How to Test Your Motorcycle’s Stator and Regulator Rectifier | The Shop Manual
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If your battery keeps dying, it may just be worn out or there may be something wrong with your bike’s stator or regulator rectifier. In this video, Ari walks you through testing your motorcycle’s charging system by doing a resistance and continuity check on the stator as well as a quick assessment of the regulator rectifier.
RevZilla carries OEM parts including stators and regulator rectifiers: rvz.la/47niTUd
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RevZilla carries OEM parts including stators and regulator rectifiers: rvz.la/40OiY0w
What about the magnet.
@RevZilla , maybe you know what may be wrong? CBR600F4. Issues only at idle, none with higher RPMs.
Measured resistance, 0,6-0,7 between terminals cold, 0,7-0,8 hot [does not exceed 0,1 for same terminals]. No continuity between terminals and ground hot or cold.
Measured stator's output, all 3 wires. It is pretty steady - from 10V at 1k rpm going steadily upwards 10V at each 1k rpm, to 70V at 7k rpm. Same hot or cold. Seems ok?
RR gives 14V when started cold [around 2,3k RPM].
On idle [1,4k rpm]:
- goes to 13,5-14 [fluctuates] when hot. When lights ON, goes to 13,1, and then fluctuates between 12,9 to 13,5.
- When ventilator kicks in [with lights off], drops to 12,9-13V; with lights on drops to 12,5 and sometimes lower, then starts dying and cuts out. This is extremely unpleasant at traffic lights when hot, cause it dies or dies when kicking in firs gear, and then it takes time to start and start moving [sometimes even does not start, i.e. starter runs but engine does not power on, like was flooded with gasoline...]. Several measurements show it takes 0,8-0,9 V for headlight [low beam], around 1V for ventilator. Is this ok?
But it is slightly strange; if it generates 12V at 1200 rpm, it already undercharges the battery, not even compensating lights and ventilator. So naturally the battery charging shows around 12,5V at battery, as the electrical load uses battery's reserve. Is it supposed to be so low at low rpms?
Run out of ideas, what may be wrong. If you have any ideas, will be very grateful :)
Couple of quick pointers. Getting a resistance reading when you check your stator to ground doesn't necessarily mean it's bad. Anything over a 2 meg ohm minimum should be okay. Even low readings don't always mean it's bad either. Sometimes moisture and/or debris gets in places is shouldn't be and will show a path to ground, even if the stator is good. Check for connectors with moisture and dirt, and if you find anything, check the o-rings/seals/gaskets for damage. Try drying and cleaning them up, then read resistance again.
Hey hey I've had that grime causing weird readings happen to me on a China bike that I had no reference materials for, washed it out with brake clean and things returned to normal
@@yeahitskimmel Yeah, it's got me a time or two in the past. Unfortunately lol
But wouldn't the end of the plug basically not have any point it could have grime to drop your resistance without being am actual short?
@@RaphYkun Not necessarily. I should have mentioned insulation could be cracked or worn through or you may even have moisture under the cover around the stator and internal wiring. My point was check everything before replacing the part. My apologies for not clarifying my thought properly, I'm a bit of a scatter brain at times... I just want to save others some aggravation by being thorough in their testing, before pulling the cover and stator.
I have to disagree in regards to continuity to ground. Any continuity to ground will fail the charging system. Just touch the AC wires with the bike running and it’ll hurt because the couple mega olhms to ground you probably (your body) are is still a plenty good enough path to ground for some of the electricity.
I do agree you are correct to emphasize the importance of a clean connector but that’s its own thing.
I definitely installed a master kill switch to avoid a dead battery when not running. I have yet to look for the issue. lol 😂 connect my multimeter to the battery and start pulling fuses and relays. But this is an awesome video to watch.
Excellent info. You may want to let folks know that there are often heavy duty stators out there on the aftermarket that are available. Especially important for folks with dual sports that may need a boost on power after they hang on heated grips etc.
Also in my experience the dynamic test is the way to go for testing the stator as many electrical failures only show themselves under load.
Am an ASE certified master mechanic. 45 years experience.
Others have mentioned checking the fuses etc. which is all good. Especially looking for corrosion.
Ari with the classic RadioShack multimeter!
Any of them work. Don't need to be fancy.
@@nevinkuser9892 I know that. It was cool to see being that RadioShack is gone now.
@@thearch1tect249actually they still exist as part of another store or website only.
Perfect timing on the stator-regulator rectifier troubleshoot, Ari. Having some voltage level issues on my H-D and will be using your guidance this morning to try and pin down the root cause of the issue. Thank you for your willingness to share what you’ve learned and for your enthusiasm in this sport. Blessings and peace to you and your family.
Shop manual videos are the best. Thanks for producing them.
Spurg and his old VFR thank you for this video 😂 (me too, I’ve been there with the same bike)
This video is pure gold.
Full Bridge Rectifier!
I pay for bike repairs , I watch for Ari content and a basic understanding of the mechanics of bike repair. You know so that my eyes don’t glaze over when my service manager is talking to me.
Ari - you’re slacking off on your push ups. Thanks for the great video.
Arri and Ryan (f9) are my two favourites concerning motorcycle content on youtube. Just great content everytime.
In my years for stator equipped bikes, keeping tabs of the battery condition and replacing frequently seems to be the least expensive insurance :). Good video and thanks.
Buy a trickle charger and quick connection for the bike.
Makes batteries last.
@@redtobertshateshandles Hey, I just got one. But for some other purpose. Mind sharing briefly how I can use a trickle charger to keep my battery helth tip top? Cheers mate.
Just today learned of SHOP MANUAL, Rev Zilla is a great learning source.
Thank you Ari for teaching an old dog a new trick, now it’s time for another Ari & Zack adventure (Moto camping?).
A good supplement to this would be figuring out how much electrical power your bike produces, how much it takes to run in stock form and how to tell how much surplus you have to plug in your aux lights, heated grips, heated seat, smart phone, gps unit, camera system, coffee maker and anything else one could possibly think to add to their poor bike.
Yeah, I was the same at the end of the video. Even tho my bike has LED headlight, I still find it lacking in lighting up the pathway - especially when going around a corner at night. I want to out a couple of small “running lights” that are on at night, to really light up road 20 - 25’ in front of the bike
This is why it's important to know the amp cacacity of the stator and do some basic math before adding power-hungry accessories. Not many people realize this and juzt add crap from watching youtube videos. Very good video, as always.👍
I miss the outro where Ari was closing the shop manual, it was so satisfying!
Your’s and Zack’s videos have helped me save money and keep my beloved 2007 Triumph Bonneville T 100 running. Keep producing videos, please.
honda vfr's only weakness. god tier motorcycle suffering from the same problems of all motorcycles- the fucking charging
Tell me bout it. I went through 3 stators in like 7 years.
Very well “statored”.
Chrystal clear instructions.
Thanks.
I miss the little person that used to be me who get lost looking, turning, sliding, examining, experiencing the various knobs, slides, switches, screens, cellophane-bagged doo-dads and wheels of the bygone golden era Radio Shack store...(not the one partnered with Sprint - the one before that...where you could learn what a VHS and laserdisc and weather band radio and resistor and tube amp soldering iron was..)
Did the survey, hope the information assists to plan future direction for these great videos.
I'd also like to strongly suggest checking the contacts on the fuses, relays in your fusebox and the battery terminals and grounds or other contacts for the positive leads (like the starter) and clean those up with a combination of a brass brush or 0000 steel wool and some electrical contact cleaner. Maybe even cleaning those as part of yearly/winter maintenance.
I swear you guys are spying on my phone. My '97 sportster 1200 has a charging system issue that I just found today, and i'm so glad to see a shop manual video for this topic!
GOD DAMN I LOVE THE SHOP MANUAL ❤❤❤
Thanks for this, its nice to see more complex repair tasks!
Thanks for a another great episode! Answered the survey after the last one and already a theme related to my answers. It's like magic! 😅
I have already watched several Shop Manual's and they are sooooo
useful. Thank you for doing these. Keep it up.
Incredible! These are the issues I've been trying to work out and figure out how to diagnose on my bike. Couldn't have had any better timing!
this is the perfect video!!! I'm currently having battery charging troubles and this helped me fixed it!! talk about perfect timing
Great video Ari! Thanks for always sharing your knowledge! Revzilla rules!!!❤
Ari has saved my bacon a few times now. Thank you for these videos. They have thought me alot. (Including that my stator is toast)
Good job, as usual! Very informative and thorough. I appreciate your work!
Ari, this is SUPER clear and helpful. Thanks.
Thanks Ari!
Up till now I'd assumed my bikes charging was an all-in-one unit like a car's alternator.
Handy to learn that it's two separate units.
This is awesome, and the project bike I got stated the original reason it was parked was the battery not charging. Thanks for the great instructions!
Love these videos please keep it going!
Love these videos, so informative! 😊 Thanks for sharing!
By far the best “how to” videos. Thank you.
Excellent explanations and info, thanks Ari!
I just got what I was looking for. Thank you.
Looks good Ari. I have this exact problem on my Vstrom right now. I'll be testing with these methods soon.
Thanks Ari! This was very helpful.
I worked on cars for a long time but its good to get a refresher on the basics of testing in the auto industry there are more efficient ways of testing but I like watching this stuff. Also keep the suggestion link up in future videos.
I remember picking up a bike with a no spark issue years back. I downloaded the factory service manual and followed all the steps to troubleshoot that issue. Turned out the stator and regulator rectifier were bad but that was the one thing the service manual didn’t list to check🤦♂️
We put in an eBay stator and R/R kit and that fixed the issue for at least a year until we sold it.
Good info. Smart using the Himalayan as a demo. Probably one of the easiest bikes to troubleshoot and repair roadside with minimal tools.. One of the main reasons I own one.., thanks again...
Thanks Ari, this is the best easy to understand MC charging syst. video I have seen. Another thing that's important is to check the pin fit on the munti-conectores. I use to use dielectric grease on the termails (Big Mistake) it insulates the connection, you can use it around the plug but not in the plug. I fixed an 800 VFR like this someone used dielectric grease in the connector at the V-regulator was not charging,- Healthy battery very important too. Thanks Ari, love the Vintage Radio Shack True RMS DVOM. Denis Kerechuk
Ari is a Legend! Can't wait for some Shop Manual videos related to Classic bikes!
Love to see you, thanks for your time.
Thanks a lot for this informative video. Unfortunately my stator burnt out on me and had to replace it and the regulator which is a big bill. Now I know why it happened - i was using a dead battery. This video opened up my eyes.. Thanks again.
Literally had to perform these checks one day before you uploaded this for the first time. not a criticism lol.
Amazing 🤩my MTS1200s is not charging my battery anymore … Exactly what i needed.
Got stranded on the freeway after the battery depleted completely.
Now i know what to check ! 👍thank you for another excellent video tutorial.
This is great... had issues last year and this video would have been great. In my case the only thing that showed a fault was the voltage test of the stator. But that one I only did after purchasing a new battery and a new regulator (after a shop told me to)... so... test everything, then decide what needs to be done!
Great video. Thanks Ari
This exact thing happened with me. Relatively new battery died, so got it replaced and that died as well. Then got the rectifier replaced, which died 3 days later. Turns out, one of the stator coils was blown. This video 6 months ago would have saved me a lot of headache, lol. :(
Basic fault finding 👌 we love
Wow he's back!
7 minutes of gold
Beautiful! I wish I had this video 10 years ago, because I know my stator was bad but I don't know to show it except when the battery dies after 3 years
Wish this came out a few months ago. I was able to figure it out, but this is way more straightforward than other videos I found. Ended up being a mistake I made changing the primary cover after an accident. The stator wire got severed
The charging system light on my RE Interceptor 650 randomly comes and goes. Perfect timing to dig into that and figure out what is going on. Thanks for the clear, concise, actionable tutorial. This really takes the mystery out of the problem. Awesome! -Rob
Check the Indian battery. Replace it with something decent.
Faulty RR is fairly common on the 650. Low or erratic charging voltage is the clue. Mine has +14.4Vdc at the battery, at idle.
Thanks for the reference number. I will check that out. Much appreciated. @@HaggisPower
great as always, thanks
whoa i had a cruiser bike back in the day with a rectifier issue unfortunately i didn't knew how to diagnose it back, then turns out it was a factory fault because those bikes were known to fail in the rectifier awesome knowledge 😍
Perfect timing 👍
tyvm for the great vid
also just to share as well since you used a royal enfield himalayan as a test vehicle - 1 of the design flaws of the himalayan as well as the interceptor & gt continental is the location of the rectifier - since these re units have no liquid cooling (relying on a combination of air/oil cooling) they tend to get too hot & w/ the bad location of the rectifiers these usually get to absorb the brunt of the heat breaking down & causing problems for the bikes - so for a good number of us here in hotter regions of asia w/ these re units a relocation of the rectifier is a common solution that really works
looking forward to you future vids - keep it up
also, IF your meter can perform a relative function. eliminate the Lead/probe resistance (REL function) from the measurement....otherwise, your leads will be 0.2 Ohms of resistance. so subtract 0.2 ohms from your reading and there you have it.also be sure that your ground probe is on bare metal. paint will add to the resistance measurement...:) OH and Ari you're the bomb
Great stuff buddy
I love the Radio Shak tester!
Best one yet!!!!
Interesting choice to feature a Himalayan as here in the Philippines, Himalayans are more and more notorious for burning stators.
On the other, several Interceptor 650 owners, myself included, are relocating and replacing our regulator rectifiers because their placement behind the engine apparently doesn’t allow them to cool properly. Mine was showing signs of failure at 20k km on the odometer.
Nice video, very useful 👍
rectifier ended my trip once...good item to have as a spare on a long trip
Thanks!
Yay Ari the smart one!
Popular mod for the Suzuki DRZ400 (and seen on other bikes) is to run 12 gauge red and blacks from the RR directly to the battery, bypassing the wiring harness. This usually results in a voltage boost in charging power (results vary anywhere from 0.1-1.0V). DRZ400 folks call this the "free power mod".
Thank you sir
Good Job.
Getting one of those USB charging / volt reading addons is a life saver....nice to know how things are doing especially if you are riding a VFR which is known for cooking their RR? for some reason?
Great Video guys! 👏🏻 it would be great if you made a video on how to change the seals to the front suspension please. greetings 👊🏻
Thanks Ari
Excellent 👏
Oh man, this would have been a good video when my Ninja 650s stator went a few years ago. I definitely learned quite a bit by replacing it myself. This would have saved A LOT of time.
great video
Hilarious, rocking the RadioShack multimeter, a classic from a time long gone now :p I've got the same one tucked away in my tool box and must be at least 20 years old at this point.
The bolts on my stator had broken, and it was loose inside the case and broken, with bits falling off it. I thought I also needed a new side case, but lucky I was able to repair the treads. Garage was quoting over £800 for the repair I did it myself for £200 and that included a new stator, bolts, case gasket, oil change and filters.
Love the Radio Shack meter.
Love how this came out when I've been meaning to check the electrical system on my 88' ninja 250. It died on me a month ago and struggles to start now, not giving me any spark.
Great video, as always!
Personally I do the recharge voltage check as the first step. This to make primarily sure that there is something wrong with the recharge system...or not (maybe there is a slight shortcut or an abnormal consumption that is not related to the recharge system).
What do you think Ari?
What really turned me on was the Royal Enfield Himalayan. It didn't hurt to go to the most widely sold motorcycle in the world.
You can always upgrade your stator and rectifier and also your battery output
I would like to add that you should also check the magnets on the rotor assembly if you have to replace the stator. I went through two stators before I realized my magnets were loose and no longer spaced out causing me to thing the stators were bad.
Brilliant...
Tank you❤❤❤❤❤
My Triumph Tiger had a reg/rec fault a few years ago... destroyed the battery, a pile of relays, most of the bulbs, the tail led cluster, and has left the dash a bit temperamental..turns out that 20+v doesn't do good things in a 12v system. It took 2 replacements before I got a good one.
Literally have the same multimeter, nice 🤙
thanku
All my bikes came with halogene lights. I switched them for LED and use the 60 Watts I saved for a heated seat. :D
OR you could just have a crappy rectifier to begin with. The Yamaha R3/MT03 lineup sold here in the Philippines is notorious for having Error 46 issues developing after 3 or 4 years of ownership.
It is a relatively common issue, though I do not know if this is common to other market variants as well. The fix for Error 46 is usually to repair the contact points that burnt out, or worse case, is to replace the entire regulator rectifier unit itself, which is freaking costly here.
Other bikes from yamaha also suffer the same issue here but with a different error code. I believe for the nmax/aerox it is Error 13 or 16, same issue, regulator rectifier failure.
well, here at idn, 46 or rossi error also common on r25/mt25