My bike is a '91 610 with no battery. It runs off a Magneto, and when the magneto works, it's great, but I'd like to figure out how to run a NiCad battery or something so I can run LED lighting on it. Does anybody know of a wiring diagram for adding a battery to a bike which didn't have one originally? It doesn't much matter if I cut up the wiring harness, since it's already been cut up a few times by some real monkey fisters. Even if there's no wiring diagram, I'd like to know whether to wire in the battery before or after the RR, and whether I should wire it into the harness entirely or ground the negative lead.
I JUST did this with my '83 250 WR: Battery, head/tail/brake lights, blinkers, horn, all running off DC, and it's working GREAT. Here's the basic schematic that made it work in my head: http://www.bajadesigns.com/2005 Web Site/PDF Files/BATREG3.pdf First thing you've got to do is see if your stock magneto output is grounded through the frame, or isolated from the frame. You can only have EITHER the AC OR the DC system grounded through the frame. It doesn't change the end result much, but it does change how you wire it to get there. Mine ended up like the lower diagram in that link. I used a stock AC voltage regulator and a $3.00 Radio Shack full-wave rectifier #276-1185. Happy to answer any questions I can.
Hey, Picklito. I am going to try and plate my WR300. Did you use any relays for your lights and/or horn?
I used the Baja Designs handlebar switch and flasher. Stock Husky AC voltage regulator (the square metal box with yellow wire which they and KTM used for YEARS, and which is available through Parts unlimited, Tucker Rocky, MSR, etc...). No relays for the lights because I'm just using 35w halogens. Basic idea: 1. AC from magneto to AC regulator. (my AC is grounded through the frame) 2. Regulated AC supply to Radio Shack rectifier. (other side of AC/rectifier grounded to frame) 3. DC output from rectifier to battery. (my DC is isolated from frame -everything returns to battery negative) 4. Battery DC out to handlebar switch, then plug and play... everything runs DC from handlebar switch. Keep it simple. Works great. You only need a small battery if the bike is kick start. Just enough to buffer the DC output from the rectifier, and smooth the slight pulsation at idle. I used a small 12v NiMH RC car battery from a local hobby shop, zip tied inside the air box. (having the battery also helps the bike pass inspection if your state requires the lights to come on with the engine off)
