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Stator Help


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Before automatically assuming it is the battery that is questionable, check the plug ins on the voltage regulator. They are an unsealed connection and can exposed to the weather. Usually testing it involves unplugging it and replugging it. This will clean enough corrosion off to let the connection work again for a short time. Start the bike and test the output with a DIMM or voltmeter at the battery posts. The corrosion on the small pins in the connection will cut out one or more legs of the Stator when the engine speed increases and the regulator kicks in. This causes the battery to discharge instead of charge.

Check Charging System Output. Run some leads to the battery and hook them up to a volt/ohm meter and see what the voltage is when the bike is running at about 5,000 rpm. You should have between 14-15 volts DC. If it falls off as the throttle is applied it indicates the stator isn't charging.

Disconnect the negative terminal and charge the battery at 2 amps for about 10 hours. Reattach the terminal and turn the key on and leave it for about three minutes without starting. Test the battery again, if it's within about 90% of what is was, the battery is probably good. If it passes, unplug the voltage regulator and the other big connector. Clean them with an electrical contact cleaner and put dielectric grease in the female part of the plug. Re install everything. Start the bike and test the throttle roll on voltage. It should climb from idle up and then it will stop when the regulator kicks in but should not go down as the throttle is opened farther. Below 10 volts, it's toast, turn the key off. Do a Charging system NO-load test.

Charging System No-Load Test - Take off the seat and look for the plug with just three leads of the same color (probably yellow). This plug should be near the left side of the bike (probably second from left), under the seat where all the plugs are held in place by plastic clips to hold them. Disconnect it and take the plug that goes toward the front of the bike. It goes to the stator and this is where all the electricity is made on the bike. Start the bike, run it at 5,000 rpm and check the voltage between each contact. Set the meter to 100 volts AC (not DC). If the three wire are A, B & C, Check the voltages between A & B, A & C and B & C. The voltage should be more than 80 volts AC and all readings should be the same. . If not it is bad.

Test stator some more. Make sure the bike is not running. Set the meter to continuity (read ohm). Check the continuity with the same wires the same way as in #3 above. There should be continuity between each wire. If not the stator is toast. Also test each terminal for continuity against ground. Put one probe of the meter on the engine block or frame and the other to each wire (A,B & C). There should be NO continuity to the frame from any of these wires. If there is it’s toast.

If your stator is bad, chances are that your regulator/rectifier is bad also. There is another whole set of tests for that, but I would bet it would be bad.

Info courtesy of Chuck's Archives Saved From The Cafe

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