Heated gear on a BMW /5

You don't have to use parts from just one after market company. I mixed and matched and now have Emerald Isle /Omega/ Eundalast reg/rec charging system that works a treat and cost less than Omega or Endralast kit.

Here are a few to choose from
An improved Endralast http://www.electrexworld.co.uk/stk-500-stator-kit-11923-0.html
Emerald Isle stuff. (Omega) http://tinyurl.com/yjcp9qb

I have done the 280 watt upgrade on my R60 and here's what a I learned:

• Some but not all early '74 /6's had alternators with the smaller (105mm) bolt circle, rather than the larger 107mm. It was a classic BMW "running change" during a model run.
• The windings of the later alternators fit in the smaller cases, if you are electrically handy.
• Moto Guzzis used the same Bosch 280 watt alternator with the smaller 105mm bolt circle bolt circle for several years after BMW switched. It is the option I used on my R60/5.

going back to your original question, you may not need to do anything.

have been doing some research on auxiliary lighting for my /6 and you may find info on snowbums site interesting. says your 180w /5 will probably handle heated vest and maybe rear running lights. since rear lights are 21w each, you may be able to add a heated vest and still have 42w to spare. maybe an H4 upgrade or heated grips. .0015
bobp

Regardless what he says or what you read on the net,
180 watts doesn't cut it even with just the vest.
Tried it and so have my customers. The vest powers up, but only somewhat.
It's like you're constantly askin' yourself "is this thing on?"

In the present economy, lots of people are reluctant to spend $500 on the total upgrade/replacement kit. I fully understand that. But on the other hand, if you try to pull too much power from the stock system and things get out of hand, How much is a new wiring harness? And what is the cost of some riding comfort?

Myself, I prefer to go with a complete package if at all possible. Something that is tried and proven to work reliably. To mix and match can be dangerous, as what we think should work well together may actually be a disaster waiting to happen. My knowledge of ELECTRICKERY is pretty basic. I like to let the research and developement be done by those that supposedly know more than I do.

You have to figure out what is most important to you. If keeping warm is important, then save up for the upgrade of your choice. Don't go half way and hope it is good enough. The question "Is it good enough to work reliably?" will always be in the back of your mind.

Excellent point DaveBAll.
A new /5 harness is around $70.00.
I prefer the /6 upgrade on the /5 because it's inexpensive and it works.
Period.

A very common story I hear is " I love my (BRAND X) replacement upgrade alternator! They warranteed the first one no questions asked, even shipped it to me overnight when I was stranded out in BUMFUCK Idaho!

The 180W alternator is adequate for the stock system and rear lights but not much more. The 280W system is better, but marginally so. After years of making-do with the 180W alternator I sprung for a 280W and still had to juggle watts. Got an Omega system and don't need to worry about demand.

I fully understand most peoples reluctance to try and find different solutions to a problem. If you do decide to go down the kit route. Just go in with your eyes open. A few parts from EME and Omega are not even rebadged product from other manufactures.

An example, I bought one of these from EME http://www.euromotoelectrics.com/product_p/edl-voltrect.htm thinking I was buying an EME product. What I got from EME, was one these with Electrosport labelling and instructions http://www.electrosport.com/bmwguzzi-bosch-alternator-regulatorrectifier.html. The ESR450 came with a dodgy wiring loom. I had to completely make a new loom and the instruction where written back to front.

Omgea products is made by Emerald Isle. If I was going down the route of buy a kit. I would buy one of these. http://www.electrexworld.co.uk/stk-500-stator-kit-11923-0.html. At least Electrex design and make their own product and not resell some one else's.

Interesting information, Dan.

For the sake of clarity, which of the two would you buy? It almost appears as if you're saying you'd buy an Omega.

But I'm thinking that's not what you intended.

I think he's talking about the electrexworld, which appears to be a knockoff of the ducati/EME system...

Hi Lornce, I bought my RS earlier this year off a mate. An from day one I noticed the bike has a long term electrical gremlin that was very hard to track down. Most of my mates here have Eudralast kits on there /5 &/7 and rave about them.

My original thoughts about the problem was, it has to be a faulty diode board. As the alternator was putting out a charge. With my friends were saying EME was the way to go. I did not need the full kit, just some thing to replace the diode board. Might as well kill two birds with one stone and get EME EDL volt -rec to replace the RE57 as well and all will be good.

Just rechecked my receipt from EME and states I had received a Endralast voltage regulator. The parcel from EME arrived containing a generic ESR volt/ rec including packaging and instructions from ESR. The wiring loom included with ESR was made up of 2 amp trace wire. The wiring instructions included with the kit are wrong and freaked me out with the starter motor going by itself every time I turned the ignition on. I found a wiring diagram for the volt/reg on the web and made a new loom with the correct wires going to the correct connections.

The volt/ reg was now working, but I still had the same electrical problem. Bugger should have bought a complete kit to start with. In hindsight the problem was obvious. Turned out to be a the rotor was spinning on the crank shaft. But not all the time. So I would get good charge some times and no charge at all other times. Also the windings looked very tired. I no choice in replacing charging system. The experience with EME turned me off and started talking to other airhead owners and the owner of Motorworks about what they were using.

Motorworks put me on to Electrexworld. Motorworks said. They had been selling their product for a long time without any returns or complaints and Electrexworld had been making electrical bits for classic bikes since Adam was a kid. I also asked Motorworks about their 450w kit. Motorworks replied it was the same kit as Omega as they bought them from the same company Emerald isle.

I bought a Emerald isle 450w kit from Motorworks as it was half the price of Omega. I word of warning though. The Emerald Isle kit comes with no instructions, just one photo. I searched the net for an install guide.

I now use the stator, windings and new brushes from Emerald. I ditched the huge diode board that came with kit and use the ESR as my volt /reg.
To round up and in hindsight. If I had a pocket full cash. I would not hesitate and buy a full kit and replace the lot. But which kit? I think they all work, just depends on which brand you favour more. So maybe I am confused about which brand.

If you have enough watts. You maybe able to get away with a high output regular that starts charging at lower revs.

It is the other way round Electrecworld design and make their own products and EME sell their version of Ducati knock offs.