Almost since BMW started building air cooled twins, riders have wanted more electrical power than the anemic factory alternators provided. The problem is even worse today with the availability of heated grips, electric jackets and vests, and high output lighting. Enterprising hacks have arisen that drive automotive alternators with belts and pullies, but the unsightly mess at the front of the motor is more than most of us can stand. Attempts to change out voltage regulators to versions that charge at higher ratings help some, but at the cost of dried out and fried batteries if the bike is used mostly at freeway speeds. BMW has made higher output alternators available in police bikes, but even their 220 watts is pretty impotent. Finally, Rick Jones at Motorrad Elektrik, after years of experimentation and development, has brought to market the Omega, a 400 watt powerhouse that promises to banish electrical charging problems forever. The kit, which sells for about $600, includes a new rotor, stator, diode board, solid diode board mounts, voltage regulator, alternator brushes, and wiring harness, along with a rotor removal tool and all the allen wrenches you'll need to do the swap. You keep your old parts, as both rotor and stator are built on new cores. If you've already upgraded your diode board to a Thunderchild, that will be replaced as well. The eleven diodes on the new board handle the Omega's higher output without the overheating exhibited by the Thunderchild. Rick says you can still use a Thunderchild in an emergency, so it might be good insurance to carry it along if you plan to travel to the ends of the earth.

So how does the Omega system boost power to such unprescedented levels while managing to hide under the BMW engine cover? The secret is in increasing the number of windings in the rotor and stator. This makes the magnetic field generated by the rotor stronger, and provides more wires for the field to cut in the stator. Comparing the Omega (right, above) with the BMW rotor shows little difference,other than increased pole area which might also improve magnetic field strength.

The Omega stator (left, above) has more wires of a heavier gauge to handle the higher currents, but retains the BMW part's overall dimentions. No modifications are needed to install either part, with the exception of moving the alternator cover from the old stator to the Omega.

Enough theory, let's get started with the installation.