[exavid]

imported post

I doubt overloading the system will damage the stator, it's pretty much running full output all the time. The regulator is a shunt system that dumps excess voltage to ground so power that's not used it dumped. Overloading the system becomes noticeable when you can't keep the battery fully charged. Since the system doesn't put out full power much below 4000 rpm or so the battery will be losing it's charge if the bike is in slow traffic. The battery will be replenished when the bike is moving along briskly so it usually balances out. Add a little more load to the system and that balance is upset and the battery goes into a slow discharge until everything stops.

 

[exavid]

imported post

If your stator has a significantly higher power output than the OEM it's likely you're going to experience continuing regulator/rectifier failures unless you load it down. The problem is the regulation is a shunt system that dumps the excess current to ground. That's why the regulator isnormally hot. The more load you put on it the less it has to dump to ground and the cooler it runs. Sixteen volts is too high and can damage electronics and lead to premature lamp failure. Sixteen volts is a bit much to apply to your battery too for that matter. One thing you could do would be to apply a permanent electrical load that will keep the voltage down to a maximum of 14.5V. Either driving lights that are always on or something else that would be on all the time. The best solution would be to find a voltage regulator/rectifier that was designed to handle the higher power stator.

You situation is much like the older cars of the 30s and 40s, on a long drive they often had their headlights on to prevent overcharging their batteries because of inadequate voltageregulation.