Hitchcocks Forum

Hi all (and especially the electrickery wizards)... I have problems with my electrcals. Just performed the Bullet electrics test as our host has described it in the technical notes. The bike is a 2003 500cc Indian home market model (ac/dc), and I have some problems with my ignition (not the timing; just ignition) and blown bulbs at the taillight. It started with bad starting, so I thought it was time for a new battery, but my problems continued. Then I did the test. The alternator produced 45 Vac at half throttle, so this part should be fine. From the regulator/rectifier I had 11,64 Vdc at half throttle and it should be between 13 and 14,7 Vdc. This means something is not right. When measurring the output from the ac regulator I had 0 V. This also means something is wrong, and maybe my problems with the ignition are two faulty electrical components?... Will the cure be just to buy the two new parts? Should I go for a Boyer Powerbox? Or will the A Reg One solid state regulator/rectifier for a single phase 12V system do the job? I want simplicity and reliability; two things the Indian parts has not yet given me... all advice on every aspect of my electric misery are most welcome... Jacob

Hi guys---------- JTL, going by your results as printed both regulators are faulty..and I suspect that's where the blown rear bulbs are coming from ( did your headlights go really bright just recently ??)..........As the points ignition system is voltage sensitive then the partial failure of the regulator/rectifier would give the faulty ignition problems that you noticed.......To answer the question you posed ie}---- reliability and simplicity I personally would say}----YES, change the AC/DC system to the "normal" straight DC ignition and lighting idea, which draws power straight from the battery with the alternator charging-up on demand..To achieve this we need NORM to dig-out his conversion notes---(Hoo-ray for NORM !! ) plus YES, dump all that Indian poo-stuff and install a Boyer Power Box (for charging) and a Boyer Electronic ignition kit (for accuracy, economy, long-life etc)...As they say}------ FIT & FORGET...PS....Have I done this myself yet ??....er, well not JUST yet cos ov no £££££'s BUT, a little bit of recent serendipity means I will be in the New Year ----HONESTLY !!!

Hi Alan... In the spirit of simplicity and reliablility I know that wanting to keep the points might seem to be slightly old school, but they are simple and very easy to replace and only very seldom they cause any trouble. Therefore I will keep my points. At least for the time being. I also want to keep the ac/dc system because I don't know better. It works and only the busted ac regulator can go bad (which it eventually did after 20.000 km). The ac/dc system has a lot of wires going in all sorts of directions, and this is something to get confused by, but I'm slowly getting to know it and then re-wiring the entire thing step by step making it more simple and with better wires. The dc only system must have a lot of wires too, so why change a lot of wires with a lot of wires. The head light works fine with ac, so what are the advanteges with a dc only system? I guess if the bike was born with a dc only system, this would be my favorite. But for now it's the ac/dc. Electricity is really electrickery for me, so it has to simple to grasp... When the regulator/rectifier unit needs to be replaced only the Powerbox is recommended. How come other units, like ie. the A Reg One, is not suggested? Is it only the Powerbox that will suit the ac/dc system? I guess the two violet wire coming from the alternator are what makes it a single phase 12 volts system? And the other two wires feed the ac headlight system? I still have some way to go before I fully understand the electrics on my bike, but I'm learning... all the best Jacob

Hi Jacob If you are going to fit a Boyer I would suggest converting to a DC only system for simplicity, otherwise you are fitting an expensive Boyer rec/reg and still relying on an Indian AC regulator, but if you wish to stay with AC/DC I won't waste my time explaining it to you. Basically it only involves fitting a relay to the yellow wire coming from the alternator

Hi Jacob, just a little further info, what I dislike about the AC/DC setup is you are running 2 separate charging systems and as we all know 1 system is hard enough to keep going. Can anybody tell me of another bike from the modern era that runs 2 charging systems. Forget about some of the bizare 6 volt systems of the 40's/50's but a bike using an alternator

If you want to stick with the AC/DC system, how about doing this for the DC side:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Fit-a-J ... o-a-12v-A/
I'm sure I once read about a superior replacement for the AC regulator but I can't find the reference to it now.

If you want to stick with the AC/DC system, how about doing this for the DC side:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Fit-a-J ... o-a-12v-A/
I'm sure I once read about a superior replacement for the AC regulator but I can't find the reference to it now.

Hi guys---------- JTL, I bet you haven't done much night riding with that AC/DC set up ?? Or sat at traffic lights with your tail light getting dimmer and dimmer on idling speed ?? (SMIDSY scenario ??).... I can see your "point" about points (sorry !!)...With regards to the "Lots of wires" problem, well you would be using the same "lots of wires" to do the same job but in a much more efficient manner....The final set-up would be this}-----The alternator, via a modern powerbox (with combined regulator and rectifier).. feeds the battery, which in turn powers the whole of the electrical "consumers"--( electrical terminology for things like bulbs, H/T coil, horn, etc. )--Now that must surely be as simple as it gets ??

I've just been reading Norm's explanation of how to convert to DC lighting: http://www.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/fo ... post_62776
I'm quite interested in doing this myself at some point. Perhaps a Japanese (cheap as chips s/h) Reg/rec would handle the output? My grasp of electrics is fairly basic, so please bear with me on this. Does an earth have to be provided for the headlight from the orange wire connection? And what about the orange wire that goes to the starter cutout on ES models, does this become irrelevant? Thanks for any insights.

With apologies to Jacob for hijacking the post......