Cycle Electric generator

Hello,
I bought a '35Chief a couple of weeks ago and want build it up with a 12 Volt system.
I was searching around the internet and found many pictures with alternators like this:



(Not my Chief)

Am I right that this is a Cycle Electric generator? The same one that W&W has listed on his catalog WW 13-692 for Harleys?
I already have phoned with W&W to ask if their alternator has the same rotation direction as for Indians and if the pulley would fit? They don't know nothing about Indians

So, if someone of you Indians could tell me something about the Cycle Electric generator on a Indian?

Thank you,
flatstips

Flatstips!

The development of the CE conversion generator was a project of the VirtualIndian community: http://virtualindian.org/projgen.htm#cepic

The incredibly ugly endmount regulator is entirely CE's idea.
Please be aware that they make a standard version (in 6 and 12 v) that will accept external regulators the same as any HD system. Not only are they more conservative in appearance, most of the assembly interchanges when replacement parts are needed down the road. (Only the turned body and pulley-end armature are unique.)

But if your machine is at all vintage in appearance, you may instead want to go with a genuine Autolite converted by IndianFrank:
indianfrank@yahoo.com

If you found an Autolite core with your machine, you are almost there already!


....Cotten

Hello Cotten,

thanks a lot for your prompt reply!
No, my Chief isn't very vintage in appearance. The frame is '35 and the motor from '48. No front fender, repro tank ect ect. I'm building it up in bobber style so, the design of the alternator doesn't bother me. I can put it in an old oil box.

The biggest problem is that I'm living in Spain. Spain has the nicest weather but the worst post service. I can order from any country anything I want. But it would never arrive - you know what I mean

The only thing I can deal with is that W&W stuff because we have a HD shop in town that will order everything from their catalog. But I'm afraid that the HD Cycle Electric generator has the wrong rotation for Indian !?
Thank you,
flatstips

Flatstips!

The rotation (and rpm) will be correct; (Most) Scouts turned the other way, and have a taper for a sprocket instead of a pulley.

Please understand that this is an altered generator design, not a true alternator.
It is essentially an HD Model 65a generator made to fit the Chief clamp, and the armature journal cut to accept the pulley.

The advantages of a standard unit over the end-mount regulator model are not only the wider availability of replacement parts and a choice of replacement regulators (such as a Bosch mechanical or a concealable solid state unit, the best of which are CE's own CE-102), but it will not interfere with Chumme assist springs if you choose to accommodate a passenger.

The advantage of CE's proprietary end-mount regulator is that it allows a feedback circuit for protection of the armature. (A generator can not be used to charge a dead battery without overheating.)

The difference in appearance is that the standard unit doesn't look like a piece of UFO stuck on a classic machine.

My '07 price list shows the IN-2569 standard Indian 12v unit to retail at $237.21,
and the endmount IN-5000 unit to retail at $323.98.
The CE-102 separate SS regulator lists at $74.02, and is far better quality than off-brands (like Accell).

6volt versions are slightly more.

Most vendors seem to want to keep the standard unit a secret.

I have the original prototype for my '34 project,
But I want one of IndianFrank's conversions anyway.

....Cotten

Thank you Cotten,
this CE generator not only seems to have done to fit the Chief braket, it also has another direction in rotation.

Today i took of the cover of my Flatty 45" generator to look for the rotation. Rotation here is to the left. The Chief needs clockwise rotation.

So, the W&W CE generator is not the same as the one that has been designed for Indians. It may fit the braket but has an opposite direction.

Tom

Tom!

I am 'electronically challenged', but I seem to remember that rotation involves brush polarity.
Perhaps you have received one that has the brush-holder plate inverted?

The only thing that I am certain of is that there are many of these generators in use upon Chiefs!

If no forum members chime in to answer, CE can be contacted by telephone at 800-523-2645 (fax 937-884-5542); Ask for Carl.

....Cotten

Years ago a friend of mine put a 65A HD generator on his Chief and he had to interchange the 2 brushes. Techniquely he was supposed to have the armature reverse wound too but it put out enough current being wrong so he left it. He has moved away but to my knowledge he still has it that way.

Jerry

Flatstips!

Attached is a pic of the prototype 'standard' CE brushplate.
Please compare the position of the insulated brush with yours.
(Sorry about the poor externally photohosted quality.)


As Jerry noted, armatures should be wound according to their rotation. Since CE cuts their own journals and winds them as well, we are pretty safe to assume any that if it accepts a Chief pulley, it is indeed intended to turn counterclockwise when viewed from the commutator end.

This conversion idea was pioneered by Walkem's of Canada, by the way. If I remember correctly, they retained the HD armatures, and altered pulleys to fit.

....Cotten

Thank you, Cotten, for the picture. I'll have a look at mine to compare.

Tom