Today motorcycle technology has developed so much that we have everything really easy for us. Things have changed, but the basics haven’t. A motorcycle still has the same engine, the same gears, the same brakes, the same lights and everything. Just the way they work now has changed a little bit. Things have become more direct, more powerful and more refined. Even the way electronics work on the motorcycles has evolved. Earlier it all used to be engine dependent but now it is all set up straight from the battery. Yes, that means the need for a stronger battery and we even have that. So we are going to discuss the difference between DC and AC electrical in a motorcycle because even today there are bikes which run either of the two systems.
What is DC Electrical?
DC means Direct Current, i.e. the electrical energy coming to any electronics part of the bike like the headlight, horn, etc. is all patched up directly to the battery which allows for a constant and steady flow of electricity without any fluctuations of any sort. This has a lot of advantages like no cut offs and no power dependent output as it is constant in a DC setup. So for bikes, DC setup means directly connected to the battery and the battery being the main source of power. So you can notice today that the bikes, when the headlights are switched on, they do not flicker based on the RPM of the engine. They glow at a constant and steady rate which is possible due to DC current.
READ ALSO: 10 Points To Maintain Your Two Wheeler Battery
Yes, DC setups need a bigger and a powerful battery and the VRLA Batteries available today as more than capable for the job and that too in a very compact form which is an added advantage. But with that even the rate of charging for the battery needs to be that high to cope up with the output flow and this is why DC setup is provided only to higher capacity engines as only they can recharge the batteries as fast to cope with the output flow and make sure the battery does not get discharged.
What is AC Electrical?
AC means Alternating Current, i.e. the electrical energy has a high end and low end like in a Sine Wave as we may have learnt in school. AC is exactly how energy is transmitted everywhere; even our homes for that matter for a simple reason because it has low transmission loss and no current loss. The only problem with an AC current is that it is not a constant current flow but in pulses, but then the pulses are so quick that it almost seems like the current is a direct one. Now the reason this is important is because many of the low capacity bikes employ AC electrical in their bikes and the reason is also pretty good for it.
As mentioned before, AC currents are pulses, but the pulses have to be strong and quick for it to work like a DC current, but the small capacity bikes are incapable of it and hence they are not capable to charge the battery at the rate of discharge which will eventually lead to a dead battery. So the manufacturers provide the current from the dynamo directly to the electronics of the bike like the horn and headlights. This is the reason why when the bike is in ideal, the headlight of the bike is dim and constantly flickering, while when you pick up speed, it becomes more constant and brighter.
So this is how the AC and DC electrical of the bike work. Check out which system your bike is running. Though my best bet would be if you are running anything lower than 150cc, then you probably have an AC unit on your bike. Though there is nothing for you to worry about in neither systems as they are great, but do not tinker around with them unless you know what you are doing else there are good chances of screwing up here. Do share it with your friends and fellow riders and comment below which system you are running and also if you have any specific queries about it.
By: Pratik Patole
What is DC Electrical?DC means Direct Current, i.e. the electrical energy coming to any electronics part of the bike like the headlight, horn, etc. is all patched up directly to the battery which allows for a constant and steady flow of electricity without any fluctuations of any sort. This has a lot of advantages like no cut offs and no power dependent output as it is constant in a DC setup. So for bikes, DC setup means directly connected to the battery and the battery being the main source of power. So you can notice today that the bikes, when the headlights are switched on, they do not flicker based on the RPM of the engine. They glow at a constant and steady rate which is possible due to DC current.
READ ALSO: 10 Points To Maintain Your Two Wheeler Battery
Yes, DC setups need a bigger and a powerful battery and the VRLA Batteries available today as more than capable for the job and that too in a very compact form which is an added advantage. But with that even the rate of charging for the battery needs to be that high to cope up with the output flow and this is why DC setup is provided only to higher capacity engines as only they can recharge the batteries as fast to cope with the output flow and make sure the battery does not get discharged.
What is AC Electrical?AC means Alternating Current, i.e. the electrical energy has a high end and low end like in a Sine Wave as we may have learnt in school. AC is exactly how energy is transmitted everywhere; even our homes for that matter for a simple reason because it has low transmission loss and no current loss. The only problem with an AC current is that it is not a constant current flow but in pulses, but then the pulses are so quick that it almost seems like the current is a direct one. Now the reason this is important is because many of the low capacity bikes employ AC electrical in their bikes and the reason is also pretty good for it.
As mentioned before, AC currents are pulses, but the pulses have to be strong and quick for it to work like a DC current, but the small capacity bikes are incapable of it and hence they are not capable to charge the battery at the rate of discharge which will eventually lead to a dead battery. So the manufacturers provide the current from the dynamo directly to the electronics of the bike like the horn and headlights. This is the reason why when the bike is in ideal, the headlight of the bike is dim and constantly flickering, while when you pick up speed, it becomes more constant and brighter.
So this is how the AC and DC electrical of the bike work. Check out which system your bike is running. Though my best bet would be if you are running anything lower than 150cc, then you probably have an AC unit on your bike. Though there is nothing for you to worry about in neither systems as they are great, but do not tinker around with them unless you know what you are doing else there are good chances of screwing up here. Do share it with your friends and fellow riders and comment below which system you are running and also if you have any specific queries about it.
By: Pratik Patole