my 1990 cali 3 is fitted with a bosch plate rectifier and bosch regulator,is it worth upgrading theses parts and any suggestions.
i replaced the generator ring and the reg/rec. on my cali with parts from eletrex world
Do the originals still work OK, if āyesā, leave alone. On my last Tonti bike I put on an electronic regulator, intended for BMW boxers, ābecauseā, aka surely it has to be better - not because the original was faulty, which it wasnāt.
I would say if it is working then leave it alone, unless you want to run more equipment on the bike such as heated jacket etc. The standard system is old technology, but is generally pretty reliable so long as the connections are good and clean.
280 Watts, according to the spec, youād think that should be plenty, altho engine needs to making 2 - 3,000 rpm if memory serves. So lots of stop / start journeys wonāt do it. Which reminds me of going to Motomecca in Clapham one day on the Spada, going deeper and deeper into south London it started trying to die on me at red traffic lights, I hadnāt been watching the Voltmeter (why would you?); finally dawned on me that Iād accidentally turned on the auxilary driving lamps, 55 Watts each, they had protective plastic covers over them so couldnāt see any light coming out.
Generally agree with all of the above. The Bosch system fitted to your machine is old school but pretty reliable if kept up to scratch. Obviously if the Diode board (Rectifier) or the Regulator pack up then then replacing with the Eletrixworld RR45 combined Reg/Rec is an obvious move.
Just a note, the Bosch System zeros out, that is goes from discharge to charge; at 2,200rpm.
1 Like
This may be just dumb paranoia but, you elecktrickery savvy guys I suspect might have answers. Switching to my V100 Mandello re output, I run a heated vest which draws less than 3 amps and about to add Oxford Pro heated grips. Can I imagine those two together will not challenge the bikeās output capacity? No other electrical extras over the standard bike equipment. Iāll add that whenever the bike is laid up I always plug up the Optimate.
One of my favourite sayings is āOnly one way to find outā - you can get a cheap little Voltage monitor / meter off say eBay, and cable-tie it to the handlebars.
I did this for the BSA Bantam, as I wasnāt sure whether the generator will actually charge, turns out it does (after rebuilding it with new coils), if too much! The gauge showed me that as well. There is a cheap eBay rectifier / regulator, but it was struggling to hold the Voltage down, so I added a 13V Zener diode (that I just happened to have) across the battery.
.
2 Likes
Ha! You guys kill me!
ājust happened to haveā LOL
So.. if that liāl gizmo is reading in the green Iām ahead of the game? Is that synonymous with the old fashioned voltmeter/ammeter you used to get on yer dashboard in days of old?
I am sooo ignorant about eleckatricity I would be dangerous if let loose! What you didnāt say is what I do with the other end? Like where do I connect it to? I really am that dumb!
Thatās an interesting idea. I did a similar upgrade one of my Stornelloās. I had the coil rewound and plugged the output into a Lucas Rectifier/Regulator from Feked com. The voltage did get a bit high when connected to a small sealed battery. A zener should act nicely as a second regulator.
1 Like
Ground (aka frame, = battery negative) and any positive connection switched by ignition key. In the Bantamās case, inside the headlamp shell (āignitionā is light switch).
1 Like
the alternator/generator will have been designed/specced to run heated grips plus OEM fog lights as accessories plus whatever expected load from the usb sockets, so i think you could expect heated grips and a vest might be within that load range.
it will be stated in the clothing probably what current draw it needs
1 Like
also if you are running the grips from the guzzi loom, using their heated grips power output plug, it cuts the power to the grips anyway when the revs are below a certain amount, and turns them back on when revs increaseā¦ so there should be plenty of power then.
Yeah, not going near the Guzzi loom at all. Too many āifsā surrounding what contradictory control it might exert.
I think I have simply got a duff product though canāt absolutely say I didnāt possibly damage something in fitting. However, if that be the case, suggests it was not fit for purpose not being able to hold up to normal careful installation.
I think using the guzzi heated grips plug is a good idea, Iām going to replace my broken OEM guzzi heated grips with unheated guzzi grips modified with oxford heated grips over them, attached to the original plug, thereās a detailed guide in the forum with photos how to do it
Hmm trying to visualise what you describe? Oxfords on top of another set of unheated? How could you even size that? Maybe just me being dim! 
the original rubber grips are peeled off and the Oxford heated grips slid over the tubes of the guzzi items.
the wiring is modified with a compatible plug added on the end so it plugs straight in and the guzzi handlebar button is used to operate them
Ahh I see. So the original outer grips are separated from the lining?
I had to do a fair bit of rubbing down as it was to get the right grip to go on the throttle sleeve.
Iām still not sure though that I see any advantage in involving the Guzzi electronics at all.
I donāt want to install the big oxford controller on the bars and I am already used to the guzzi system where the button is integrated into existing controls. also I like the way it cuts off in traffic/at idle to save power and want to keep it that way
edit: additionally it uses the bike dash to display if they are on or not and which heat level
Hey, fair doās. I get that especially losing that ugly controller on the bars. Go for it. A numpty like me just has to keep it simple I guess. Iām just hacked off that the damn things were working.. then not!