Powerdynamo brings new ignition & light 
to your vintage motorcycle

     

There are conditions under which it might be desirable to drive without a motorcycle battery. Most Powerdynamo systems (see system infos) are well capable of running without battery. But there are certain facts to know and observe.
What has to be observed when driving without battery?
parking light No battery = no light whatsoever when the engine is at a standstill. This is something you should not ignore!
Note: A possibly installed smoothing condenser has no storage capacity and will not provide any light at all..
legal aspects Please consult your local road safety regulations whether you are permitted to drive without parking lights, This might vary from country to country. Some indication on the regulations for Germany are given here (in German).
possible technical problems
blowing of light bulbs We have had customer reports that in uses without battery and without condenser, light bulbs tended to blow when light was switched on. Indeed, without any load (neither battery loading, nor light) idle voltage may climb up to 17 volts and return to normal only after light is switched on, and a load induced.

Knowing that it does work well in most instances, but confronted with individual customer complaints who had bulbs blown, we do expressly state that you will have to install a condenser, if the battery is not used.
horn does not sound clear or not at alls  As a result of the pulsing current the horn will not sound clear, but more like croaking. It will still be loud though. In some cases the horn will not work at all without battery or condenser.
side indicators (flashers) Not all flasher units will work properly without a battery. Most will go haywire. A strong capacitor will help to solve the problem.
electronic rev counter Electronic rev counters need normally a stable DC voltage. Without a battery they will not function correctly function. (Electronic rev counters on Powerdynamo systems are a matter of special consideration) anyway.
relay option not possible Powerdynamo systems which replace dynamos have a relay for shut off. Without battery the relay will not function. You will have to facilitate the engine cut off by means of a kill switch that connects the blue (blue/white) wire of the ignition coil (or black box) to ground.
Bikes which had been equipped with magnetos will already have such a switch installed.
only 10 Volts on instrument? Many customers want to check the voltage coming out of the new regulator (understandably, as the old system tended to be to low). When the multimeter hooked up, you will notice that it will read only 10 volts or possibly less. Although the headlights are shining to their fullest capacity. What is happening is that the meter gets fooled by the absence of a battery (or a condenser) by the pulsing DC voltage. Both are actually ok, system and meter, but the reading is wrong. So don't worry. If one does not believe this, you may test it with or without a condenser installed. More information see here.
What else?

 back 		At idling speed the system will not have its full output. It might be that as a result our (notably with 6 volts inner sensor ) systems show a dimmer light at idling. That will rapidly brighten up however at higher revs.
Some older Powerdynamo Systems for 4 strokes (Type 899) need a battery for the advance unit.
Our systems have not been tested for use with GPS or other additional electronics. We would think however that there might be disturbances.