Aftermarket radio, alternator ideas

[skeeeter]

My first post...comment on my ideas, please.
1) I have the inst. cluster, and all radio components removed from '85 Asp. Will now take the bracketry and cluster cover to car stereo shop to test fit a new stereo, probably a Pioneer DEH 3200. Has USB on front, good for iPod Touch, and a MUTE button on the remote. Best feature is few little buttons to try and push while riding, and no need to use them. Note: the big knob clicks 4 ways to scroll thru presets, change bands, modes, etc, as well volume control. I think it could even be done with gloves on.
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_1303200UB/ ... _and_specs. I suspect the standard 7x2x7 inch head will be a bit too long, but there is an extra inch or two available at the back if I cut out the crossbar that holds the oval electrical connector. Will use Polk db401 speakers and maybe two tweeters down on the lower left panel that used to hold the aux. volume/speed controls.

2) Has anyone investigated the feasibility of installing a small Alternator in place of the stator and housing on the back left of the engine? The front intallation with a belt to a pulley on the camshaft seems too invasive and gnarly looking, although I'm sure it works fine. I am imagining a direct drive, shaft-to-shaft coupling. Alternators charge regardless of the direction the rotor is spinning, unlike generators, I hear. So far, I have no stator problems, but expect them to arise inevitably.

Walter of Nevada City, CA
Always put nuts, bolts and washers back onto their respective parts, so it will be no lost parts, and sooo easy to figure out 6 weeks later....

[WingAdmin]

My first post...comment on my ideas, please.
1) I have the inst. cluster, and all radio components removed from '85 Asp. Will now take the bracketry and cluster cover to car stereo shop to test fit a new stereo, probably a Pioneer DEH 3200. Has USB on front, good for iPod Touch, and a MUTE button on the remote. Best feature is few little buttons to try and push while riding, and no need to use them. Note: the big knob clicks 4 ways to scroll thru presets, change bands, modes, etc, as well volume control. I think it could even be done with gloves on.
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_1303200UB/ ... _and_specs. I suspect the standard 7x2x7 inch head will be a bit too long, but there is an extra inch or two available at the back if I cut out the crossbar that holds the oval electrical connector. Will use Polk db401 speakers and maybe two tweeters down on the lower left panel that used to hold the aux. volume/speed controls.

My comments: I'd skip the CD. Bikes vibrate and bounce too much for them to function, and it leaves a big wide gap in front to allow rain and moisture to get right into the radio. I'd look at one of the newer units that runs MP3 only, from plugged in USB and/or internal memory.

2) Has anyone investigated the feasibility of installing a small Alternator in place of the stator and housing on the back left of the engine? The front intallation with a belt to a pulley on the camshaft seems too invasive and gnarly looking, although I'm sure it works fine. I am imagining a direct drive, shaft-to-shaft coupling. Alternators charge regardless of the direction the rotor is spinning, unlike generators, I hear. So far, I have no stator problems, but expect them to arise inevitably.

Yes, it's called the "Poorboy" conversion, and you can see it here: Instructions for installing GM alternator on GL1200

[skeeeter]

thanks, Wingadmin. I was asking about the possibility of putting the alternator on the back, in place of the stator housing, and connected to the rotor shaft. The poorboy conversion does look good, though, with the alternator hidden. I have not removed the stator housing to see if a small alternator would fit there.

About the radio: I am coming to the conclusion that it will stick out too far, and possibly touch the ign. switch cover. Maybe just an amp and speakers to run an iPod. There is a new Nano that includes FM reception. Otherwise, I am researching FM receivers for iPod Touch, and so far they are just inline controllers that go to earbuds.

[WingAdmin]

I've thought about an alternator to fit back there as well (like the 1800), but there's not much space - not without modifying the engine case, anyway.

[jswag5]

thats an awesome little conversion, has anyone ever done this on an 1100?

would love to add some more lighting but am afraid the stock charging system would not handle it.

[WingAdmin]

The 1100 doesn't have as much room up there as the 1200, so the same conversion doesn't work. That's not to say it's not impossible - I have seen online where someone did it with an 1100, but it was a LOT of work, and involved cutting into the fan shroud and cutting a bit of the fan blades off in order to get it to fit.

[goldtr6c]

As for that CD player skippng, my son got one of those CD players that plug into the casette slot orriginaly for his pickup truck. He used it many times successfully on my '82 Gl1100 fitted with a Vetter fairing/Cycle Sound system. He would just plug it in and then drop the CD player down into the left pocket and go. I might add too that we have some extremely bumpy roads in our town.

[skeeeter]

As for that CD player skippng, my son got one of those CD players that plug into the casette slot orriginaly for his pickup truck. He used it many times successfully on my '82 Gl1100 fitted with a Vetter fairing/Cycle Sound system. He would just plug it in and then drop the CD player down into the left pocket and go. I might add too that we have some extremely bumpy roads in our town.

I figured the CD player would probably work, at least on half decent paved roads, and there are Walkman-type CD players, and others designed for rough use, but I have ordered an Alpine Digital Media Receiver (iPod!!!):
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_500IDAX303 ... _and_specs

Rationale #1: I am nearly done with CDs and have moved to the iPod, anyway.
#2: The unit is 6.1 inches deep, as opposed to all the others which are 7" deep, and every bit of depth is critical. I am going to cut out the metal crossbrace, going back past the big blue oval connector, and if necessary, cut out that 2" skinny tall bulge in the fairing that seems to serve no structural purpose but hogs up another inch of depth. (There is a matching 2" curve in the crossbrace to match it. Pull out your radio and clock, and you will see.) My measurements suggest that, at least, the receiver will easily clear the ign switch cover panel, if not be flush with the dash panel. I will probably waterproof several holes in the fairing behind it, using sticky rubber sheet.
#3: This unit has a big 6-way single knob called a jog dial that controls everything by pushing and scrolling, and a bright screen that duplicates the iPod view which I will stash in the faux tank box . I figure I can operate this unit with gloves on. No dinky, finicky buttons leading to a crash while fiddling.
#4: RADIO. Yes, I listen to the radio, so AM-FM is there. Soon there will be iPods with radio built in, but still, they would be hard to handle while driving a moto.


For speakers, I am installing Polk db401s, and two db1001 tweeters in the lower left panel that used to hold the aux radio knobs.