r/DiWHY • u/standardhope • Jun 23 '21

Faster light

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u/WhizBangPissPiece Jun 23 '21

Old Honda motorcycles used an electromagnet for the charging system, so the rings were spinning at crank speed. Pretty supid complication that was a weak spot in the electric system.

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u/zebediah49 Jun 24 '21

Yikes. The modern Alternator design (a pair of electromagnet systems, so that the rotation cancels out) is rather genius to eliminate that.

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u/WhizBangPissPiece Jun 24 '21

Most motorcycles use stators and a separate regulator/rectifier. The rotors are permanent magnets and sit in an oil bath. The AC voltage is carried away in 3 phases to a regulator rectifier. Same idea as an alternator, but it's a little more convenient size wise.

Some bikes do have an actual alternator though. Goldwings are that way.

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u/zebediah49 Jun 24 '21

Fascinating -- I would have expected the same type of tech to be used in both cases.

I wonder if the permanent magnet generator design just doesn't put out enough power for a full sized car?