Author Topic: BSA B40  (Read 6343 times)

Offline Brian Peart

  • Advanced Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
    • Email
BSA B40
« on: March 16, 2015, 08:43:32 PM »
I have a problem with my 1960 BSA B40 for some reason the battery is being drained when running I just want to know where to start looking?
If someone can help with this that would be great
Cheers
Brian

Offline mark2

  • Advanced Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 383
  • Karma: +2/-4
    • View Profile
Re: BSA B40
« Reply #1 on: March 16, 2015, 10:52:47 PM »
sounds like its not charging

Offline beng

  • Advanced Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 26
  • Karma: +1/-2
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: BSA B40
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2015, 03:21:27 PM »

   I am guessing your bike is the original 6V system? I am a fan of Lucas electrics, but they did have both good and bad ideas. One of the bad ideas was the 6-volt system charged by an alternator with no real regulation, it just switched between a low and high charging rate via the headlight switch and it charged lower at low rpms and higher at high rpms. It usually boiled the acid in the battery out all over your chrome and paint.
 
    The only reason the bike would not charge is if there is a break in a circuit or a bad component. If you do a bit of research you will find instructions to check the alternator condition and output, the rectifier condition, and the condition of the wiring and it's connections. There is no magic-wand to fix a motorcycle, it is just a matter of educating yourself and putting in the time to check what needs to be checked.
 
     I put thousands of miles on a Norton with a 6v lucas alternator system and it worked, but not as well as the later 12v systems that use a zener diode to keep the voltage closer to where it needs to be. Lucas used to sell an over-the-counter kit to convert from 6 to 12 volts, but with a bit of education it is a pretty easy conversion for anyone to do.
 
      The 6v alternator can be made to put out 12v by tying two of it's output wires together, then you just need to add a zener diode on a heat-sink in the charging circuit to bleed high voltage to ground. I was able to rewire my 62' 6V Norton this way and keep all the original switches and hide the heat sink and zener so nobody knows it has been converted from the outside of the machine, they would have to look in the battery compartment or have me tell them were to look for the zener to see that it is now a 12V bike.

Offline john.k

  • Advanced Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 615
  • Karma: +4/-0
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: BSA B40
« Reply #3 on: March 28, 2015, 08:52:18 AM »
All very well,but I would first check the rectifier,and also the alternator for broken wires.Regards John.

Offline beng

  • Advanced Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 26
  • Karma: +1/-2
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: BSA B40
« Reply #4 on: April 02, 2015, 07:23:19 PM »
 
    The only reason the bike would not charge is if there is a break in a circuit or a bad component. If you do a bit of research you will find instructions to check the alternator condition and output, the rectifier condition, and the condition of the wiring and it's connections. There is no magic-wand to fix a motorcycle, it is just a matter of educating yourself and putting in the time to check what needs to be checked./quote]
 
   Seems to be an echo in here, or maybe it is too dark to read....

Offline Boo

  • Advanced Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 19
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: BSA B40
« Reply #5 on: April 10, 2015, 09:04:43 PM »
Check the alternator as per manual. If it works, great, then it is either rectifier or duff loom. If it is the loom, throw it away and make a new one. Keep it seperate from the rest of the wiring loom, ie, lights, horn etc, convert to 12volt and use an after market reggy box. Costs no more than standard parts and is soooooo much easier to wire in. Stock parts are not easily available and most are pattern junk from China.
  Have fun.