Lithium battery?

[oldnortonrider]

Okay, I do know that it's AC voltage that's created with the ALTernator, and that most are in 3 phases to help smooth out the pulses to try to get close to a linear type output when it's RECTIFIED into DC.

As to Harley's output, that is quite a lot, but then it only goes to 3-4k rpm. The XS can go to 7+k rpm, so I can see that there's potential for some seriously high voltage and current output when the field coil would be fully energized! That would also be alot of current to SHUNT to ground.

The Mini race alt I have turns on around 800 rpm, it's a permanent magnet design, and shows the amp production increases to it's maximum around 5k rpm. It does have a built in R/R and just 1 wire output to the battery.

Well, I think this has been a good discussion about the quality of our charging system components and it's differentiation with the permanent magnet types of other bikes.

T.C.

I wonder what kind of mod that Shappers might have done to his XS11 charging system. I'd bet he did something that would qualify as major upgrade. I see he's not been on here in about 2&half years. He's fairly regular on the UK XS forum.

[daveyg]

If you add the right oil to the R/R it won't heat up so much, but then what is the right oil?

OH NO! Another thread about the right oil!!! DAMHKID?!$&whathaveistarted?!

I thought this thread had gone off to die the quiet death of an interwebs site gone unpaid, but here it is again?! I am extremely tempted to slap on a car alternator and tiny bike battery too at this point. If running a car alt, which being regulated internally to not overvolt/overcharge the battery, would it then be safe to use one of the lithium batteries?

Oh crap, here we go again...

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Davey,

You mean like this!



I just reviewed the stats/specs on my Mini Race Alt....as you can see the voltage is set a bit high...~14.90, so I think it would be too high for a lithium!



So....you might need a special circuit to keep the charging voltage from going too high no matter which system or regulator you use!

T.C.

[daveyg]

Exactly like that! Or I was thinking maybe a very small automotive unit. That thing is pretty tiny, but next time I'm at the local junkyard I'll take a tape measure and run around a few different cars to see what I can find. If you changed the pulley sizes around maybe you could "tune" it to never go over 12v at redline... But then it probably wouldn't make 12v until halfway up the revs either. I'd be very tempted to pay for a small digital voltmeter to have you wire it in and get me some real bike specific numbers on your setup, see if it ever goes up to 14.9 or if it's paper is just exaggerating slightly. Seems like that would greatly simplify the charging system, and probably not add back much, if any weight. (That factory rotor and stator is a bear!) and it also shouldn't change the parasitic loss to the engine much, if any, either. Hmmm... Time to go junkyard hoppin and then off to the metal recyclers to find a piece of plate...

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Davey,

Here's the Megathread on this project!

http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread...ht=alternative

I have a cheap voltmeter on the dash, but it's just led lights at the whole volt indicator marks. It does run around 14 volts, but does drop a bit when I have the AUX lights on!! But the gauge isn't that accurate, so I can't tell if it's gone much to the 14.5 to 15.0 volt range. I got it mostly to show me that it's at least providing the charge needed to keep the battery going, and not at the 12 or less discharge level!

I took some more accurate voltage meter readings while it was running, but just on the centerstand, see the photos in the thread...which I still need to make into a TECH TIP!

The other option that was discussed was trying to fit the center rotor shaft onto the cranshaft so that a newer style ALT asembly could be mounted to the engine where the OEM one is but the problem of securing the ALT housing, actually affixing the alt rotor/shaft to the crankshaft was problematic. The pulley/belt seemed the easier mounting and isolation technique, same size pulleys kept the tach signal the same and the alt within the RPM range for both optimum output without going overboard on the rpm's into the 10k+ range!

T.C.

[James England]

I have just put a lithium battery on my XJR1300. Stock battery weighed over 9 pounds. The lithium weighs just over 2 pounds and is tiny! It works better than the stock one. Faster starting. No problems whatsoever. Id recommend them.......

Ive been 'off line' for a while guys but havent forgotten you all!!! Had a few issues. Now resolved so......hope I'm welcome back to the fold. Heres the XJR these days... I just replaced every single fastener with TITANIUM..... a huge saving in weight!

Wheels are forged alloy Galespeed...almost 50% lighter than stock......

[oldnortonrider]

I have just put a lithium battery on my XJR1300. Stock battery weighed over 9 pounds. The lithium weighs just over 2 pounds and is tiny! It works better than the stock one. Faster starting. No problems whatsoever. Id recommend them.......

Ive been 'off line' for a while guys but havent forgotten you all!!! Had a few issues. Now resolved so......hope I'm welcome back to the fold. Heres the XJR these days... I just replaced every single fastener with TITANIUM..... a huge saving in weight!

Wheels are forged alloy Galespeed...almost 50% lighter than stock......

I'm wondering if the lithium battery may be more compatible with the XJR's
charging system (than the XS11)~~ being as the stator, field coil, and R/R (rectifier and regulator) setup (on the XJR) is different ~~ in fact, even being Mofset technology compatible?

[T99Ford]

I think this is getting over thought a bit. A field current regulated charging system should be infinitely more desirable than a shunted fixed rate system. I suppose the fixed este systems are used because they are light, simple, and cheap.

I would stake the cost of a lithium iron phosphate battery that you could drop one in the xs11, with no other changes, and it would work just fine. Most of the confusion here was over my assumption that the xs11 used a shunt type regulator like the xs650 does, in which case the MOSFET regulator would have been an improvement. As it is, I think the 11's stock system is regulated in a superior way, and will work with the lightweight battery just fine.

I don't have an 11 to try it on, though...

[daveyg]

Hmmm... Maybe I will buy one then. Along with a large gauge quick disconnect plug... And a small fire extinguisher... And try it out, see if it works!

[jwhughes3]

Ive been 'off line' for a while guys but havent forgotten you all!!! Had a few issues. Now resolved so......hope I'm welcome back to the fold.

Welcome back James...was beginning to wonder what happened to you. Glad Newgate is behind you :O !

XJR is looking sweet. I can see why its siren song stole you away from the XS. Like a hot, sexy, new secretary - easy to spend time and money on because she makes you feel younger and more powerful. But coming home to the old XS girl somehow "feels right" and makes you happy inside. Time for another XS my friend.

John

[clcorbin]

That is a nice bike! I'm kind of pissed that it isn't available in the US!

[T99Ford]

Hmmm... Maybe I will buy one then. Along with a large gauge quick disconnect plug... And a small fire extinguisher... And try it out, see if it works!

Atta boy!