Greyhound running lights... magneto powered.

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silverbear

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
I'd like to know if anyone has run any light off the engine of the Greyhound. On my two strokes I've powered running lights front and back using the white wire. I use LED lights which draw little juice. I want to do the same from the HF Greyhound motor and need to know how to hook something up, which wire? I have no illusions about lots of power and bright lights, but I do like running basic front and back lights which are on if the engine is running. It wouldn't take much juice so I'm hoping this is possible. What is the voltage... 6? I hope so, that's what I figure on when I make up my fender lights. Brake lights, turn signals and headlight can run off of a sidewall generator/battery system and that's another issue having nothing to do with the engine. Can anybody help or do I need to do some experimenting to see for myself? Some help would be appreciated and whatever happens, I'll share failure or success here. I'll leave it to others to come up with powerful lights and spiffy generating systems. I'm just looking for something very basic and pretty low power. Yes, I know I could use rechargeable batteries, but I'm looking for no batteries, lights are on when the engine is running and I don't care if they flicker.
SB
 
skyl4rk

skyl4rk

Member
Aug 14, 2008
156
3
18
M I C H I G A N
I did this with a HuaSheng 50cc, it might be a starting point for you.

Configuration 1:
1W Star LED Warm White plus a 10 ohm resistor (in series)

Configuration 2:
Two 1W Star LED Warm White plus a 5 ohm resistor

Configuration 3:
A 12V LED red taillight from the tractor supply store

I used #1 and #3 together, and #2 and #3 together no problem. The motor starts normally as if there were no electrical load. The lights flicker a bit at idle but as soon as you start moving they are bright. You can buy lenses for the Star LEDs on ebay. I used a 5 degree lens which helps throw the light further out than without a lens. The lens is a friction fit, you just push it on. I think I got 10 lenses for $12.

I got my Star LEDs here:

Star LED

The stars are easy to use, they have their own heat sink. You just solder wires to the pads on the star. I used solid 14 gauge wire which is stiff, and zip tied the wire to the bike frame to mount the lights.
 
silverbear

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
I will be wiring up my HS engine too, so I'm interested in your experience. So is the HS engine output 12 volts then? What colored wires did you hook in to?
SB
 
skyl4rk

skyl4rk

Member
Aug 14, 2008
156
3
18
M I C H I G A N
I don't know the voltage, the voltage is probably ac that constantly changes. I just know that those size resistors work with the LED's. You don't need a diode, because the LEDs are a diode themselves. I think that I used 12V to calculate the resistor sizes but don't know for sure. I got help from past posts on LED lighting and just experimented.

I used the lights as always on running lights for maybe 100 miles but then my engine died. I don't think the engine problem is related to the LEDs at all, it seems to be either carb or valve related. The headlights are about equivalent to a bicycle light if you use lenses to project the light out forward. They are very visible to other traffic because they are an intense beam when you look directly at them. Not enough to annoy but definitely visible.

The LED positive is connected to is the kill switch wire. Don't know the color, if I have time later today I will check.
 
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