Kubota Alternator

[Bill Thomas]

My Special is standard mini, With as big a pulley as I could get in ,
Not very big , And driven by 2 drive ends of a Dynamo bolted together,
Don't use lights much, So don't know gearing ,
I just put it on !.
Fist time I used it , I drove it off the rear wheel , A pulley bolted to the rear Disc /Disc Brake,
And mounted it on top of the lower rear spring pivot, Needed 30 mph to get the light out,
But I like standing starts !, Did a lot of Sprinting.
As some of us have found out, Toothed pulley not good and V pulley not good, But I still use it,
Best is poly V belt ??, Lots of little about 6 or 8 little v, s, Like modern cars.

 

[Peter Holmes]

Bill, this is just info really, I think i was the first person to ask Norman to supply and install a Nippon Denso alternator using his Walkernator kit, Norman duly obliged and it has been fantastic and faultless, I am not sure if Norman agrees with me or not, but I would try and source a genuine Nippon Denso alternator and not a Chinese copy, the Nippon Denso one that I am using is a 16678-64012. It has a built in regulator that has also been faultless, but if it ever does need replacing it is a simple job.

I chose not to make a new battery carrier, but just tilted mine backwards slightly to make room, probably 10 degrees off the vertical. I am not sure if this has proved necessary on subsequent conversions. I also had to source the connection plug that connects the alternator to the bikes electrical system, I am not sure how Norman gets round this as it is quite a specialised plug connector. I got mine from Demon Tweeks and paid a disproportionate amount of money for it, the Alternators are sold under the brand of Brize, but the costs are eye wateringly high, make sure you are sitting down if you look them up.

My original one I got free from my Son who works in the Heavy Plant industry, but that was a favour, Kubota do sell them as a spare part, but their prices are also eyewatering, I purchased a genuine spare of ebay for £40.00 a few years back, just to have a spare on the shelf (a typical Vincent Owner) but as yet I have not needed to use it.

Although visually it is quite a noticeable deviation from standard, it is an improvement that I would not hesitate to carry out again on another bike, if you have everything else in order on your bike, wiring and battery etc. there is simply nothing you could fit that would stress this system, electric start, ignition, very powerful lights, indicators, heated clothing, anything, literally anything, if only you could fit it as a direct replacement for a Miller or Lucas generator everyone would fit one.

Just found an original Nippon Denso 16678-64012 on Ebay, £172-80 ouch!

 

[oexing]

Not quite sure about the wanted Kubota alternator, but the 40 A type is here at around € 80.-

Vic
Kubota 40 A

 

[Bill Thomas]

I didn't understand Norman at first,
I thought he was talking about one of those,
Like Bill Cannon has on his Egli, They seem very good and small/neat,
Many years ago a West London man John Dathern had one on his outfit, No numbers on it,
We didn't know what it was , But it worked well.

 

[oexing]

As you will expect, the car alternators would not be my choice due to looks on a classic. So I worked out the 3 phase 48 V brushless motor to go on my B-Raps, easily producing 200 W 14 V from 2500 rpm. But yes, only for guys happy to be at the lathe for fitting them.

Vic

 

[brian gains]

that's a tidy set up oexing. I have a chopped motor so not an option for me, need to ratify the existing alt' drive, fingers X'd that Bill Cannon has the details of his crank shaft pulley.

 

[timetraveller]

Norman, did Jordan manage to source a replacement main shaft for the Burman box?

Hi Brian, JASON, bought one off Ebay but it was the wrong one. In the end, Paul Champion let him have three gearboxes to take parts out of and he is now sorted. Thanks

Regarding the small Kubota alternators meant to keep their starter batteries charged; I have no personal experience although I did once see one on a bike. I think that the McDougalator used them and there are a lot of people who are happy with those. My understanding, and those who know can correct me on this if it is wrong, but I think that there is a slipage system in the drive intended to take some of the shock loads out of the system. Those who use that system will be able to tell you what 'speed up' ratio is used.

 

[Bill Thomas]

Yes that's what I was saying about the belts, V belts slip , Tooth belts loose a tooth or 3 ,
Mcdouglator has a slip clutch, Just to take the shock out of the drive,
But the poly V belt on other set ups seems to work.

 

[timetraveller]

All models of the 'Walkernator' use a poly vee belt. I know of none which have broken or even been replaced due to wear.

 

[Bill Thomas]

I remember years ago , I saw a chaps toothed belt,
And thought , That's what I should have !,
And He looked at my V belt, And thought, That's what he should have,
We both had trouble and were both wrong !.