Basic Charging Circuit
There are two mini circuits within the big electrical circuit of the motorcycle. The first is the charging circuit, which consists of the alternator, the rectifier, and the battery. The rotor of the alternator spins to generate a current in the stator through electromagnetic induction. Since this current is AC and the battery is DC, the generated current is sent to the rectifier to be converted to DC current. The new current then goes to the battery to ensure that it is fully charged.
It is important to note that this circuit is not required for the motorcycle to start. The bike could just draw power from the battery itself. However, the battery would eventually be drained, and the bike would no longer run. Therefore, the charging circuit is essential to keep the bike running for an extended period of time by making sure that the battery does not die out.
Basic Ignition Circuit
The ignition circuit consists of the battery, the coil, the distributor, and the spark plug. As a complete circuit, current flows through the battery. When the timing is right, the contact points in the distributor open, breaking the electrical flow of the circuit. As a result, the current goes to the capacitor, or the condenser, in the distributor to charge it. The condenser then quickly discharges the current, causing the magnetic field of the primary coil to collapse. According to Faraday’s Law, this change in magnetic field induces a current in the secondary coil. The voltage generated is 100 times greater since the secondary coil has 100 more turns than the primary coil. This high voltage then goes to the spark plug, and the powerful current jumps across the gap to create a spark to ignite the fuel-air mixture in the engine.
Electrical Circuit of Battery Ignition System
The two circuits work together to ensure that the motorcycle can start and run continuously. The wires for the lighting come directly out of the battery itself. We also put an on/off switch in between the rectifier and the coil to control the circuit.
