Anybody know whats a high out put lighting coil looks like?

[70 marlin]

Hey I had my bike a part doing my rebuild. And my lighting coil doesn’t look stock? Could somebody describe what a stock coil looks like? My coils look liked it has been hand wrapped and are over sized. One coil the smaller one is copper with shellaced coating the other coil has like an off white coating on it and is the larger of the two coils. Do these sound like the stock ones?

 

[Matt90GT]

http://www.rickystator.com/pages/Stators.html

 

[rethnal]

That link does nothing to answer the mans question... in fact, there is not even a KDX stator on the site. :think:

Sorry... I have never had mine apart....

 

[70 marlin]

It's just that this 220 came so trick out it might just have one. My head light is brighter than other kdx's?

 

[canyncarvr]

I can take a pic of the stock lighting coil that came out of an '00 if that would help.

The top one ('H' models) is the lighting coil, the bottom the ignition. The top one is larger. I recall the oem light coil not being wrapped at all.

I have it in my parts box at home. I'll try to remember to look for it this weekend.

One way you might be able to tell if the lighting coil is non-stock is the wiring harness. The electrex coil for example, comes with no wiring. You need to make a connection to the existing wiring. You could likely tell from looking at the connection whether it is factory or not.

Ricky stator units come with harness (So he says. I haven't personally seen a stator from his shop). Their connections may well look better.

What lights are you running, and how well do they operate?

 

[70 marlin]

Hey if it's is'nt too much trouble. the bike is working just fine. I thought it would be a good topic to talk up a bit. thanks

 

[Canadian Dave]

Typically a high output lighting coil will have more laminations than stock and uses thicker gauge wire. For example a 130watt lighting coil uses 1mm think wire and fore or five more laminations than stock. Perhaps you could count how many laminations are on your lighting coil and CC could do the same. Some lower wattage lighting coils use the same number of laminations as the stock coil but the wire is more tightly wrapped than stock allowing more wire to be wound around the coil.

Your lighting coil should be significantly bigger in stock form.

Comparing the lighting coil in your 99 and 96 might also help answer your question?

David

 

[kmccune]

I agree with cdave, Baja Designs said that my 220 Coil could only be rewound to 70W with out adding more laminations. The laminations are the "core" and the thickness of the core and the number of turns around the core determine the output of the coil. (all other things being the same) So does anyone know how many layer a stock KDX has?

 

Kevin

 

[canyncarvr]

Pic attached as requested. Not too good a pic...the depth of field at this distance/zoom is real touchy. It could be much more clear, but it would be smaller. Kinda like....

Please consider the following:

For more 'juice' from a lighting coil, just wrap more wire around the existing core.

AND if you want more current, just use bigger wire!

Simple, huh?

Also, it's NOT TRUE!

It's a tradeoff situation. While more current calls for bigger wire, and more voltage calls for more winds, more of one detracts from the other. So, you just can't 'add more' of everything to get 'more of everything'!

Besides, at some point, the grapefruit sized gob you've wrapped up won't fit under the flywheel! ;)

re: Size of core

The one shown (oem from '00 kdx 200) has 18 plates in the core stack.

I've not checked the clearance on the kdx to know how much room there is for plates/wire over the oem unit.

 

[kmccune]

Thanks for the core info. And your correct about the number of turns and wire size being self limiting, that's why more laminations are needed to get more output, given the same materials ect...

 

Kevin

 

[70 marlin]

When Mr. Fredette puts together a bike he goes all the way! I'd take a pic for everyone but I have no digital camera. My coil has large gauge strands of wire. There seems to be less of them in a row? And the winding & lamination job isn’t as pretty. Also the coil is just a fraction fatter.

 

[canyncarvr]

If you're looking at this from the standpoint of more watts for brighter lights, you done missed the boat.

PPsssst...this is a secret...so eat before reading! ;)

Mr. fredette considers the replacement of the lighting coil to be a performance issue.

He's right.

If only by seat of the pants, and 'feel', I got better spark after I replaced my oem light coil. It was after I observed it that I heard fredette had named it as a performance +.

I had looked briefly into getting an answer as to the whys and wherefores of that, but didn't dog it. Didn't get an answer.

Some kinda FM answer regarding field shape, size, speed of saturation or somesuch I'd suppose.

But, it works!

I've hinted at that a couple of times on this forum hoping for a learned response. That hasn't happened.

But, it works! And, yeah....I did say that twice!! ;)

 

[G. Gearloose]

additionally, carefully minimizing the air-gap can get you some extra electrical oomph.
Marlin and CC, are you talking about your mag coil also being, er, enhanced as well as the light coil?

 

[canyncarvr]

No. Lighting coil only. Sparky coil not touched.

....I can see the wheels turning from here.......;)

 

[G. Gearloose]

Originally posted by canyncarvr

....I can see the wheels turning from here.......;)

LOL! but, that may be all we'll see, don't have the time to play, nor the spare CDI's to burn up....

but I have always been unimpressed with the bike's spark... oh well, next life..

 

[canyncarvr]

Put in a lighting coil. Electrex will do.

 

[Jim Crenca]

Could increased performance be a lighting efficiency issue.
i.e. More available amperage = less load on engine for a given lighting load?
Engine does idle a tad slower with lights on and has slightly less snap; if coil puts out more current, could engine load be less?

I'm assuming that increased performance is when comparing stock vs. modified with lights ON, and that performance is unchanged with lights off.

How much is a Freddette modified unit vs Electrex?
One can always use more horsepower when the price is right :aj:

 

[canyncarvr]

Performance gain is with lights on or off (and...heh heh...with grip warmers on or off, too ;) ). Which is to say, no..it's not a 'less load' issue.

My electrex was $72.

I think when I got mine, they still had some left....get 'em while they're hot!

 

[Jim Crenca]

So,

How do you explain how it gets warmer, faster, and brighter for only $72.99?

Wish I could get the same kind of performance increase in the old lady for 10x that amount! :yeehaw:

 

[G. Gearloose]

Originally posted by Jim Crenca

Wish I could get the same kind of performance increase in the old lady for 10x that amount! :yeehaw:

ooow, not touching that!

My stator was reworked by Baja D, should be similar? perhaps?

I always though shunt regulation is such a waste. One would think some cap & bridge & reg combination could harness that wasted energy...

 

[canyncarvr]

re: how do I 'splain

I don't. Thus the 'FM' tag.

re: full wave rectification/regulation

Yeah..except for the space required to place 'stuff' and the expense of the 'stuff', a bi-wired light system that took advantage of both the +/- DC would make more useable power.

Wonder if anyone has ever taken something like a carbon pile to check the output of the coil vs: the output of the shunt regulated light circuit.

The VR has a big heat sink and is bolted to a frame member for some reason.....