Xl250s - 12 or 6 volt?

[Sideswipe]

This might seem like a silly question but I've just bought two honda xl250s, an 82 and a 79 I believe. They need mirrors and lights to be registered so I've gone and ordered what was required only to make a possible rookie mistake.

Everything I ordered is 12v, and now I've discovered 6v is a thing! How do I tell if my bike is 6v or 12v?

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[ILoveThumpers]

The easiest way to tell is to check the battery. A 12v battery won't charge in a 6v system and a 6v battery won't survive a 12v system for long so if the bike was running when you got it, chances are the battery that's in it is the right one.

The XL250 was 6v from the factory so unless someone did some upgrades, you've got a 6v bike on your hands.

-Deek

 

[Sonreir]

A multimeter will tell you pretty quickly. Just measure across the battery terminals.

 

[Sideswipe]

Hey guys thanks for the advice - worked it out pretty quickly when i got it and couldnt find a battery lol looks like it's 6volt all running off the motor.

so if i want to get some 12 volt indicators etc. on to it (just cause they're way easier to get a hold of) where would i wire in the battery for this? electrical stuff is my Achilles heel

 

[Sonreir]

You don't. You can fit 6V stuff in a 12V system with some resistors, but if you're running 6V, you need 6V components.

 

[VonYinzer]

You can buy 6v blinkers or just bulbs. Or... http://www.thumpertalk.com/topic/345798-xl250s-6v-to-12v-conversion/#