Just letting you guys know, magnets can go bad

[blowerbike]

never ever seen a bad GS rotor but have seen many early honda's that was bad.

[Steve]

The '78 and '79 GS1000 had 18 pole rotors, not sure about other models..

Thanks for the info, I did not know that.

Maybe it would be safer to say that "kick-start bikes had 12-pole stators"?

.

[Guest]

That I'm not sure of. The '78 and '79 850 shared a lot in common with the GS1000. I haven't been into the stator yet on my son's '79850G, That bike is still up where we used to live. The 850 evolved from the 750, the stator listed on the Bike Bandit site looks like a 12 pole.

[Grimly]

I can tell you for sure my '79 had a 12-pole stator. 'Had' being the operative word. Bin is the best place for that.

[shovelhead]

When did they do away with the kick starter? He has one on his. Maybe he's been telling me the wrong year this whole time!

[850 Combat]

1979 is the only GS850 with a kick starter. You did not directly respond to the question of what motorcycle you were working on. You have stated that you ordered a stator for a 1981.

[lrgguy]

Just replaced my stator on my 78 gs1000e two weeks ago .it was an 18 pole !!

[bwringer]

The 8-valve 1000 and 850 stators are different diameters, too.

Anyhoo, sounds like the OP is very likely working on a '79 850, which has a 12 pole stator stock and was the only 850 with a kick starter.

No one makes a new 12 pole stator, but you can have yours re-wound.

Another option would be to install a rotor from a newer GS. Not sure which would be easier/better -- rotors can be a right royal pain to remove.


If it's any consolation, the 18 pole stators should sell quickly if you want to sell them and they're still good. Running in the wrong rotor shouldn't do any harm to the stator or rotor -- you just don't get many electrons...

[shovelhead]

I'm glad the forum has given me the most likely explanation. It's been hours of unnecessary troubleshooting. I should have paid more attention to the original stator and checked the Year of the bike myself before ordering anything. Thanks guys,

[bwringer]

Also, just FYI, I have seen a GS with weak magnets in the rotor (so no, you're not crazy -- it can happen) -- back in college, I had a GS400, and the stator magnets were barely sticky.

Every other rotor I've seen since then would grab on hard to a wrench or steel tool. It'll hold up a large wrench easily.

I don't know what happened to it, but the magnets on my old GS400's rotor were very weak. You could feel a little bit of grab if you ran a piece of steel over the inside of the rotor, but it wouldn't hold on to a wrench.

It was kick start, and I learned the bike would make it about 50-60 miles before the battery died completely. So I just charged the battery every night, shut the headlight off at stop lights, and never went very far.

[Grimly]

I don't know what happened to it, but the magnets on my old GS400's rotor were very weak. You could feel a little bit of grab if you ran a piece of steel over the inside of the rotor, but it wouldn't hold on to a wrench.

Heat, shock, exposure to cancelling fields - who knows what the caring hands of a PO did to it.
It is unusual enough, though.

[Brendan W]

Totally unscientific but putting the cover back on the magnets would have taken my fingernails if I'd let them.

[posplayr]

Totally unscientific but putting the cover back on the magnets would have taken my fingernails if I'd let them.

Maybe Freddie was in there

[shovelhead]

My father in law (the owner) has stated that it says 81 on the ownership. but his bike has a kickstart . There must have been an engine swap at some point. He has found a matching rotor at a local junkyard for the two stators he has. He's picking it up next week, we'll see how that goes. Thanks again guys.