Running a bike with no battery. How to?

Robwolf wrote: How about the '79 Kz400? Is it using the same alternator as the 650. I'd love to get mine running without a battery.

Not normally. The '79 KZ400 generator is used on the following:
KZ400-B1 (1978)
KZ400-B2 (1979)
KZ400-C1 (1978)
KZ400-H1 (1979)
KZ440-A1 (LTD) (1980)
KZ440-A2 (LTD) (1981)
KZ440-A3 (LTD) (1982)
KZ440-A4 (LTD) (1983)
KZ440-B1 (1980)
KZ440-B2 (1981)
KZ440-D1 (LTD Belt) (1980)
KZ440-D2 (LTD Belt) (1981)
KZ440-D3 (LTD Belt) (1981)
KZ440-D4 (LTD Belt) (1982)
KZ440-D5 (LTD Belt) (1983)
KZ440-G1 (1982)

Robwolf wrote: How about the '79 Kz400? Is it using the same alternator as the 650. I'd love to get mine running without a battery.

The 1979 KZ400 H1 and B2 both show a permanent magnet alternator. This means they can run without a battery. They can use a capacitor instead of a battery.

You'll want to make some modifications to the electrical system to do this successfully, though. If the regulator/rectifier has a brown wire, then the brown wire needs to be tied to the white wire of the reg/rec. You will also need a way of turning the lights and all other accesories off while starting.

Lou is that green KZ650 yours? Thats pretty dam cool!!!

Thanks. I did a lot of work on it, but it aactually blonged to a friend of mine. It had about 100K miles on it before he sold it. He's regretted selling ever since,... but he needed cash back then...

I think the Felpro company used it for testing of some sort. He bought it from a friend of ours who worked there.