GT185 - Going batteryless?

All to do with wiring, charging or just trying to figure out whats gone wrong.

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panama
On the street
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Joined: Fri Sep 06, 2013 5:01 am
Country: Australia
Suzuki 2-Strokes: 1975 GT185

GT185 - Going batteryless?

Post by panama »

Hey all,
I've done some searching on the forums looking for more info on replacing the battery on my GT185 with a capacitor but haven't found much info relevant to the little 185.

I was hoping to replace the bulbs in my turn signals and brake light with led's, upgrade to an aftermarket regulator and run a capacitor instead of the battery.

Is there any reason why this setup would not work for the 185? The bike will be kick only and here in Australia we are not required to have the headlight running whenever the bike is running.

Also, are there any known aftermarket regulators suitable for the 185, I've seen the units suitable for the triples at http://www.oregonmotorcycleparts.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; but nothing for the 185.

Thanks,
Jarrad
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jabcb
Moto GP
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Suzuki 2-Strokes: 69 T350 thru 75 GT750
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Re: GT185 - Going batteryless?

Post by jabcb »

The GT185 does not have an alternator. It has a generator that also functions as a starter.

The generator has a field coil, so without a battery you will have no generator output.
Also, generators produce very little output at low rpm, so you need a battery at low rpm.

All of the products sold by Oregon Motorcycle Parts are for alternators, so none of them are suitable for the GT185.

I have not looked into it, but there may be a modern aftermarket voltage regulator intended for a vintage Triumph that might work on a GT185 if you eliminate the electric start function.

See the wiring diagram:
download/file.php?id=827
BAS (Bike Acquisition Syndrome) - too many bikes but have room for more

Suzuki:
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GT550 72 & 75
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Flywheel
On the main road
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Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2013 6:38 am
Country: USA
Suzuki 2-Strokes: 1974 GT185
Location: SW Pennsylvania

Re: GT185 - Going batteryless?

Post by Flywheel »

You're going to have to do some electronic prinicpal research here before you attempt this. Since the GT185 is strictly DC, the system requires a power source to energize it, otherwise the bike will not start. A capacitor may not have enough storage to do this. My opinion another option would be to research the charging system on a GT125, I'm fairly sure that's an AC system and the GT125 and GT185 share may parts. A swap may be possible.
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