Forum

[p]

350 classic 2001. As you will realise, I'm no electronics expert, but I am just about to try doing away with my battery to substitute a 10000mf 63v aluminium capacitor....... I presume I connect battery wires to capacitor as per neg to neg and pos to pos,irrespective of frame polarity, I don't want to get it wrong as I understand that they can explode! Any easy way to double check capacitor polarity? (one connection looks to have a "hatched" rivet and the other plain - is this some secret code among the fraternity ??)
Is there a downside to doing this - excepting the loss of lights when engine stalls? I wondered if cap could discharge through any components and damage them?
If you've done it I would love some reassurance! Thanks.

[John R]

Snidal's manual is pretty good on this. Basically, he recommends simply wiring the capacitor between any point in the low tension wiring which is on whenever the ignition is on, and earth.
I bought a capacitor and meant to try it, but I ended up buying a Powerbox which is a regulator/rectifier with a capacitor built in. It will start the bike with a flat battery - but not so well as with a charged one.

[tribonnie]

STOP, DONT DO IT, STEP AWAY FROM THE BIKE AND PUT THAT CAPACITOR DOWN

Bit like lighting the blue touch paper just to see what happens.

Firstly, your voltage regulator is rated at about 16 volts DC (probably 16 Indian volts to)so it you were to ever charge up this capacitor it would melt the regulator.

Secondly I suspect you will spend hours kickstarting the bike in a vain attempt to get enough volts into this thing to fire the ignition.

Couple of options. Lucas used a 2MC cap which is around 4500 mfd and 30 volts. Used this on the Energy Transfer ignition with Zener diode as the regulator. Competition bikes ran without a batery and on road bikes it was a get you started system if the battery was flat. Lucas 2MC capacitors are about but beware of New Old Stock as they do have a shelf life, some say as little as a couple of years.

Other option is a Boyer Powerbox type of product which will enable you to run without a battery.

Or, look for the corectly rated capacitor with clear polorisation markings and give it a go with both your positive and negative wiring fused at about 15 amps. Also keep the fire extinguisher handy and probably best to do it when the wife and kids are away, just in case.

Richard

[Beezabryan]

If it ain't broke don't try mending it, all the more so when you really do not know how you're going to "mend " it

[John M]

I have a Bullet with the Indian 3-wire alternator,a modern regulator rectifier, a Eureka electronic ignition as fitted by the factory to later bikes and a very knackered battery. I was struggling to get it to run at all without being connected to a battery charger so fitted a Lucas 2MC (copy) capacitor as sold by Hithcocks. PART No.:LU/54170009. I simply wired the capacitor red wire to red wire and black wire to black wire at the electronic ignition unit. Fitting this capacitor transformed the bike and it now starts as easily as it would with a well charged battery.

A friend has a negative earth BSA B40 with a Lucas 3-wire alternator, an old selenium plate rectifier, zenner diode, Boyer type electronic ignition, no battery and a Lucas 2MC (copy) capacitor. This has run without fault for years.

Running with a battery would help if you are using the lights a lot, but for normal daylight use you should have no problems at all.