When wiring up from scratch I use black flexible multicore cable such as is used for extension leads etc , this commonly comes as three , four or seven core ( trailer wire ) . With a bit of cunning you can make up a very neat loom without the need to spend ages taping it up .
If the wires going to A and IG on the switch are swapped over the ignition has to be on in order for the lights to work , which means you cannot leave the lights on and flatten the battery , neither can anyone else !!! .
12 Volts is good ! , 12 Volts is very good !! , it keeps the battery charged up if like me you always ride with the lights on and you can fit a decent headlight so you can see at night , especially if you use a modern unit such as the Lucas Quadoptic .
The original dynamo can be converted using one of the electronic regulators now available , I used one purchased from Stewarts which was easy too fit apart from a bit of rewiring inside the dynamo . This was very successful .
My "Sports Sunbeam " is fitted with the Lucas 110 watt single phase alternator , full wave rectifier and Zener diode , which has also been a complete success .
To do this conversion you need the parts shown below :-----
The cover was the bottom of an 18/8 stainless steel cooking pot from an Asian hardware shop , it is awful stuff to work with but it will never , ever , rust . Note that the O/D of the main Dural plate depends on the size of the cover so make this first .
Fitting is straight forward but you must check that the rotor and stator cannot touch as there is not much clearence , all the screws and nuts need Loctite as anything coming loose is rapidly catastrophic for the same reason .
If you put the rectifier in the electrical box , be VERY sure that the fins cannot touch the inside walls as this will short curcuit the alternator and do a great job of burning it out !!! , no prizes for guessing how I know this . The Zener must be mounted out in the fresh air on a proper heat sink , somewhere under the headlight is favourite .
