My recommendation is 1st get a factory service manual for the year of the bike. The service manual will provide the specifications of the charging system, idle output or output @ a specified RPM'S. Also, will provide you with factory part numbers, which you can do a Google Search with. The service manual will provide test procedures and specks, not only on the Alternator but on the rest of bike.. Their are companies that do custom stator rewinding, the more turns per pole the stator has the higher the output of the Alternator, some of the custom rewinding involves converting a single phase to a 3 phase charging system. I recomend that if your curious to research the different types of motorcycle charging systems. • Single phase system, 2 wire stator, rotor has permanent magnets and runs @ the outside (preriphal) around the stator . • 3 phase system, 3 wire stator, rotor has permanent magnets and runs @ the outside (preriphal) around the stator. • 1/2 (half) wave charging system, normally found on scooter's and dirt bikes, also a permanent magnet system just like the two first charging systems described, but it's way simpler and MFG use due to low cost, found on low cost bikes like scooters & dirt bikes. Bikes that have a 1/2 (half) wave also known as a 1/2 (half) phase charging system have a CDI (capacitive discharge ignition) ingniton system due to the charging system low out put. •• The term phase or wave comes from the fact the AC voltage is a wave. this is why the Alternator is called an Alternator, because it generates AC voltage, it's then rectified, converted to DC volts by the use of diodes, so it can be used to charge the battery and the rest if the charging system. Their are scooter's that use AC voltage for the head lights, this is done by taping in to the charging system before the voltage gets rectified by the diodes, some scooters tap AC voltage directly from one of the poles of the stator Finally • Field winding Alternator, which uses an electro magnet and the rotor is in the center and the stator goes around surrounding the rotor, this system requires battery power to get the initial magnetic field to get the alternator started, once it starts it feeds itself, but don't think you can disconnect the battery after the engine is running, thus this is a mistake, the regulator senses the state of charge of the battery, if it can't sence the battery it automatically goes to full output voltage, 18 volts or higher electrical systems isn't designed for thise high voltages, and some thing is going up in smoke, yes unexpected expenses, is is true on the other charging systems, the only way around this is w/a capacitor that is of the correct capacity, lf you do your research you can find thise capacitors, their installed on bikes with kick starter, were they can get away of not having a battery and have a charging system that the rotor has prenament magnets, and doesn't relie on a battery for a magnetic field.
This type of charging system is a type that the rotor is an electromagnet and the regulator controls the magnetic field, the stronger magnetic field, the higher voltage & current output, the weaker the magnetic field the lower voltage & current output. Usually (depending on design) the highest magnetic field will be @ low RPMS (depending on state of charge of battery) but their is minimum RPM for the Alternator, if its below the minimum required RPM, Alt. output will be poor, unfortunately some charging system are engineered way. The way the MFG made it work is by using a battery with enough reserve capacity (rated in minutes) to give you (the rider) an enough time in a stop light & in traffic to keep the engine running until your off idle and back to speed where the RPM'S are up enough to charge the battery and the rest of the electrical system. Furthermore, When the engine is off the battery is the source of electrical power then when the engine is running the Alternator becomes the source of electrical power (depending on the RPM'S the MFG design build in to the charging system, with the technology of the time manufactured). The Alternator is more efficient @ higher RPM'S, so the higher the RPM'S the weaker the magnetic field that's needed @ the rotor to produce the same voltage & current output @ a lower RPM. which is controlled by the voltage regulator. The regulator also a rectifier it converts AC voltage that comes out alternator (3 wire stator is a 3 phase charging system, 2 wire stator is a single phase charging system) this is why it's usually referred as a REGULATOR RECTIFIER. You may achieve a better charging rate @ idle with a modern voltage regulator, but beware of cheap poor quality voltage regulators, that cause more problems by overcharging and end up burning up the rotor winding & stator winding, and other electrical components...
Nice video. I have 80 xs with same problem. Changed out reg rectifier and headlight dims when you rev engine. Checked brushes. Not original, look fine. Did the bike stall out if you were riding? Mine rides fine, so far. Afraid to be left stranded somewhere. You're right about time and energy. Electrical/wiring nonsense takes forever.
sorry for the late reply but hopefully it still helps, the ultimate problem on mine was the brushes where wired up incorrectly, there are a few different ways they can be wired up that look correct and the previous owner had them in the wrong position. mine would idle and ride fine but the battery would only last a few short rides. after studying pictures of other stators online for a while i finally realized the issue, you can get a cheap multimeter from harbor freight or a similar store and check the battery voltage while the bike is running, idling it should read around 12v while revved it should go up to 13-14v also the headlight should get a little brighter. electrical issues have always been a mystery to me but after doing some research on how to use a multimeter etc it is a little easier, although i prefer to look at gears and how they work, much easier!
Good video
My recommendation is 1st get a factory service manual for the year of the bike. The service manual will provide the specifications of the charging system, idle output or output @ a specified RPM'S. Also, will provide you with factory part numbers, which you can do a Google Search with. The service manual will provide test procedures and specks, not only on the Alternator but on the rest of bike..
Their are companies that do custom stator rewinding, the more turns per pole the stator has the higher the output of the Alternator, some of the custom rewinding involves converting a single phase to a 3 phase charging system.
I recomend that if your curious to research the different types of motorcycle charging systems.
• Single phase system, 2 wire stator, rotor has permanent magnets and runs @ the outside (preriphal) around the stator .
• 3 phase system, 3 wire stator, rotor has permanent magnets and runs @ the outside (preriphal) around the stator.
• 1/2 (half) wave charging system, normally found on scooter's and dirt bikes, also a permanent magnet system just like the two first charging systems described, but it's way simpler and MFG use due to low cost, found on low cost bikes like scooters & dirt bikes. Bikes that have a 1/2 (half) wave also known as a 1/2 (half) phase charging system have a CDI (capacitive discharge ignition) ingniton system due to the charging system low out put.
•• The term phase or wave comes from the fact the AC voltage is a wave. this is why the Alternator is called an Alternator, because it generates AC voltage, it's then rectified, converted to DC volts by the use of diodes, so it can be used to charge the battery and the rest if the charging system. Their are scooter's that use AC voltage for the head lights, this is done by taping in to the charging system before the voltage gets rectified by the diodes, some scooters tap AC voltage directly from one of the poles of the stator
Finally
• Field winding Alternator, which uses an electro magnet and the rotor is in the center and the stator goes around surrounding the rotor, this system requires battery power to get the initial magnetic field to get the alternator started, once it starts it feeds itself, but don't think you can disconnect the battery after the engine is running, thus this is a mistake, the regulator senses the state of charge of the battery, if it can't sence the battery it automatically goes to full output voltage, 18 volts or higher electrical systems isn't designed for thise high voltages, and some thing is going up in smoke, yes unexpected expenses, is is true on the other charging systems, the only way around this is w/a capacitor that is of the correct capacity, lf you do your research you can find thise capacitors, their installed on bikes with kick starter, were they can get away of not having a battery and have a charging system that the rotor has prenament magnets, and doesn't relie on a battery for a magnetic field.
This type of charging system is a type that the rotor is an electromagnet and the regulator controls the magnetic field, the stronger magnetic field, the higher voltage & current output, the weaker the magnetic field the lower voltage & current output.
Usually (depending on design) the highest magnetic field will be @ low RPMS (depending on state of charge of battery) but their is minimum RPM for the Alternator, if its below the minimum required RPM, Alt. output will be poor, unfortunately some charging system are engineered way.
The way the MFG made it work is by using a battery with enough reserve capacity (rated in minutes)
to give you (the rider) an enough time in a stop light & in traffic to keep the engine running until your off idle and back to speed where the RPM'S are up enough to charge the battery and the rest of the electrical system.
Furthermore, When the engine is off the battery is the source of electrical power then when the engine is running the Alternator becomes the source of electrical power (depending on the RPM'S the MFG design build in to the charging system, with the technology of the time manufactured).
The Alternator is more efficient @ higher RPM'S, so the higher the RPM'S the weaker the magnetic field that's needed @ the rotor to produce the same voltage & current output @ a lower RPM. which is controlled by the voltage regulator. The regulator also a rectifier it converts AC voltage that comes out alternator (3 wire stator is a 3 phase charging system, 2 wire stator is a single phase charging system) this is why it's usually referred as a REGULATOR RECTIFIER.
You may achieve a better charging rate @ idle with a modern voltage regulator, but beware of cheap poor quality voltage regulators, that cause more problems by overcharging and end up burning up the rotor winding & stator winding, and other electrical components...
Nice video. I have 80 xs with same problem. Changed out reg rectifier and headlight dims when you rev engine. Checked brushes. Not original, look fine. Did the bike stall out if you were riding? Mine rides fine, so far. Afraid to be left stranded somewhere. You're right about time and energy. Electrical/wiring nonsense takes forever.
sorry for the late reply but hopefully it still helps, the ultimate problem on mine was the brushes where wired up incorrectly, there are a few different ways they can be wired up that look correct and the previous owner had them in the wrong position. mine would idle and ride fine but the battery would only last a few short rides.
after studying pictures of other stators online for a while i finally realized the issue, you can get a cheap multimeter from harbor freight or a similar store and check the battery voltage while the bike is running, idling it should read around 12v while revved it should go up to 13-14v also the headlight should get a little brighter. electrical issues have always been a mystery to me but after doing some research on how to use a multimeter etc it is a little easier, although i prefer to look at gears and how they work, much easier!
Did you not have to run a switched power wire to your ungrounded brush wire?