[ascentofstan2]

So, im back with more stupid questions. ha. I see alot of bikes with no batteries, kick start only. Is this common and would this be a safe bet, or do batteries give you that added insurance your bike will start? (ps, i dont mind kick starting the damn thing, thats all i have ever done... for the two weeks ive had my bike-funny). I know its a race thing, but Im a minimalist and if i could get away with that I would be pumped.

David
doesnt know about batteries

 

[Geeto67]

total loss ignition systems are possible on a street bike but not all that practical. I am not sure the logistics of converting a cb450 to total loss but I'll give you something to consider:

1) your bike will be hard to start. most hondas are kick and electric start. you will be kick only without a battery and even then you have to build enough of an alternator charge (or charge the capacator enough) to fire the bike, which may take a couple of extra kicks.

2) your lights and signals will suffer. In the old days lighting was crappy, and motorcycles had better lights than cars. At stoplights, even with a battery the lights would dim and turn signals would be slow. For the signals and brake light you could switch to LEDs which are birghter and draw less current but for headlights the brightness will depend a lot on where you are in the RPM range. Most hondas don't begin charging the battery until 2000 rpm, so your light will be dim below that.


on the upside you don't have to own a battery tender, won't ever have to contend with a dead battery, and it saves a ton of extra weight when you ditch it and the starter.

 

[jbranson]

I've got no experience with one but there are "battery eliminators"...which from what I hear are just a large slow discharge capacitor that allow the alternator to do it's thing without a battery. If I'm not mistaken it's not possible to just remove the battery on most street bikes without something like a battery eliminator. The altenator/regulator/rectifier system all works together.

The other types of system are:
1. Total loss...remove everything except battery and ignition...wire battery directy to ignition via a toggle.

2. Gen/Mag ....permanent magnet flywheel with TWO stator coils...one supplies the ignition via a timed discharge, the other supplies power to lights (sometimes with a battery sometimes without....ala small Honda singles)

3. Mag - Mag/CDI... Magneto ignition...permanent magnet magneto provides high voltage power to spark plug. Mag/CDI permanent magnet magneto supplies power to Captive Discharge ignition. ( no battery...no nothing...like a chainsaw or dirt bike).

4. Weirdo Mag/Altenator..... OEM Altenator stators can with some work be rewound to act like a Gen/Mag setup. No battery required...may or may not work with lights...I don't know. There are instructions on the internet for doing this to various bikes. Others here know more about this than I do.

JohnnyB

 

[aaron]

I've run a battery eliminator and they work fine with points, but most electronic ignitions need a solid 12.5v at roughly 9amps to work.

Just to clarify total loss isn't running with out a battery, its to run with out a charging system (as Branson stated). So your electric start would work fine, just not after about 20minutes of riding.

Hondas have better lasting electrical then the British stuff from the factory. You could get away with a the elminator, but one thing I've realized is the battery works like a sponge. If your charging system puts out too much or too little the battery can suck this up, the battery eliminator can not. And yes as Geeto said, your electrics will suffer, especially if your your charging system is not efficient.

Aaron - Lucas Lover

 

[LiLBull]

I heard of guys running small scooter batterys recently and Geeto has mentioned gel batteries I havent investigated either.