thinking about going with no battery T500- questions/ advice

[sbaugz]

I am thinking I might want to go without battery on my T500 street bike build. Going for a cafe style look and don't want to deal with battery placement. I have experimented with Lithium batteries on other bike builds such as Shorai or Ballistic and they don't seem to do well or last long with these old charging systems.

I am kicking around the idea of getting the powerdynamo ignition and going without battery. Looking for advice from people who have gone without battery. Pros/ Cons?
I am going to have a new aftermarket standard H4 headlight and an LED taillight. Might use some LED turn signals- or might not use any. No horn. probably no gauge lights. Do I need to run a capacitor or a little battery. On other bikes, I have heard of people using a small commercial fire alarm battery. Or can I go without these and simply run the lighting circuit off the alternator output?

[jabcb]

The stock voltage regulator on a T500 does a pretty meager job at controlling voltage. You shouldn’t use an AGM or lithium battery in the stock setup.

One option would be to use the stock alternator with a modern rectifier/regulator.
You can then use an AGM battery.
You can also then upgrade to a LED headlight, taillight & turn signals.
The LED headlight use about as much power as the dismal stock T500 headlight.

This upgrade would require an LED-compatible turn signal flasher & a change to the tach flasher bulb wiring.

[sbaugz]

I'm getting rid of the stock regulator amd rectifier for sure. I'd really like to go without battery, so I'm looking for advice from people that have gone without battery.

[Alan H]

Standard ignition does not work without a battery, so unless you get a self generating setup - about $700 ish - you have a big problem.

Look on ebay for 'GT500 race ignition system'.

[Zunspec4]

I have a Power Dynamo set-up for use on my Seeley T500 race bike:



It works well and is simple to install and set up. There is no provision for any lighting however, it's ignition only.

PD do a version for street bikes which includes a generating coil, but then you are back to needing a battery.

Cheers Geoff

[sbaugz]

According to the powerdynamo website, you do not need a battery for the street ignitin setup (with lights) either. And , it's only around $375 USD shipped when you order direct from
PD.
Still hoping to find someone on here who has done this (PD street setup with lights and no battery)

[Zunspec4]

Just had look on the PD website and the wiring diagram shows the circuit going to "existing electrical system" so assumed that included the battery. On the cct diagram for the GT500 it shows a "battery option" so running without a battery does indeed seem possible.

Cheers Geoff

[markush]

Hi!

If you want to stay with the original generator, it depends on its state, whether it provides enough power already at idle (approx 1000 rev/min) for the ignition, with and without light.
Some of these alternators do that, some do not. That depends on the rotor magnet.

This can be tested easily: Let the engine idle, and then disconnect the battery. If the engine continues, the power of the generator is sufficient at idle speed. Try it again with lights on.
If it continues without battery, don't rev it, to prevent bulbs from higher volts.

In any case the alternator supplies about 80 Watts from 4000 rev/min and only minimally more at higher speeds. Of these, the ignition needs about 30 Watts, there remain 50 Watts for lighting and battery loading. That is why 55/60Watt-H4-light is not possible in continuous operation, the battery is then no longer charged.

For operation without battery you need a controlled rectifier (from the accessories) and have to ensure the lighting burden is smaller then the said 50 Watts, otherwise there will be misfires at idle or when switching on the turn signal, etc.

It could work with light with somewhat raised idle speed, max. 35/35 Watt headlight and LED-Bulbs for all others. Probably it won't work with the Horn.

I have tested controllers at GT250-Generators, they are largely the same as in T500:
- "58090R" (Piaggio, Aprilia)
- "ZT-CN250" (from 4-stroke Honda "Helix 250" scooter, China replica)
Others of that kind will work, too.

see circuit diagram, bottom right: click