jay wrote:
cool thanks for explaining it makes more sense now il check it out later and il check to see that the oil is returning to the tank as well. is there a way to tell if the windings are worn out?
I'm probably missing some details about all this (like exact voltage and resistance readings) so feel free to do a board tech search about all this first... but basically....

With the field coil unplugged/diconnected from the system... (but still mounted in the cover)... ohm test/continuity test each of the three yellow leads (each separately) to ground, or rather, the outer cover they're mounted to... (or the field coil 'core' itself, that the windings are wrapped around) - you should read zero (0), if not, that means one of the leads are nicked and bleeding thru to ground, which they should be otherwise normally insulated/isolated from...  they (the yellow leads) should only read thru to one another, with possible resistance, but never thru to ground (or rather, the cover or the coil core itself)... 

If all that checks out, then re-assemble... and run the bike with plug still disconnected** - "jack' wire the white lead to battery pos (+) and the ground to ground ('exciting' the field coil) - and then use your volt meter set on AC voltage, and test each of the yellow leads thru to ground (or battery negative (-))...  (yes, I said AC voltage... the charge system puts out AC voltage 'till the rectifier converts it into DC before the battery) - you should read AC voltage coming out each yellow lead (or phase)... but be careful with the revving, with the white lead hooked direct to battery, it is no longer passing through the Regulator, 'regulating' the voltage input into the system...

**(you'll need a good charge on the battery first, because the bike will be running entirely off battery power... and if you have an Electronic Ignition, it may not run for very long as E.I. does not operate well under low battery situations - and you also may require a second person to operate the bike while you're testing the system - what I like to refer to as 'the friend tool' )

If all this checks out... then it's not you're rotor/stator/alt... and your charging problem lies somewhere in the Rectifier/Regulator components... No charging, low charging, over charging... possibly the Regulator not keeping up with 'regulating' the input charge into the system under load changes -OR- the Rectifier has dropped a phase (or two) and not fully returning/converting all the AC to DC charge to battery, or fried out completely and not working at all, or feeding straight AC voltage to the battery and 'toasting' the battery...  which usually shows signs in the bike such as tail light bulbs (weak filaments) blowing out more frequently for no apparent reason... and eventually the headlight and fuses... (fuses pop more often from shorts and overdraw on the draw side more so than they do for over-surge on the supply side... fuses and head lamp filaments are heartier, so they're not as quick to blow in this situation than the weaker tail light bulb filaments are...  understand?!)


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Ding Dang Motorpickle Project @#*!!...
Last Edited By: Curb Mutt 04/19/10 3:42 PM. Edited 4 times.