Capacitor

Also known as a condenser. An electrical component that is made up of two metal sheets separated by an insulator. It is designed to store an electrical charge.

A popular “hop-up” in the racing and off-road community is to replace the battery in a motorcycle with a large capacitor. The capacitor stores enough electrical energy from the alternator to operate the ignition system and related electrical components. These kits are available as “battery eliminators” and help to save weight and cut down on maintenance. The drawback of replacing a battery with a capacitor is that you will lose the ability to operate an electric starter.