Update, Lights, Horn, 12 Volt Solution

[duivendyk]

MSt,Your perfectionistic gold plated 90W solution appears uneconomical under the circumstances,as best I can ascertain.(No info provided really).The 'perfect' is the enemy of the adequate,your response slamming what I proposed, falls into the category of what I term 'no panacea' ploys,to wit:it is not a completely adequate solution to the problem by your exalted standards,so it is useless.As far as using a 12V battery and LED lights, that's perfectly fine with me,but with LED's ,batteries will last a lot longer between charges.I actually published a battery charging circuit (not all that complicated) in this Forum that could help in keeping the battery charged.As far as not being a 'doer',at least I DID something that might find use,but you presumably the great DOER (or tillter at wind mills in the Don Quichote mode),seems to better like playing the part of 'the Wizard of Ozz".All sorts of 'sound&fury' but nothing much else.You also seem to insinuate that I somehow claim to be the discoverer of using LED's for lighting on bikes,and that I am wasting my time beating a dead horse,since everybody is in the know.Not every reader of this Forum happens to be as well informed as you are,furthermore why did you not consider them.,when designing your powersource?.In any case they would not get anything from you except coy,fatuous,portentous pontificating, I think.Better spend your time for instance, designing a better CDI unit for HT engines,there might be a healthy demand for something that hangs together and does not cost an arm&a leg.

 

[machiasmort]

I've heard sucess of a guy using one off of an old 2strk mb with luck (cdi)... What's in one anyway? I would imagine a capacitor???

 

[Deleted Member 4613]

No, you have to do more than publish. You have to put something together as a prototype, a proven solution. Show us a bike with your solution - build your solution. My solution may have been costly by the standards of the bike builder, but it was not out of reach. The builder would pay for the parts one time and have lighting comparable to a production motorcycle for street use. And I'm sure many would have purchased a unit, but the market is simply too small to justify setting up manufacturing. I have other areas and inventions moving into production but only where there is a large enough market.

 

[duivendyk]

Very sensible,you have to be selective,look before you leap!.Regrettably it's hard to compete with low cost suppliers abroad,unless you establish a supply base overthere.People are often loth to spend money on quality,it's usually not perceptibly all that obvious.Good luck

 

[duivendyk]

Quite a lot more than just a cap MM,a high voltage pulse transformer with lots&lots of very thin wire,then some semiconductor compts. for housekeeping functions.Moisture infiltration is the mortal enemy of high voltage circuits.(mount upside down,leads down& backwards,use RTV to seal the thing)

 

[HoughMade]

I just spent over $40 for a vintage horn, spent over $100 getting the lights right, have spent well over $1,000 (and I mean well over) on the bike- heck, I spent over $50 buying old polaroid cases for saddle bags.

I say all that to say this- if you aren't going to manufacture, share. You'd be surprised at the skill on this board. Maybe no one could tool up for manufacturing, but many of us would be interested in building a one-off for ourselves.

 

[Deleted Member 4613]

Over the next couple of days, I will try to come up with some workable plan, like maybe
have some parts made, and then the user would have to buy them and assemble the kit on the bike. The electrical components are the key, since they can't be made, except by a factory that fabs circuit boards (unless someone on this forum can handle this kind of manufacture). There really is next to no profit incentive here; it would be done mostly as a service for motorized bicycle enthusiasts.

 

[duivendyk]

Worth looking into,is system generic i.e. usable with different engines& MB configurations?.That would be a big plus.

 

[Deleted Member 4613]

I just made some calculations to provide some ballpark numbers: The system is for the Grubee/Honda 49cc engines: The component costs, range is $250-275 for 40-90 watts. These are not hard numbers and do not include the cost of manufacture. By system, I mean power generation, not lights, bulbs, switches, etc. Final system cost might be $325-350 (includes manufacture) Most of these parts can not be made by the user in garage or basement. The good part is this is a 12 volt system, so the lighting can be purchased at most auto parts stores, and there are 12 volt LED bulbs for turn signals, stop lights, rear light. Also no battery is needed. So once the system is paid for and installed, additional items are relatively inexpensive and can be purchased easily online or at the auto parts store. OK, now you have some details, and I obviously can predict groans. But that's the cost of a real lighting system for an 4 stroke engine that is not fitted with an alternator. Normally, these engines are not fitted with electrical generation until about 10-13 hp. I'm assume I'm done with this project.

 

[machiasmort]

Over the next couple of days, I will try to come up with some workable plan, like maybe
have some parts made, and then the user would have to buy them and assemble the kit on the bike. The electrical components are the key, since they can't be made, except by a factory that fabs circuit boards (unless someone on this forum can handle this kind of manufacture). There really is next to no profit incentive here; it would be done mostly as a service for motorized bicycle enthusiasts.

There's a very sensible "business point" right there!

Thats where this forum will become helpful, imagine if we all lived a block or two from eachother! What would be going on!

Ya get one guy puttin 10 boards together another w/ a junkyard connection and another with a CNC mill in his basement. Before ya know it, your making 10 systems at $50 each...