would have to protrude outward, with the belt and pulley to the engine side of the bike. All right for a trike or sidecar rig, but not so good for a solo bike. Brackets would have to be fashioned for the new alternator. I need to do a lot of research to get the alternator spinning at the recomended RPM. I was thinking about a japanese car alternator, I know some toyota tercels had small ones with built in regulators. So, if anyone with more resources than I would like to collaborate on a mod like this, PM or email me.
rovjer2005@yahoo.com Maybe we could work this out.

[HobbyMan]

check this out. All of this has been done succesfully. I am sure mathh might tell you what you need to know.

http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11686&perpage=15&pagenumber=1

[TopCatGr58]

Andrew,

Yes, Mathh did add one, but it was from another bike, and most of his mods are way beyond most of our budgets!!

Rover, I remember a thread a while back discussing this, some one stated that it didn't matter which direction they turned, the thing I was worried about was the cooling fins, they ARE directional, and when spinning backwards would not pull air INTO the alt, but away from it. Being on/near the motor would also contribute to exposure to some high temps, but not sure it they would be higher than the ones under a car hood in summer?
T.C.

[HobbyMan]

i have an alternator from my 88lincoln town car that spins the correct direction for the XS. If I sized it out right, I could do exactly wat he did. Here is what I would do: pull the existing alternator, fabricate an aluminum semi-oval plate that would bolt on to the crank case and have a mounting system for the alternator at the two foci. The alternator would be mounted the same way as mathh's bike. Then just put on the appropriate size pulley and a cover over the plate to conceal the belt and pully system, and there you go. A self contained charging unit. If I was really serious about trying this, I would come up with a new wiring harness with thicker gauge wire. Then If I had all of my high intensity lights on at idle, I could incorperate an electronic solenoid to increase the idle rpm as to not kill the engine. Maby I could just put a valve to increase the vacuum going to the ignition advance to up the rpm. This is all just a big wish list for me right now. Since my town car needs a new engine right now because of a timing chane slip, The alternator is sitting in the trunk. I could see it it would fit. Sometimes you can get some really good deals on rebuilt alternators. The place where I go to have mine rebuilt usually has some that have never been picked up or paid for.