12v Conversion Kit - Back to Classics

[Knutsonbm]

I have had it about five years, but never got around to doing much on it because I was overseas for a large portion of that. The previous owner had used this as a race bike, which is supported by the fact that every part that was still assembled on it was lock wired, and the bolts that were loose had holes drilled for lock wiring. Kick stand had been removed and it was run as a total loss battery system. I more or less received this as a crate of parts that I've slowly been assembling. No longer able to get in touch with the previous owner though unfortunately. Luckily my intent is not to restore something to original condition, rather build a nice looking cafe style bike, which a hodge podge of parts works nicely for as long as I can get it running well.

[DewCatTea-Bob]

[quote= Knutsonbm ...
" The previous owner had used this as a race bike, "

____ Most usually, racer-type owners prefer racing the R/T-engine with it's stock DESMO-head & wild-cam for racing on tracks with long-straights (especially without 1st.gear turns). _ So it's likely that after being done with racing, the R/T-motor's cyl.head was then swapped for the std.450-head that you ended-up with.
However otherwise, if the same cyl.head was installed on your 450 when it was being used for racing,, then it was either meant for racing on tight,twisty race-courses with lots of 1st.gear turns followed by short straights, (assuming it has the std.Scrambler-cam), or-else it has had a std.type cam installed that's more suited to rather regular ordinary racing-circuit conditions.
In any case, it certainly ought to be of interest to check-out what cam.model you have !
__ Did the previous-owner (who you directly-acquired your 450 from), also have any other DUKEs as well ?


____ Concerning your alt.stator's questionable condition, can you acquire an ohm-meter to check it's coil-winding circuits for proper operating resistances ?
__ Also, now that we definitely know that you don't have a 'Scrambler', but rather a collection of various Duke-model parts,, we can no-longer assume which type of stator you've got.
You may still have the R/T's original 4-pole mag.stator (and related points-cam) model, (or who knows what now),, so to be sure, it would be reasonably productive to post any pictures of the particular component versions you've ended-up with, (including a pic of your [uncertain version] ign.points-cam as well).
__ Previously I had assumed you had the '70-watt' 6-pole alt.version of w-c.Scrambler-models,, but now it's rather more likely that you actually have the '40-watt' alt/mag.model (with two separate power-coils), (which isn't really suited to normally power the 45w.headlight I had mentioned-of before).
Such 4-pole stator-coils are known to regularly turn dark-brown (and appear burnt-up) without any actual consequences to their functional-operations,, so yours may still be good-to-go, (since the '40-watt' stators were never used on any stock systems which employ a battery [that could possibly really burn-up a stator-coil] ).
__ After we've determined which stator-model you actually have, then I'll give you some ideas of what system-options are possible to accomplish with it.


Hopeful-Cheers,
DCT-Bob

[DewCatTea-Bob]

[quote= Nick ...
" I put the Electrex (12V) flywheel/stator/rectifier on my 250 and it works fine. "

____ Nick, does your Electrex-system include their electronic-ignition ? _ And if so, have you been keeping yourself continually familiar with the intensity of it's produced spark-quality since you first installed it ? _ And if so, has it shown any signs at all of gradually deteriorating towards a less robust ign.spark ?
__ Also, since you're such a consistent proponent of the Electrex-system,, it would seem you (more-so than most others), ought-to've had your ears perked whenever hearing-of any supposed tales concerning purported-claims of Electrex deficiencies. _ So if-so,, is the main-issue (concerning the prime-complaint with Electrex systems), having to do with merely-just the ignition-component alone, or their entire combined-system ?
__ (I'm just trying to determine if Electrex-systems may possibly have a common-problem with reliably powering their ignition-section, that actually warrants any consideration for alternate fix possibilities.)


Curious-Cheers,
-Bob

[Nick]

Hey Bob.

I'm still using points with the Electrex, mainly because I've always run points in my Ducs and have never had any problems with them.

Haven't ridden the bike all that much since installing the Elextrex stator/flywheel/rectifier, but it always fires right up and runs fine. I have a Triumph 650 and an old Honda 305 Dream that are my daily drivers, so these days I just take the Ducs out once in a while to blow the cobwebs out of them. (And no, I'm not rich.I bought all my bikes in non-running condition for cheap and fixed them myself.)

However, in celebration of Iannone's pole at Mugello the Diana will have to get an airing. If Ducati wins Mugello, that will call for a more elaborate ceremony!

[DewCatTea-Bob]

[quote= Nick ...
" I'm still using points with the Electrex, "

____ I'm left to gather now then, that you haven't heard-of any tales of developed deficiencies concerning any Electrex-systems. _ And I suppose that's reasonably understandable since you don't employ their electronic-ignition system, and there rather ought-not be any operating issues prone to develop with such charging-systems as they've produced.
__ So I'm coming-around to suspect that the floating tales of troubles with Electrex-systems have tended to loose track of which specific aspect most often fails,, and-so 'Electex' in general, unfairly earns a bad-rap rather than just the specific vulnerable component(s) that's within a particular Electrex-system section.
Assuming this reasoning is actually valid,, I've begun to deduce that the root-source of most-all supposed Electrex failures, rather originates within the employed/associated ign.coils (which apparently allow their high-tension voltage to leak back-down into the ign.system's [likely dedicated] relatively vulnerable power-coil within the alternator).
So most-logically assuming that the ign.system's power-coil has it's winding-circuit completely isolated from the rest of the alternator's charging-system winding-circuit, (as certainly must be),, then it ought-not be possible for the charging-system section (of Electrex combined-systems) to suffer any consequences (due-to such given-failures within the ign.system-section).
__ Too bad I don't know more about Electrex-systems !
Nick, does your particular Electrex charging-system include provisions for optional-connection of their electronic-ign.system as well ?


Enlightening-Cheers,
-Bob

[Nick]

"Nick, does your particular Electrex charging-system include provisions for optional-connection of their electronic-ign.system as well ? "

No idea, I installed it, it worked, I stopped thinking about it!

[flanker]

Bob, what do you mean by provisions? Aside from setting the timing the instructions are limited to basic instilation. Rob

[DewCatTea-Bob]

[quote= flanker ...
" Bob, what do you mean by provisions? "

____ Since Nick's installed Electrex-system functions as merely just a charging-system only, (without their electronic-ign.system),, I was left wondering if any of his Electrex supplied system-components possibly still also incorporate any unused optional connection-points related to the alt.stator-output, as well as whether any other such associated accommodating "provisions" (concerning the absent optional electronic-ign.system) also still exist as-well anyhow, (just in-case Nick might ever care to replace his points-setup with that option).
Otherwise if not, then I'd expect that his particular Electrex-alt.stator-unit possibly rather has all of it's power-coils totally dedicated for just the charging-system only, (without the single power-coil that's otherwise dedicated for just powering only the electronic-ign.system).
__ However it really doesn't seem worth-it for Electrex to produce two differing alt.stator-unit/models depending-on whether-or-not a customer might also choose to combine the associated electronic-ignition into the system as well. _ So I'm left to assume that perhaps Nick's alt.stator-unit may still include the odd power-coil, and that it's still available output happens to be ignored and left unused, (at the expense of slightly-lessened charging-power [which still, rather undesirably, must be shared to power his points-ign.system as well as the rest of his load-system]).
__ So the 'bottom-line' answer to your question,, is that the ign.power-coil and it's related circuitry-connections, would be the particular "provisions" which I was actually meaning to refer-to.
It seems only Nick harbors the answer, (but doesn't seem to care much).


Non-Enlightened Cheers,
DCT-Bob