True, 19,000 rpm is enough to disintegrate some windings, but it is possible to change the sprockets, to lower the rpm of the alternator; I just don't know how much the revs could be lowered. Don't know where to obtain the sprockets either... The magneto for autos, that I know of, fits in the place of the distributor; but Honda Nighthawks are different and I know little about the spark genereating/ignition system. I never had any trouble with any of my bikes in that regard and I purchased every one of them used. I never even had a rectifier go bad, but I knew people who had. I changed the plugs and adjusted the valves, and the latter was a pain but not nearly as trying as doing a valve adjustment on a Porsche 911. My 550 Four never had alternator problems, just poor quality exhaust pipes. I wasn't about to spend $300 for a new exhaust system, so I just welded a VW resonator on the end of each pipe and that was fairly quiet. I would have to say a lot quieter and better sounding than the rusted out stock exhaust... Stanley
________________________________ From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Thursday, January 8, 2009 5:22:19 AM Subject: [Nighthawk Lovers] Re: Starting problems No bike, to my knowledge, had permanent magnets on the rotor in the early 1980 years. At that time, ferrite magnets, the only available ones in automative market, were too weak, and SmCo magnets were still to be used in high torque motors, like for aeronautic and space applications. SmCo magnets, the only ones which can whistand >100°C temperatures in a bike alternator housing, are now available at reasonnable prices. You are right, a magneto system is another solution as well, but needs to rebuild the whole alternator. I thought even to take the alternator of a Vtwin Ducati and adjust it to fit inside my NH housing. Unfortunately, it would rotate too fast (19 000 rpm) and probably explode. The solution that I propose is just a refitting on the rotor, keeping the existing rotor minus the excitation winding. I have a proposition of a chinese manufacturer for a rectifier/regulator at less than $10 ! Anyone interested in trying ? The challenge of getting a nighthawk with a REAL charging system - not a flawly designed one - doesn't find any echo ? I'm in the position now of making the efforts to make the thing, or sell this f... bike to somebody else. I suppose - laugh - that most of the nighthawks for sale are sold because owners are sick of the charging system. Except of course some lovers of this bike who never ride it with the headlamp on and/or in hot weather and/or in city jams. I came to understand that in the south hemisphere, there would be no problem. Interesting... could be due to the Coriolis force... or the hole in the ozon layer in the atmosphere... or the problem could perhaps be solved by wearing a shirt with a Honda patch... At 22:44 07/01/2009 -0800, stanley/ Randolph <[email protected]> wrote: >It seems to me that Honda would have been better off with a generator >instead of an alternator because it requires no juice from the battery to >produce electricity and it is already producing DC and needs no >conversion. Maybe there is a problem with too much heat for the magnets. >At one time Lawn Boy used an additional magnet in the flywheel to generate >extra juice to charge a battery pack which operated an electric starter... >So, a magneto system is another option as well. Used to be able to >purchase magneto systems for our cars, and maybe still can, but I don't know. >Engine would still run despite an electrical supply failure. Just no >lights at night after the battery gives its last... >just my thoughts on the subject. > >Stanley --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
