TOPIC:

looking in my clymer manual
it states the Z1 has a generator
so does the 78 kz1000 it then says the 78Z1R has an alternator
the 79 ltd has a generator
then again the 80 Z1R and ltd 1000 have alternators
are they not all interchangeable between bikes ?

is this just a manual error ?

?

My understanding, is the Generators, produce D.C.(Direct Current) and Alternators produce A.C.(Alternating Current) Whichever you want to call it, the voltage will be A.C., converted to D.C by the regulator/rectifier,. to charge the battery, and run the motorcycle's electrical system.

MFolks wrote: My understanding, is the Generators, produce D.C.(Direct Current) and Alternators produce A.C.(Alternating Current) Whichever you want to call it, the voltage will be A.C., converted to D.C by the regulator/rectifier,. to charge the battery, and run the motorcycle's electrical system.

That's also my understanding.

The Kaw engines with which I'm familiar use alternators that produce A.C. current. As evidenced by presence of a rectifier.

Perhaps the two terms are loosely used interchangeably in the literature.
Where "generator" can also mean generating alternating current.

Good Fortune!

I actually researched that question

Both generator and alternator produce AC current, in a generator the positions of the copper contacts convert the AC to DC (If you familiar with generator windings it helps).

The difference between a generator and an alternator is the field. If the field rotates (as in old auto generators) it's a generator. If the field is stationary (as in bolted to the cover) it's an alternator.

In KZ's that would be a permanent magnet alternator.

.

Thanks, steell!

Evokes fond memories of learning a little about electricity in 9th grade science class where the teacher allowed us to experiment with a hand-turned generator and buzz ourselves.

Good Fortune!

Ive been informed this by some car guys
the question is old ZEDS have tons of interchangeable parts
does the Z1R and LTD have a special part number for their alternator,or
is it in fact just a generator,they look the same
I would like to varify since I have been using all types of shared parts
and now doubt what Ive done

All Z900/1000 motors up to around 1978 have the SAME set up with a small alternator rotor spinning INSIDE the windings.
The later 1979 on, mk2 style (squared cam cover) engines have a larger dished rotor which rotates around the OUTSIDE of the windings.
These later engines also have a larger crank taper so you can't swap alternator types.
The early Z1R D1 used the small rotor and the later Z1R D2 used the large rotor as it also used the later Mk2 type engine.
The later kz1000/1100 without a kickstarter are different again and although they look the same as the mk2 type with dished rotor they have different diameter windings.

Both terms are too vague to specify the actual means of converting mechanical energy into electrical energy. In the broad definition, anything that performs the conversion can be called a generator. So an alternator IS a generator by that definition.

But in the old old days, the device, termed as the "generator", produced DC current at its output through the use of switching brushes ( as Steell mentioned, he knows, he was there ). This was very inefficient and was prone to failures due to the brushes. To distinguish from that device, the term alternator was used to describe a generator that produced alternating current using no brushes at all. Then the AC was converted to DC by an external rectifier.

To make things complicated, they then incorporated the rectifier into the alternator case, which then gave you an alternator which produced DC current at its output.

Generators (by the more specific definition) and alternators can either use permanent magnets to create a magnetic field or electromagnets to create magnetic field. But it's the method of conversion from AC to DC that sets them apart.

KZ's all came equipped with alternators of a few varying types. They also all came with "generators" by the broad definition of the term. But they did not come with "generators" by the specific definition of the term... that of a DC current producing device for converting mechanical energy into electrical energy.

So it depends on how specific you want to be. But however specific you want to be, those two terms are sufficient to describe what you have.

Some KZ alternators came with rotating permanent magnets inside of a stationary stator. Some came with a stationary field coil inside a rotating field inverter inside a stationary stator. Some came with a stationary stator inside of rotating permanent magnets. The latter is probably the most common, but of those, some were single-phase. The rest were all 3-phase.

So it takes a lot more description to describe an actual KZ generating device than a couple simple words can accomplish.

loudhvx wrote: ( as Steell mentioned, he knows, he was there ).

You bet! Had to teach them everything!

Hey! You durn kids get off my lawn !!

Here's a ref explaining a DC generator:

farside.ph.utexas.edu/teaching/302l/lectures/node91.html

The Direct Current Generator
Most common electrical appliances (e.g., electric light-bulbs, and electric heating elements) work fine on AC electrical power. However, there are some situations in which DC power is preferable. For instance, small electric motors (e.g., those which power food mixers and vacuum cleaners) work very well on AC electricity, but very large electric motors (e.g., those which power subway trains) generally work much better on DC electricity. Let us investigate how DC electricity can be generated.

A simple DC generator consists of the same basic elements as a simple AC generator: i.e., a multi-turn coil rotating uniformly in a magnetic field. The main difference between a DC generator and an AC generator lies in the manner in which the rotating coil is connected to the external circuit containing the load. In an AC generator, both ends of the coil are connected to separate slip-rings which co-rotate with the coil, and are connected to the external circuit via wire brushes. In this manner, the emf ${\cal E}_{\rm ext}$ seen by the external circuit is always the same as the emf ${\cal E}$ generated around the rotating coil. In a DC generator, the two ends of the coil are attached to different halves of a single split-ring which co-rotates with the coil. The split-ring is connected to the external circuit by means of metal brushes--see Fig. 41. This combination of a rotating split-ring and stationary metal brushes is called a commutator. The purpose of the commutator is to ensure that the emf ${\cal E}_{\rm ext}$ seen by the external circuit is equal to the emf ${\cal E}$ generated around the rotating coil for half the rotation period, but is equal to minus this emf for the other half (since the connection between the external circuit and the rotating coil is reversed by the commutator every half-period of rotation). The positions of the metal brushes can be adjusted such that the connection between the rotating coil and the external circuit reverses whenever the emf ${\cal E}$ generated around the coil goes through zero. In this special case, the emf seen in the external circuit is simply:

MFolks wrote: My understanding, is the Generators, produce D.C.(Direct Current) and Alternators produce A.C.(Alternating Current) Whichever you want to call it, the voltage will be A.C., converted to D.C by the regulator/rectifier,. to charge the battery, and run the motorcycle's electrical system.

I have seen that definition used as well, but I was also taught the difference is:

GENERATOR is permanent magnet spinning in a stationary coil

ALTERNATOR has spinning coil inside another stationary (field) coil, doesn't use permanent magnet.

The latter are used in cars and are much better because you can linearly control the current put out by simply "adjusting" the current in the smaller coil. The PM design is simpler and does not require 'slip rings" to make connection to the spinning armature winding. But, the PM design can't be controlled it just cranks out current based on RPM. That's why bikes use a shunt regulator to hold the voltage in check by dumping excess current straight through to ground.