Electrosport stator

[AK Tiger]

Waaa.  Lost the charging system on my way to work this morning.   I wondered why my electric vest wasn't so hot!  When the tach and the speedo quit, I figured I had a problem.  The ol' Girly kept running, however, and got me to work.  Battery was sitting at 10.66 volts.  After a recharge on the battery, electrical system is running at 12.6v at 4000 rpm.
I'll be sending in the stator to Custom Rewind as soon as I can get it boxed up.  I'm looking for a Honda R/R as we speak.
Looks like my Death Valley ride is going to be postponed for a week.

[AK Tiger]

WOW!  I had the stator rewound, swapped in a Honda regulator/rectifier, and shortened up the leads.  System voltage increased from just over 13.1 VDC up  to 14.48 VDC, and this is at idle with low beams.  With brights and heated grips on high, I'm still looking at 14.18 at idle.  I'm a very happy hampster!

[delecti]

Is it worth putting the Honda R/R on with original stator? are the original stators still good to go? or is the R/R the problem? who is the culprit?

[oxnsox]

I don't believe there is a definitive answer there.  

The simple RR design, and location, means it tends to run hot which stresses it and (probably) ultimately causes it to fail... when it fails it can, and usually does take out the stator. (Which is why you should replace both if you have a failure)

However, in following the charging threads here, there are some concerns that the stators may fail due to their insulation coatings breaking down, perhaps when splashed with oil residues that can accumulate in the housing. (But this could also be due to an RR failure shorting a winding)

Both concerns are valid, but given that the stator will always run at a similar temp (given that it is connected to the end of the crank on the hot engine AND that it is always running fully loaded), it is probably operating well within spec. It's my opinion that the predominant failure in the system is most likely caused by an initail fault in the RR, so changing that (and doing the voltage mod) should give you a more reliable system.

[delecti]

Given that there seems to be a rash of problems in this area, it seems that between 30-60k the R/R plays up and needs replacing, this in turn buggers stator and it to needs replacing. The stator once warmed up wouldnt change a great deal in temp, where as the R/R certainly would, given where it is riden. eg heavy traffic, highway dirt tracks etc.

Ofcourse changing it early and for a couple of hundred bucks beats braking down on the side of a little used dirt track in a thunder storm without wet weather gear and no tool  and no mobile service! on your jack malone. javascript:emoticon(':cry:')

Question will at some stage the stator/R/R fail?

[oxnsox]

Can't say....

Whilst there are a lot of folk post about these failures there are a lot of riders who never see the problem.....

Interested you've noticed the issues seems more prevalent 30-60k, I hadn't picked up on that. This could simply be when the heat load stress finally takes it's toll??

The heat buildup in the RR relates more to the load on the electrical system rather than than how the bike is being driven. Sure higher revs may generate more electrical power, but it is how the excess energy is disapated that appears to be the issue. Simply put it is turned to heat in the RR which must be dissapated effectively for it to remain fully functional.

Certainly relocating the RR to give it better cooling (airflow) should reduce the stress on it. (Theres threads on that here too.) Similarly replacing it with a new or different unit will alter when a failure may happen - IF it is related directly to heat stress over time.....

Can't be more helpful sorry, but I'd guess if it was a cut and dried issue then the factory would have dealt with it one way or another.

[cosmo]

OK. So, since I'm a little lazy, where is the RR on my '06??

Would the accumulated knowledge think that a heat sink as on the Zener diode be a help?? A decent winter project, methinks.

As for the oil, until now, Triumph alternators have always run IN oil. It was my understanding that oil, being non-conductive, simply cooled the alternator, therefore giving it MORE lifespan, not less. When my 650 Tiger was having trouble, my dealer, whom I was going to give mucho dinero for a new one, stated that they never fail, leading me to the Lucas RR, which was the problem. Again, tucked up away from airflow (behind the bloody huge oil tank/frame member).

Oh, and my 2CV had nothing more than a labyrinth 'seal' for the points, and oil was always in the point box. Nary a spot of trouble, ever.

Cosmo

[iansoady]

Cosmo,

You may be confusing the Meriden bikes with the Hinckley ones - the only points of similarity are the names.......

The stator on my 1974 Norton Commando did indeed fail, with an intermittent open circuit. This sent a spike through the circuit, frying the rectifier. The Zener diode worked well for its time (and was infinitely superior to the switched half-charge system) but was very crude.

Hinckley bikes have a more "sophisticated" RR witha 3-phase alternator and RR. But they still seem to have problems.

[cosmo]

No, not confused, just not sure what/where is the RR on the Hinckley bike.
On the Meridan bikes, which used a Zener, there was a heat sink, which is the idea I would try on my '06, if there was the thought that it might help. That particular heat sink (Meridan), was a simple aluminium sheet, post '66, or a mounting on the airbox (OIF models).
I think that the RR (Hinckley) is the finned bit on left side, just under the side cover, quite near the power socket.

'Zat so??

Then I have my project.

Thank you,
Cosmo

[Mustang]

all has been discussed and you will find pretty much all the info you need here
http://tigertriple.com/forum/index.php/msg,35763

[cosmo]

Ta muchly

[german]

Well, after 2 years with this electrical charging problem I am buying for 2nd time RR and the Stator, now the Rick´s product, previously were the OEM.

Some months ago i bought the electrosport RR but was inop and they got back part of my money.

[oxnsox]

Since you're effectively staying with the same charging solution (just changing the supplier), try relocating the RR to it can dissapate the heat better....

[delecti]

If you are to run enough electrical equipment to negate the residue of power to be converted to heat but leaving enough extra this would cut down the amount heat in the R/R?

Geting the balance right is the problem and ambient temp as well as riding conditions.

we need experient.

Mark

[oxnsox]

.... and there also needs to be enough 'left-over' to charge the battery......