[inkaddict]

I am having charging problems with 85 vulcan 700. I have replaced the battery and r/r and when I hook up the meter the stator checks out ok. Talking to a couple of people at work they told me that the stator could be bad even though it read ok on the meter(something about when I start the bike things could change) so they told me to start the bike and disconnect the battery and if the bike stayed running the stator is ok and if it died the stator is bad. Has anyone ever heard of this? When the bike is running and I put the meter to the battery posts I get anywhere from 11v to 14.5 volts. I does not matter if I am at idle or revving the engine, the meter just kinda jumps around and after about a minute or so the meter jumps down to 0v. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

Bob

 

[Loran in Npvl IL]

On our bike, I know for a fact (or personal experience):
if you disconnect the battery, the bike will die.

There are some bikes this may work on but not the VN750.

 

[Ernie]

Don't know for sure if this applies to the VN750 but if you disconnect the battery on some vehicles when they are running it can wreck the diodes in the regulator/rectifier. A good test for the stator is to measure the resistance between all possible wire pairs - there should be equal readings all round. Also, check for any continuity between all 3 wires & earth (frame or engine casing) - there should be none. Finally, leave the stator disconnected & start the engine. Switch your multimeter to AC volts & measure the reading between all possible pairs of wires. Any reading above 60v is good (I had 90+ when I checked mine). All 3 readings should be similar. I have a Kawasaki factory manual & can scan & send a copy of the test procedures if it's any help. My other bike (Suzuki GS1000) once developed a charging problem which turned out to be no more than just poor connection around the charging system - worth checking. Even connections that are visually good can be corroded inside.

 

[Dirk]

is it not so,that you can check your stator by starting the engine , turn the big lights on en see if they shine brighter when you give more...when you turn the...when you let it run faster.[choose the word]

 

[Allan(Flash) Gordon]

When your meter went to Zero Volts....did the motorcycle quit running? You should be making your voltage measurement directly on the battery terminals.

AG

 

[jm1515]

... When the bike is running and I put the meter to the battery posts I get anywhere from 11v to 14.5 volts. I does not matter if I am at idle or revving the engine, the meter just kinda jumps around and after about a minute or so the meter jumps down to 0v. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

Bob

I'm probably way late with this, but.....

Don't assume a charging issue...yet. First of all...what were the symptoms of your initial 'charging problem' ??

If yer standing by the bike, meter leads directly to the battery and working the throttle, I don't think you'd see the reading 'jump down to 0v' if your charging system was kaput....more likely a gradual decline as the battery discharged...assuming a fully charged, working battery. 11v is too low, but 14.5 is excellent....
Also, because your meter is 'jumping around' and not sweeping smoothly, I would first question the battery...sounds like it could be shorting inside. Your meter or the leads could be defective also ....
I would check all the connections leading from the RR to the battery. Make sure you have good ground and that all bullet conections are good.
Then do the tests on the stator...

http://www.vn750.com/forum/showthread.php?t=634

Come back with what you find out...

 

[kenzacharyla]

Not sure what they replaced but it was done all under warranty and the ticket did read diodes,etc but I never saw stator; this is what happened. I was on a trip and got caught in the rain so I waited out the deluge. When I tried to ride the rpm gauge started dancing all over the place and the bike died. I towed it to a dealer who performed a battery and charging test; the equipment showed the charging system was fine so they replaced the battery and off I happily road. Lasted one day! On fumes and after recharging that battery, I made it back to that dealer. What they found was that at 4000 rpm the charging system was failing but fine up to 3000rpm. They kept the bike and my warranty fixed it.

 

[Ironman]

I am having charging problems with 85 vulcan 700. I have replaced the battery and r/r and when I hook up the meter the stator checks out ok. Talking to a couple of people at work they told me that the stator could be bad even though it read ok on the meter(something about when I start the bike things could change) so they told me to start the bike and disconnect the battery and if the bike stayed running the stator is ok and if it died the stator is bad. Has anyone ever heard of this? When the bike is running and I put the meter to the battery posts I get anywhere from 11v to 14.5 volts. I does not matter if I am at idle or revving the engine, the meter just kinda jumps around and after about a minute or so the meter jumps down to 0v. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

Bob

First off, running the bike without the battery can fry the R/R so don't do that. Here's an electrical fault finding chart that you should use, https://www.electrosport.com/electrosport_fault_finding.html
What brand of R/R did you put in it? I've read that some replacement R/R give weird voltage readings due to the way they work. "A .1 mfd non-polarized capacitor, available at any RadioShack, wrapped between the + and - terminals on the VM will smooth out your readings nicely...." (I got that from the Yahoo forum) Another problem is that some stators don't generate properly when they're hot. They check out ok when cold though. I'd run the bike until it was up to normal operating temperature, then check the voltage at the battery with the engine turning 2500 rpm. It should be 13.5 volts or more. Increase the speed to 5000 and it should be lower than 14.8. These numbers come from the chart referenced above. If these checks don't pan out, keep following the directions in the chart. Another problem that's easy to check is for bad connections on all the ground cables. A bad ground will cause all kinds of problems. Also, look for a white wire with a red stripe coming from the junction box going to the battery. That wire carries the current that charges the battery. There's a bullet connector in it that can corrode. Make sure it's clean and tight too.