If you like our site, please consider joining our club!
By joining you will help ensure that we can continue to provide this service
JOIN HERE!

12 volt Conversion Comparison (New Post)

User avatar
c8h18
Posts: 99
Joined: Sun Oct 14, 2012 11:58 am
Location: Princeton, NJ, USA

Joel, a question

Post by c8h18 »

Joel,

Are you saying I should have left my charge light alone after doing the alternator conversion? I haven't had any issues since the conversion. Am I at risk ?

Thanks

User avatar
jrapose
Posts: 260
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 5:26 pm

I would use a 12 volt bulb

Post by jrapose »

I think I would change the bulb to a 12 volt bulb....Mottorad Eletrik (Rick) would know which one to use... it is the same as the /6 and later bikes use..... The 6 volt bulb would work until it burned out...it is just there for resistance...so the only time it is fully on is when the key is ON and the motor is not running....

Joel
Joel Rapose
Powerdynamo Importer USA
http://rapose.biz/

User avatar
stagewex
Posts: 460
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2014 8:18 am

I'm 12volt and that gen/alt lamp does still do its job

Post by stagewex »

I also have a 1969/2, US model. It was converted to 12volt by a previous owner but from the looks of it none of the wiring was changed... just the bulbs. The horn is the standard 6volt, it works fine.

Mine is a PowerDynamo system so not sure how that compares to the BM system. Mine can be turned back to 6volt by changing the bulbs and re-installing all the 6volt system stuff. It's all in a box and I'm not such a purist that I'd ever want to go back. Big advantages having 12 volt for GPS/Phone/etc as you know.
Oh, that red generator/alternator light on the top of the headlamp bucket. It works the same as any 6volt system would so I think that's something you'd still want to be functioning as designed. There already is a hi-beam indicator anyway next to the neutral light.
mike wex/stagewex
1969 BMW r60/2, US Model, 1995 BMW K75, 2006 Yamaha TW200, 2007 Ural Patrol, 1991 Honda XR250L

User avatar
Cliff
Posts: 55
Joined: Sat Dec 10, 2011 11:45 pm

Thanks stagewex, That is good

Post by Cliff »

Thanks stagewex,
That is good to know the light still works. How long have you been using the power dynamo? Have you had any problems?

User avatar
stagewex
Posts: 460
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2014 8:18 am

It was on the bike when I

Post by stagewex »

It was on the bike when I bought it last October. The seller never indicated to me anything about the bike being 12 volt and there is a 12volt AGM battery hidden in a dummy 6volt case so I never asked or guessed. But early on I was amazed how bright the lights were at night, even sitting at idle at a light. Better than some of my other bikes with 12 volt. Wasn't until I was flushing the fuel tank of some gas debris that I saw the whole system tucked neatly into and under the tank. Looked it up on-line and saw the cost... couldn't be happier. And now I knew why I had this giant box of parts, some of which are the old 6 volt system. I think this or the BM system is something I would have done myself if I was going to keep the bike long term anyway. The ability to go back is a big seller if you don't want to permanently modify the bike. Just seems to make it more practical if you really ride it.
I actually don't think the seller knew himself. The guy who owned it before him... I'm almost certain that owner converted it as well as changed a bunch of other stuff. I have spent some time and money changing it back to original, again mostly for the box of parts.
The guy I bought it from rode the bike 400 miles in 3 years of ownership (thus the bad gas... that's only 2 tankfuls in all that time). He was a rider however, buying and putting 3000 miles on a brand new HD while this Beemer was in the shop for 2 months.
So the BMW just wasn't his cup-of-tea.

No problems as of yet. Runs my smartphone gps (Waze) all the time when commuting. And theres not many 1969 anythings commuting that I can see. Planning on temporarily adding heated gear pigtail over the Winter. I keep it on a Battery Tender Plus (smart charger) all the time when it's sitting in the garage. When I plug it in by the time I out my helmet and gloves away the green light is already flashing and in less than 5 minutes it is at trickle (fully charged) mode. So the battery is being charged very well by the system.
At a very low idle the red light as I said might come on or at least flicker a bit. Like at a long stoplight.
mike wex/stagewex
1969 BMW r60/2, US Model, 1995 BMW K75, 2006 Yamaha TW200, 2007 Ural Patrol, 1991 Honda XR250L

User avatar
Cliff
Posts: 55
Joined: Sat Dec 10, 2011 11:45 pm

On its way from Germany

Post by Cliff »

I went ahead and purchased an alternator only kit from Powerdynamo in Germany. With the Euro at about par with the dollar it was very reasonable. The main reason I went with this kit is I wanted a brushless system and I wanted to keep the magantio ignition. I was expecting it to take a while to ship, the web site said 6 to 8 weeks but it shipped in 2 days via UPS to the US. It has already passed customs and should be here in the next few days. I will post some pictures of the install and report on my experience.

Post Reply