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11
British Bikes / Re: Villiers battery charging system ?
« Last post by R on December 02, 2025, 09:10:15 AM »
So where does this wee beastie get all the juice to power that big headlamp.
Not knowing lil RE's in the slightest ...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/146989249719

Edit. Specs say it has Villiers direct (AC) lighting
And were new for 1933 ?


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British Bikes / Re: Villiers battery charging system ?
« Last post by R on November 28, 2025, 03:36:40 AM »
Miller dip switches - as a genuine copy - are fiercely expensive.
So I improvised - a coat of black (left) on a knockoff pattern.
And it has a horn press.

https://i.postimg.cc/QMQZcQxx/Miller-copy.jpg


Might work on the lighthouse 3-d molding for the top....

If only they made the supplied wires a shade longer.
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British Bikes / Re: Villiers battery charging system ?
« Last post by R on November 23, 2025, 02:11:32 AM »
Quote from: R on November 22, 2025, 02:06:27 AM
Hmmm, the Owners Manual for a later model refers to a 30w generator.

A wiring diagram for such a FB shows still no voltage  control.
But a large resistance wire - centre to the top - connected to the light switch.
To soak up unneeded power ?
When the lights are not in use ??

https://cybermotorcycle.com/gallery/francis-barnett-falcon-87/images/Francis-Barnett-1965c-Falcon-87-Wiring-Diagram.jpg

Be more sensible (these days) to have a lamp there as a running light. ?
Curious and curiouser ...

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British Bikes / Re: Villiers battery charging system ?
« Last post by R on November 22, 2025, 02:06:27 AM »
Hmmm, the Owners Manual for a later model refers to a 30w generator.
Must be with more lighting coils than this has ...
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British Bikes / Re: Villiers battery charging system ?
« Last post by R on November 21, 2025, 09:33:38 PM »
Interesting point.
This looking like less of a trickle charge, and more of a dribble charge ...
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British Bikes / Re: Villiers battery charging system ?
« Last post by Vreagh on November 21, 2025, 12:12:12 PM »
The rectifier would be of the selenium type which would have a fair bit of internal resistance also lowering the DC output. Maybe Villiers accidentally invented the first regulator/rectifier. 🤔😁
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British Bikes / Re: Villiers battery charging system ?
« Last post by R on November 21, 2025, 05:03:41 AM »
Indeed.
The local advertising for these was something like "a penny a mile"
so you couldn't get more economy oriented than that.

That said, you'd hope the engineering was at least in the ballpark,
And spares and a handbook gave you a chance of keeping it running ...

Now, to find a suitable Miller headlamp switch, for the best ! of all worlds
4 position, Direct as the 4th position.
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British Bikes / Re: Villiers battery charging system ?
« Last post by Rex on November 20, 2025, 05:26:18 PM »
These bikes were sold as cheapest-of-the-cheap commuter bikes, and if the battery went flat occasionally then just charge it up.
No-one expected anything else before the Honda C50 came along.
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British Bikes / Re: Villiers battery charging system ?
« Last post by R on November 20, 2025, 02:21:33 PM »
Reading about, it seems that Villiers engines came with 2, 4 or 6 lighting coils.
Mine has 2,  being early postwar.

And the correct bulbs are listed as 1 amp and .75 amp
So the total max lighting output AC  is ~10 w  ?
And a half wave rectifier acting on that would be 5 watts DC for the battery. ?
So literally just a trickle charge.

The plan to just use a 6v battery and charge it occasionally at home seems solid,
its unlikely to get much (ever ?) nighttime use ...
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British Bikes / Villiers battery charging system ?
« Last post by R on November 19, 2025, 09:46:07 PM »
In the late 40s early 1950s, you could buy a basic little Villiers powered bike with direct AC lighting only.
Or, the upmarket version with 6v battery and charging system.
And the direct AC lighting was still available, selectable on the (special) Miller 4 pole headlamp switch.

I was somewhat bemused to see the battery charging system seemingly has no voltage control (?)
Or have I missed something ?   How did they get away with this ?
Does the half-wave rectified 6v output only constitute a trickle charge to the battery maybe  ?

Does the base model Villiers have the same number of lighting coils for the flywheel as the battery model ?

Jist curious, at this stage ...

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