How do the BT80 kits hold up?

[cloakedvillain]

I've been racking my brain and spending hours in online catalogs trying to find an electric motor to use as generator and starter then I come across the bt80. I've heard they don't hold up well but I don't know how much of that is a lack of maintenance or simply poor build quality.

 

[DieselTech]

I've been racking my brain and spending hours in online catalogs trying to find an electric motor to use as generator and starter then I come across the bt80. I've heard they don't hold up well but I don't know how much of that is a lack of maintenance or simply poor build quality.

If they were not so expensive I would have bought a kit & tried. But my wallet says NO!

 

[cloakedvillain]

If they were not so expensive I would have bought a kit & tried. But my wallet says NO!

I've been reading up on the bt80 and it appears to use the motor for starting and have a scooter stator for recharging. Overall it's heavy and big. Seems to be some trouble with the starter itself too.

 

[DieselTech]

I've been reading up on the bt80 and it appears to use the motor for starting and have a scooter stator for recharging. Overall it's heavy and big. Seems to be some trouble with the starter itself too.

Doesn't the bt80 have it's own charging system. I've heard of starter issues, but I think a lot of that is due to not having a battery with big enough CCA amps/capacity.

 

[cloakedvillain]

Doesn't the bt80 have it's own charging system. I've heard of starter issues, but I think a lot of that is due to not having a battery with big enough CCA amps/capacity.

Yeah the charging system is the gy6 stator(very common scooter engine). 65w if I'm reading right. The starters are undersized for the application ignoring build quality.

 

[ImpulseRocket]

Yeah the charging system is the gy6 stator(very common scooter engine). 65w if I'm reading right. The starters are undersized for the application ignoring build quality.

Being undersized isn't too surprising considering how small it needs to be, both for weight and size reasons. Plus, the battery is fairly small, so it can't push a whole lot either. A low torque, higher rpm motor with a massive gear reduction is the most logical course of action.

I would probably just use the pull start most of the time anyway, and use the battery and charging system to run lights, including turn signals. Being 12 volts that means the stator would only put out 5.4 amps, which is enough for lighting while still being able.to charge the battery, especially if LED bulbs are uaed.