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Ok- now I'm really down - electrical hell!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Anonymous
  • Start date Start date
Eric,

Besides the '82 GS650GL and the '82 GS850GL that are here, my stable includes an '86 Yamaha Venture Royale and an '84 Kawasaki Voyager 1300. The regulators on these last two bikes each have two wires for output and ground. I guess they figured it was easier to use two small wires instead of one larger one.

While I am waiting for a new R/R for the 850, it is using a spare R/R for the Yamaha. I only have one of the output and ground wires connected and it is doing very well. With the larger output of the touring bikes' stators, and the heavier load of all the lights, etc., I am sure it would be necessary to use both wires, but with the minimal needs of our bikes, one is enough.

Nice to know, though, about the Honda units being better. Will have to keep my eye open for them.
 
Saw several on ebay. Common sense says to just buy one from the site that earl recommended. However, I only paid $650 for the whole bike. Hurts to spend $150 for a silly little electrical part. I think any of the RRs from that era will do as long as they have three input wires. Looks like I can pick one up for $35 or so. Taking a chance that they will be bad also though. have to order soon because the bike is off the road and I have no other. Wish every auction had a buy it now feature.
 
I did better. Got one on ebay for $10 with shipping about an hour ago. I'm going to buy at least one more cheaply and see if they work on this bike. What did people do before ebay? But regulators from the dealer for $150 a pop.
 
yeah, I managed to get one too, 19.99 though, still, much better than paying 120 for an electrex. If you need a stator as well make sure you buy from electrex uk, not usa, they're like half the price from the uk dealer.
 
maybe it's not the RR after all.

maybe it's not the RR after all.

I think it might be the battery.
Yesterday, I received one of two RRs i bought on ebay. I connected it to the bike through the connections and started the bike on a freshly charged battery. Battery was reading about 12.8v and after I started the bike it was around 12.4. Reving the bike to 5k there was no increase in voltage. So I disconnected the RR from the bike's circuit and left the RR DC output open. I measured across it and the battery ground. When reving the bike up to 5k there was no real increase in voltage. Just got around 12.3 volts, same as when the bike was just idling. To check if the RR was getting the right AC I checked the three stator pairs and got 70-80 volts on each at about 6k rpms. So by now I was confused. Could the used RR I bought on ebay (a larger one than originally on the bike - off of a Yamaha 4x?) only put out 12.3 volts? I reconnected my original RR to the bike and left the DC voltage open and measured across it and the battery ground. Low and behold, I got the same as the other RR - 12.3 volts.
So here we go.....
If the stator is outputting the correct AC on all three pairs - give or take, AND the RR is outputting 12.5 volts DC even at idle, could it be the battery that is holding the voltage down so I am not seeing the voltage rise to 13.5 or so when reving to 5k? Is the voltage from the RR and the voltage at the battery added up some way? Should a good RR output a DC voltage higher than 12.5 volts - like up around 13.5-14volts DC? That would mean the RR I just bought and the stock one on my bike both output a lower voltage. I have one more used RR coming in. I can measure that one too. But what if it only gives me 12.4 volts output as well?
Any thoughts on this would be very, very welcome.
 
Re: maybe it's not the RR after all.

Re: maybe it's not the RR after all.

ericp said:
I think it might be the battery.
well?
Any thoughts on this would be very, very welcome.
Click to expand...
If you are getting the right Volts from an unloaded stator 70-80 vac and you are only getting 12V from the R/R I would suspect the R/R. BTW did you bypass the wire running to the headlight? I connected the output of the R/R straight to the red wire going to the battery and the black lead on the R/R straight to the neg. terminal on the battery.
 
Ok. so I got the cover over the stator off. My clymer manual says not to pry it off - "it requires a good tug". Good tug. I had to bang the cover for 20 minutes with a rubber mallet before I could get my finger behind it to pry it off. Anyway, when the cover dropped down there were two gears connected on one assembly with a hollow steal post throught the center and one washer. What is this gear? what side does the washer go on when it goes back together? Do you just mesh the gears and put the cover on? Anyone know where I can see a diagram of these parts? thanks.
 
Bike bandit and other similar sites should have some diagrams and there's really nothing like a good repair manual (Haynes or Clymers) or if you're lucky a shop manual pops on ebay occasionally.
 
I don't know of a diagram but the gears w/shaft and the washer are for the starter. The washer goes on the longer end of the shaft and it is then inserted into a hole in the engine block at about two oclock on the magnetized generator drum. There will be a hole in the side cover that contains the stator the short end of the shaft goes into. Please be sure the washer is between the gears and the engine block. If you look at the washer carefully you may find wear marks on it that will tell you which way it was facing. It probably doesn't matter but if you can get it on the same way it came off its better.

I was surprised too hear you're after the stator given the voltage you got out of it. When you got the new R/R's did they have extra wires? I just got one for my ES that came from the Honda CM line. It has three yellow wires that go to the stator, a red wire that goes to the battery, a green wire that goes to the ground and the new black wire that has to go to a circut that gets 12V(+) when the key is in the on position. I'm going to use GM weather pack connentors on it which NAPA is going to have for me tomorrow. If you're still not getting 13.0 to 14.0 at the battery you might need to check the wiring on the replacement R/R. How many wires do they have?
 
check the grounding of the RR, without a ground the RR cannot regulate and will do nothing
I found that the mounting bolt for the regulator was as good as any place on my bike, but yours may not go to the frame. In that case you will need to lengthen the ground wire a little to make it to the frame.

I made the photos for the pictures of the wiring tie in, PM me if you need help with it. I am pleased with my Honda RR, and it only cost me 7 dollars with shipping to do it.
 
Finally!

Finally!

Got a used stator for $75 from the place Earl referred me to. Great place by the way. very knowledgeable. and helpful too - yes, i'm serious.
So, taking off the cover I had to demolish one of the screws and the gasket broke. So, ordered the parts and one week later got them in. Put it all together today with the OLD battery and the OLD RR. Bike had to be compression started because the battery was down to 12. 2 volts from sitting. But, got it going and checked across the battery as I held my breath. 13.5 volts at around 5k!!! And I couldn't get more than 12 volts before. So it was the stator all along. Thanks to all for the help. I'm back on the road tomorrow for the first time in weeks - I don't care how hot it is in Philly!
Now, what to do with the two Honda RRs I bought on ebay......
 
Ahhhh Haaa! Finally. :-) :-) It good to know you're back out and enjoying thw wind blowing hot sand and road debris in your face. :-)

I would expect with the battery in that discharged state, as it charges, system voltage will increase. Once charged, You should have something in the 14.2 to 14.8 range showing at the terminals (in charging mode at 5K rpm, not static battery voltage).

Earl
 
Re: Finally!

Re: Finally!

ericp said:
Got a used stator for $75 from the place Earl referred me to. Great place by the way. very knowledgeable. and helpful too - yes, i'm serious.
So, taking off the cover I had to demolish one of the screws and the gasket broke. So, ordered the parts and one week later got them in. Put it all together today with the OLD battery and the OLD RR. Bike had to be compression started because the battery was down to 12. 2 volts from sitting. But, got it going and checked across the battery as I held my breath. 13.5 volts at around 5k!!! And I couldn't get more than 12 volts before. So it was the stator all along. Thanks to all for the help. I'm back on the road tomorrow for the first time in weeks - I don't care how hot it is in Philly!
Now, what to do with the two Honda RRs I bought on ebay......
Click to expand...
keep them handy.
if you play with these 20+ year old bikes much odds are good you will need them.
i stashed one i made up with proper plugs in the fairing pocket on my 82 gs1100gl.its an insurance policy.since i have a spare the one on the bike will never fail :)
 
Re: Finally!

Re: Finally!

ericp said:
Now, what to do with the two Honda RRs I bought on ebay......
Click to expand...

I am down in Wilmongotn Delaware, If you want to rewire them as spares for your GS le me know and we can get together. I have a Honda Reg and I get 13.8 @ 2000 rpm
 
Electrex R/R

Electrex R/R

I have an 84 GS1100GKE and I blew the stator last week and want to replace both the stator and the regulator/rectifier. I've been in contact with both Electex UK and Electex US (now ElectroSport) and neither of them can tell me it they have a rectifier to fit my bike. The closest listing they have is for a GS1100G 16 valve.

Has anyone out there ever replaced a rectifier on a GS1100GKE and if so, do you recall what the Electex part number was??

After reading the stator papers in the "Garage" I really wanted to use the highly recommended Electrex unit but since nobody seems able to tell me if it will work I've ordered a Rick's unit out of the US.

New parts are still available from Suzuki Canada but at a cost of $851.60 Cdn. The Electrex stator and Rick's rectifier together come to less than $300.00 Cdn including shipping!
 
Stator

Stator

earlfor, I've just been reading all the previous info on this string and I think you answered a question for me that I had't even been smart enough to ask!

Last winter I installed an illegal high power off-road headlite bulb and was concerned about overloading the switches and circuit so I put in a 12 volt relay in the fairing behind the headlite and fed the headlight directly from the battery. From what you are saying above that is probably why I fried the stator. The relay was only using a part of a ampere instead of the several amps the bulb should have been using, so it overheated that stage of the stator and cooked it. Does that sound right?? Anyway, the whole experiment was a total bust because my illegal bulb only lasted a couple of weeks and burned out, so I put the stock bulb back in. Now to balance the output I'm going to have to remove the relay and hook the bulb up in the stock circuit, right??
 
Re: Stator

Re: Stator

Installing a headlight relay would be a good thing. It takes the load off the headlight switch. The headlight still draws the same amperage from the battery, so nothing changes unless you install a more powerful headlight which draws more current. You could reach a point of consuming more than the stator produces and ultimately, that would result in a dead battery. It would not over heat the R/R or cause the stator to burn out.
The stator produces the same voltage for any given engine rpm regardless of what is being used. Your modification is no change to stator operation.
The R/R rectifies the Stator AC to DC to charge the battery. The charge rate minus what the bike needss to operate is the amount left going into the battery. When the regulated DC output voltage level of the R/R is the same as the voltage level in the battery, electrical pressure is in equilibrium and the batter accepts no further charge. Any excess charging current at this stage is shunted to ground and converted to heat. Using a higher wattage headlight bulb would result in less excess current being shunted to ground and a cooler running R/R. I would keep the headlight relay you have already installed. That is beneficial modification and improvement. If you want more light, I am pleased with the Sylvania Silverstar H-4 I am using. Its a 55/65w power consumption bulb, but it produces approximately the same amount of light as a standard 90/100 halogen.

Earl


eastonb said:
earlfor, I've just been reading all the previous info on this string and I think you answered a question for me that I had't even been smart enough to ask!

Last winter I installed an illegal high power off-road headlite bulb and was concerned about overloading the switches and circuit so I put in a 12 volt relay in the fairing behind the headlite and fed the headlight directly from the battery. From what you are saying above that is probably why I fried the stator. The relay was only using a part of a ampere instead of the several amps the bulb should have been using, so it overheated that stage of the stator and cooked it. Does that sound right?? Anyway, the whole experiment was a total bust because my illegal bulb only lasted a couple of weeks and burned out, so I put the stock bulb back in. Now to balance the output I'm going to have to remove the relay and hook the bulb up in the stock circuit, right??
Click to expand...
 
Electrex R/R

Electrex R/R

Has anyone out there ever replaced a rectifier on a GS1100GKE and if so, do you recall what the Electex part number was??
Click to expand...

In case anyone cares, I just heard back from Electrex UK and they say their RR13 rectifier is the right one. I just thought I'd pass that on in case it helps someone else! Bob.
 
Remember me? I'm back. Back to electrical hell, that is. Drove 350 miles this week with no problems. Downshifted on the way home tonight to turn into my street and wam, just like that, the bike went dead. Couldn't start it. No electric power. Pushed it the rest of the way home. Checked the battery - 11.4 volts. Here we go again.....
Everything was right with the world two weeks ago. Put in the second hand stator and got 13.something volts. Bike started like never before until today. Battery is charging now. Checked resistance on the stator each lead to ground. Seems infinite in all three. checked continuity, seems between 0 and 1 ohm in all three pairs (hard to tell, have two multimeters a digital and an anologue and both don't read very well here).
So, I will check the output under running load tomorrow with a charged battery. But doesn't it seem strange that I can ride for two weeks and be fine and then poof - back into the soup?
 
Oh Crap eh?

Oh Crap eh?

Sorry your repair didn't last. Thats one of the hazards of using used electrical parts! I got mine back on the road night before last and everything is working perfectly so far. New stator from ElectroSport.
Did you try to check the open circuit voltage on the three leads from the stator? Once you get the battery charged and the bike running again, unplug the three wire that come from the stator and and check the AC voltage across the leads. Be sure your voltmeter is set on AC volts and you should a reading of 70 to 90 volts between all three pairs at 5000 rpm. If you get less than 70 your stator died again. If its over 70 its likely the rectifier of a poor connection somewhere. In all my research over the past few weeks looking for parts for mine I found that Electrex UK is cheaper than ElectroSport which used to be Electrex US. Check out their website at:
http://www.electrexworld.co.uk or if you want to order from the US go to:
https://www.electrosport.com
Best of luck to you!
Bob
GS1100GKE
 
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