Motorcycle Charging For HID (full wave conversion)

Installing High Intensity Discharge on a small motorcycle which utilizes the Half Wave charging system will surely have lots of problem when it comes to battery not being charge to the fullest when using HID. This kind of lighting system actually not common to users consume a lot of current from striking the bulb all the way up to where it stabilizes. Even the re-striking from momentarily turning off the HID SYSTEM consumes battery power.

How to compensate for the loss of charge when using HID system?...The answer, by converting the original half wave system into a full wave generator, by altering the winding of the generator inside the crankcase. Looking at the graph of each type below.

By analyzing each of the graph generated by such system, it is very obvious that the full wave 3P when rectified and filtered produces a clean stable dc, that is why many sportsbike and higher displacement machine uses this kind of system. But why do they not used this on smaller bikes like moped and scooters.

Probably because of COST and size of the system. that is why manufacturers, instead relied on the low cost smaller size half wave generator system for carbureted type small machines. We cannot denied the fact, low cost means limited function.

Fuel injected nowadays been incorporated to small bikes like Shogun FI, honda scoopy I, and almost but not all bikes in thailand uses FI uses the three phase system already, so fitting HID system is of no trouble.

But how about to carbureted type?

It can be done, again by changing and converting it to full wave system to generate a more stable dc that will charge the onboard battery and compensate the losses done by the HID system..

FURTHERMORE, never insist the half wave system is enough for hid installation. It is simply not enough even if upgrading to a larger battery capacity.

Disclaimer: I will not held responsible if something goes wrong upon using this conversion without enough knowledge of how the system works, and electrical / technical skills at hand.. BE ADVISED that this modification is not intended for beginner or first time doing it. 

Getting deeper.

Materials needed.

1. full wave rectifier / regulator (known as R / R too many) like this Full wave regulator 5 wire
2. soldering iron at least 50-100watts
3. high temp insulator tube  
4. OPTIONAL : New crankcase cover gasket (when returning the modified stator and placing the cover back to the engine) 
5. A digital or analog multimeter (tester too many)

IT is time to rock!!!

Remove the left crankcase cover to gain access on the stator

This stator is from a Suzuki SKYWAVE 125cc, same with shogun FD125XRM and Shogun FL125. There are three wire soldered to its connector base, find the ground by using a mutimeter set to OHMS , connect the black probe to the stator body and red probe to any of the three soldered wires.

The one with the lowest reading of the three is the wire connected directly to ground, with the highest being the end of the winding that will be used later, the last winding will not be used since it is the lighting coil output and will be disregarded all through out the procedure.

Remove the soldered wire to the stator body to FLOAT all windings...(all windings must not touch the body of the stator, full wave will have its own ground via the BRIDGE rectifier of the FULL wave regulator.)

With the ground wire desoldered from its original position, insert the high temperature tube and solder the wire removed from the lighting coil..

FOR SHOGUN its the yellow wire with white strip.

For other brand..please follow your wiring diagram.

what we trying to do here is getting the two end of the stator winding and removing the GROUND from the stator body as shown on the illustration.


when done, first is first..check for continuity and resistance of the whole winding before returning back the cover to ensure everything done is OK!!

Getting ready to wire the regulator from the modified generator

It is very difficult to know if the purchased R/R is a half wave or full wave if check only by appearance although manufacturers uses color coded wire like the photo shown, perhaps by using a diode tester (multimeters) and check every wire, we might be able to distinguished them. As i had told you, there are 4 pin and 5pin full wave available out in the market. If in a way you find such like as shown then probability is they are the same.



By following the color of the wires

1. Green -- ground
2. Red    -- to battery positive line
3. Yellow -- to charging coil (any of the two winding out from the stator)
4. Pink --- to charging coil (interchangeable with yellow)
5. Black --- To after ignition key switch

TESTING

To be sure and safe, for this test use appropriate FUSE  within the positive line going to the battery. its the last line of defense when it comes to possible wrong connection.

Disconnect all loads from the battery, if you have access to another way of supplying your CD ignition then do so..because we have to start the engine to perform TEST. with the help of the multimeter set to DC voltage. tap it to the battery that is connected to the regulator..

GREEN to black probe
RED to red probe

check voltage....you are reading the battery voltage, on the ignition key and take a look at value, after turning on the key engine OFF, the voltage must not be dropping and stay close to the initial reading.

kick the KICK starter, and stay it at idle, monitor the voltage. READING must now be moving up possible to 13 volts or 14 volts..(depends on the condition of the battery)..

SLOWLY REV the engine while monitoring the voltage reading of the tester.....

as you are revving the engine..voltage must stay close to 15 volts not over 16 volts (overcharging threshold of lead acid battery)..

if all test performed are ok with regulator not to temperature....PUT a load on the battery such as your HID installed...then start the SAME TEST again...

at first when you turn on the High intensity discharge system..at IDLE the voltage must not be dropping and will stay close to 12-13 volts..

if it is, then the system is already working..By looking at the graph above..FULL wave due to the better DC filtering, at idle or low rpm still charging the battery unlike the HALF wave where in the dc is fluctuating.

Full wave also has a better shunting than half wave to the configuration of the rectifying diodes.


NOW u can enjoy your HID system, just make sure you are responsible enough to stoop down the beam for others. happy motoring.



NOTE: since the lighting coil is disconnected and no longer used, all that was connected before will be redirected to the battery being battery operated.

UPDATED

For the full schematic diagram of the regulator on this article, you can visit this link

FULL WAVE REGULATOR SCHEMATIC

VIDEO of this conversion. (many thanks to Thiago Ken Fuzita)

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