AC DC stator conundrum

[MickYork]

I have a DC conversion on my Li, I am travelling to the Euro with 2 other scooters which don't, they are still AC. We are taking one AC stator as a spare.

If my stator fails I know the AC will still give me a spark, so no problems there, but what about the lighting ?

With only the one wire from the stator to the rectifier am I goosed ?

What would happen if I earthed the input on the rectifier ? as far as I can see the earthed coil on the stator would conduct through the engine/frame to the rectifier, completing the circuit ?

It makes sense to me but why do we disconnect the earth and bring an "earth free" wire from the stator to the rectifier ?

I suppose the solution is too take a DC stator where the second wire can just be connected to earth...........but why no the AC ?

[Nelly]

Technically, your theory is correct Mick, but when converting to DC you reference the frame to DC negative. The AC generating side of the system is kept electrically isolated from the DC rectified side, hence lifting the coils from ground. The Wassell regulator works in a different way to the standard AC regulator.
Your best bet is to carry a converted stator, then if you need to use the stator you connect the 2 yellows to the Wassell. If a bike still on AC needs it then tie 1 yellow to earth and the other connects to the AC regulator.

[grandpa]

Hi Mickyork,
Why not convert the spare stator to dc by adding the wire.If an ac stator user needs it just connect the added wire to earth externally or am I missing something
Grandpa
oops I see Nelly has said that

[Scooterlam]

Or carry an AC-RECTIFIER as well. We could have done with a spare on our last euro.

[Adam_Winstone]

^...?

[Scooterlam]

Ac rectifier to go with the AC stator covers all bases for all in the group.
Or do you mean why did we need one.

[Adam_Winstone]

Yeah, wasn't aware of you needing one. I'm not sure if you remember but I managed to cook the battery on my 12V DC system, which was the final nail in the coffin for me and DC systems... just something else to go wrong!

[Scooterlam]

Nicks one fell off, somewhere near Barden Barden.
No lights after that.

[Jim Rose]

One spare stator to three scooters doesn't seem enough anyway. I seem to have a problem with them anyway but I cooked three last year too and from Austria! I'd carry a spare each.

[Scooterlam]

^^^ +1

[coaster]

^^^ +1

+2

[coaster]

........I managed to cook the battery on my 12V DC system, which was the final nail in the coffin for me and DC systems... just something else to go wrong!

How did you manage that Adam? Fuse too big? I've never had any problems with mine apart from crappy spade connectors falling off I do take precautions to insulate the battery from vibration though, bubble wrap works well

For me the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages....but then I do like my gadjets

Re the OP, make the spare a DC converted one as already suggested, you will no doubt have a DC horn so fitting an AC one will render you illegal.

[Adam_Winstone]

An old battery and probably not running with the lights on, which would have used some of the constant charge being delivered from hours of motorway running. This was the same battery and system that I'd run without issue for years, so it's not like it was an unreliably system, but it let me down miles from home (ignition still fine) and I just questioned the sense of having an extra element to go wrong. For me and my needs, the benefits simply don't outweigh the risk of another link in the chain. For those that do want to run additional DC equipment, I can see the point of running DC.

Adam