Any risk running a KTM with no battery in place?

[Chadx]

Short version...Will running/riding a 2004 KTM 525 EXC with the battery removed damage anything (stator, regulator/rectifier)?

Long version...
I'm not quite done with my snowbike build, but couldn't resist putting the bike together enough for a first ride around the yard (and neighbors yard; 7 acres combined). I have a 2004 KTM 525 EXC and a 2014 Mountainhorse kit. I still have to finish up the pod and subframe snowshield/battery mount (I'll be running it airbox delete), wire up the heated grips, splice in the coolant temp sensor, mount the TrailTech Striker gauge (to monitor 12v, engine temp, ambient temp. etc.), run all the carb vent hoses into a bottle and a few other things.

I've already rejetted with a JD Jetting kit (it started on the second kick after putting the carb back on today), removed the airbox and installed a pod intake, wrapped and sprayed the exhaust, etc. So, I couldn't resist putting it together enough today to take it for the first ride (and wanted to burn off the silicone spray on the exhaust's fiberglass wrap; smoke-fext to say the least). The battery and battery box are out of the bike because I still haven't fabricated a new mounting location with the airbox removed. I zip tied the starter cable and other wires in a secure place and started it up. It ran great

So the question is, will running/riding the bike with the battery removed damage anything? Is it hard on the stator or regulator/rectifier to not have the DC circuit complete? Or non-issue? I ask because I'm tempted to take it for a ride this weekend, but won't have the battery hooked up by then. It kicks over so easy and since the ignition runs off it's own AC circuit and the headlight runs off it's own AC circuit, there isn't really a NEED for me to have the DC circuit active, but I don't want to risk damaging anything and I'm not wise in the ways of the stator and rectifier/regulator, so any advice would be appreciated.

And, to hijack my own thread before it even gets started, I'll be tapping into the AC circuit to run my Hotgrips brand heated grips. They work as well off of 12v AC and they do off of 12v DC (many do it and the manufacturer explicitly states they work off of AC or DC equally well). Also, the KTM has enough power on the AC circuit for the grips but not on the DC so doing the grips AC keeps me from having to convert to DC-only system. It also eliminates the risk of the grips draining the battery since the AC circuit is only energized when the bike is running.

I've looked over the wiring diagram and it looks like I need to tap into the yellow wire that is the circuit that runs from the stator and regulator/rectifier to the headlight switch. Looking over the wiring up behind the headlight shroud, there are several yellow wires and I plan to tap in up there rather than down by the reg/rect since no reason to have the wires strung down where they'll be moving as I move the handlebars. The yellow wire is already run through there, so figure I'll tap into it up higher; behind the headlight shroud someplace.

I want to be able to run the grips with the headlight on or off, so that is why I'm tapping into the yellow wire (which is before the headlight power switch rather than after it). That way, I'll run the headlight turned off most of the time so most of that AC circuit can go to the grips, but can always turn the headlight on or off and the grips on or off independent of each other. Does tapping into the yellow wire seem correct? Thanks.

 

[dhdey]

you will kill the recifier. it need to be hooked up to a battery or a capictor or some kind of load.. hell you could prob just put a 12v bulb in place of battery but if the circuit is not the complete it kills the rectifier. seen it happen a few times before

also if you tap into the ac circuit you will need to add a regulator or your voltages will go into the 40-50's

 

[Chadx]

Thanks dhdey. I'll get that battery mounted before taking it out again.

Regarding the AC circuit, I thought it was already going through the regulator and so voltage was capped. The wiring diagram shows a white wire and yellow wire going from the stator to the regulator/rectifier with the yellow also going to the headlight switch and brake light switches. Doesn't that mean that the AC circuit is regulated (voltage is capped)? If that circuit was unregulated, wouldn't that circuit totally bypass the regulator? Just asking as I might be misreading the diagram. I know some KTM are all ac and don't have a regulator, but I was thinking that the 2004 EXC, since they have a regulator/rectifier, have regulated AC circuit as well as the DC circuit. Can someone confirm?

 

[off road rider]

Thanks dhdey. I'll get that battery mounted before taking it out again.

Regarding the AC circuit, I thought it was already going through the regulator and so voltage was capped. The wiring diagram shows a white wire and yellow wire going from the stator to the regulator/rectifier with the yellow also going to the headlight switch and brake light switches. Doesn't that mean that the AC circuit is regulated (voltage is capped)? If that circuit was unregulated, wouldn't that circuit totally bypass the regulator? Just asking as I might be misreading the diagram. I know some KTM are all ac and don't have a regulator, but I was thinking that the 2004 EXC, since they have a regulator/rectifier, have regulated AC circuit as well as the DC circuit. Can someone confirm?

If you have not removed the reg/rec the yellow wires near the headlight will be AC regulated. If you use the wire going to or from the factory pull(on/off) switch you'll be fine.

 

[dhdey]

Thanks dhdey. I'll get that battery mounted before taking it out again.

Regarding the AC circuit, I thought it was already going through the regulator and so voltage was capped. The wiring diagram shows a white wire and yellow wire going from the stator to the regulator/rectifier with the yellow also going to the headlight switch and brake light switches. Doesn't that mean that the AC circuit is regulated (voltage is capped)? If that circuit was unregulated, wouldn't that circuit totally bypass the regulator? Just asking as I might be misreading the diagram. I know some KTM are all ac and don't have a regulator, but I was thinking that the 2004 EXC, since they have a regulator/rectifier, have regulated AC circuit as well as the DC circuit. Can someone confirm?

if it does do into the regulator then you are fine. i would put a volt meter on it just to verify though.

 

[Chadx]

If you have not removed the reg/rec the yellow wires near the headlight will be AC regulated. If you use the wire going to or from the factory pull(on/off) switch you'll be fine.

Thanks, ORR. That was my understanding from the diagram for my model. Good to get confirmation.

if it does do into the regulator then you are fine. i would put a volt meter on it just to verify though.

Good point, dhdey. When I first got the grips a couple weeks ago, I was only able to determine by looking at the wire diagram because the bike was in pieces (carb and exhaust off, etc.) and I couldn't simply start it up and multimeter it. Now that I have it running, I'll break out the multimeter. Test twice and splice once. Ha.