[roccitycafe]

bought this in rough shape a month or so ago, and am about 2 weeks away from being done

 

[66Sprint]

Cool Bodywork.....

But what's up with the tinfoil?

 

[Bird76Mojo]

Looks like a pretty nice top clamp too. Custom?

The exhaust meg is pretty sweet!

I too noticed that tin foil??


GB :mrgreen:

 

[HerrDeacon]

I'd say the tinfoil is just there to keep dirt out while the cover is off, as it stays in place pretty good.

Nice bike BTW, should look great when your complete.

 

[leethal]

Looks like we got us an "Alpha" 360

...great job mate.

 

[roccitycafe]

yeah, good eye on the tinfoil, it's to keep the metal dust from grinding bits of the frame from sticking to the magnets on the alternator (you know I did that after having to take apart the whole case cover and get all the little shavings off)

 

[roccitycafe]

almost done, i think i'm going to name this one the "phoenix" after it fell off my temporary bike stand (bucket) and crashed up the first tank, so the new tank is better anyway, and it should be done really soon, just scratching my head over how to redo the wiring

 

[66Sprint]

I've posted a minimalist wiring diagram....I could re-post or e-mail it to you... Steve

 

[mitchellsk]

That's beautiful man!

 

[roccitycafe]

figured out the wiring, went and designed a switch mode voltage regulator that doesn't short to ground like the stock one (realized they did this because the regulator itself needed a good deal of current to heat up the bimetal strip... amazing to think we went to the moon on that tech), so it should be more efficient and i could eliminate the funky headlight switch cutout business and just provide a max 15v to the system. went with a better rectifier too.

 

[Dirtbag]

How do you clean up the welds on the frame so nicely?

 

[66Sprint]

Hate to break it to you, but the regulator is solid state.... No bi-metallic strip... Honda even calls them "pointless regulators" which somehow always manages to bring me a laugh....
The only stock 360 component I know of with a bi-metallic strip is the turn-signal flasher relay... Steve

 

[roccitycafe]

hrmmmmm

does it still short to ground??? some know it alls on another forum were saying it did, which to me seems like a terrible idea to keep from overcharging a battery

 

[66Sprint]

Think of it as a "gated" diode or SCR.... Current flows normally to recharge the battery until the voltage exceeds a specific "trigger amount".....which "opens the gate" and the excess power "dumps out the gate" (is shunted to ground)..... This (micromomentary) Short to ground reduces the voltage (shutting the "gate") and normal recharging resumes...
The "trigger voltage" is somewhere around 13.7 to 14.2 Volts...... Any lesser voltage goes consistantly to the battery......All the regulator does is prevent EXCESSIVE overcharge from "cooking" the battery...
I hope this helps explain what's happening.........

 

[roccitycafe]

ok... so sounds like a large current zener diode really. modern pulse width modulation step down regulators might be a good solution, as they'd maintain the 14.7 volts by breaking the path to the alternator at about 20khz, my theory is that is would decrease (maybe not even noticeably) the drag on the alternator rotor

 

[66Sprint]

The only "drag" on the rotor is it's own weight and the magnetic pull as it passes each windings steel core.... This won't change without physical mods.....

 

[roccitycafe]

i thought the resistance of a rotor like that went up as the current drawn goes up...

 

[66Sprint]

The 360 rotor has no direct electrical connections... It is simply a revolving series of magnets with alternating North and South poles faced towards the Stator windings....
The Stator is comprised of six individual windings, Three wound CW and three wound CCW, oriented and connected in pairs so that each pair receives an induced "pulse" of electricity with the same momentary directionality...The next pair of magnetic poles to sweep past the pair has the opposite polarity, and generates an opposite "directional" pulse ( AC generator, commonly called an alternator due to the alternating polarity of the pulses).. The rectifier "sorts" those pulses and only allows DC to flow to the battery .....
The amount of electrical output is a factor of the number of windings, and turns in each coil, (which is a "space to fit them vs wire gauge scenario), the strength of the magnetic field, and the speed at which the magnets "wipe" past the windings, inducing pulses..... More speed (revs) means more voltage.....
Since the number of turns and wire gauge in each coil and the strength of the magnets remains the same, engine speed (revs) is the only variable...
If you are trying to eliminate or reduce ELECTRICAL resistance, rewinding the coils with thicker wire is the method, but the larger wire size will limit the number of turns that will "fit" in that limited space.... And less turns equals less output.....
There is a margin of "room" for this improvement (same number of turns, but slightly larger wire), but personally, I don't believe it worth the effort.... You are better off reducing the current draw by using LED bulbs, etc..... JMHO.... Steve

 

[roccitycafe]

ahhhhhhhhhh so it's only 2 phase... I was trying to figure out the wiring diagram for so long. I'm sure skipping a hamburger before i go riding would just about equal the performance gain of reducing the alternator drag anyway, so it's just my brain going into geek mode anyway.

 

[66Sprint]

No Problems.... My brain is stuck in the "What if" mode continuously......A good example is my "Breaking News" thread...
http://www.hondatwins.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=36&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=0

LOL... :lol: Steve