[seancap]

imported post

Voltmeter is installed on right side faring. It seems to be accurate with the battery status. Deteremined that I have about 27-30 vots AC coming from the stator. So I replaced the old voltage regulator with a new one and she was good for about 5 hours as of New Years eve. Next day when I went to start it I noticed that the voltage indicated from the battery voltmeterwas at 12 volts and slowlyfalling.



The previous owner had a set of condensors/capacitors jumped into the regulator to respective green and red wires. Was I wrong to put it right back like he had it but only with a new part this time.



It did post scores of up to 14.5 on the battery voltage gauge for a few hours after the install. - then 12v and falling after a good charge. Otherwise she runs great.

 

[wingsam41]

imported post

seancap wrote:

Voltmeter is installed on right side faring. It seems to be accurate with the battery status. Deteremined that I have about 27-30 vots AC coming from the stator. So I replaced the old voltage regulator with a new one and she was good for about 5 hours as of New Years eve. Next day when I went to start it I noticed that the voltage indicated from the battery voltmeterwas at 12 volts and slowlyfalling.



The previous owner had a set of condensors/capacitors jumped into the regulator to respective green and red wires. Was I wrong to put it right back like he had it but only with a new part this time.



It did post scores of up to 14.5 on the battery voltage gauge for a few hours after the install. - then 12v and falling after a good charge. Otherwise she runs great.

Unless he is a rocket scientist- I'd highly recommend removing what he put there and retest. First and formost welcome to this forum. Any GL1200 needs to have the wiring from the stator to the regulator checked carefully and you need to remove any connectors in the path as they will almost certainly overheat. It is important to be sure no one has performed a bad "repair" that you are accidentally leaving in the circuit. To be sure, one of the best ways is to start with the 3 yellow wires that come out of the stator. You can run 3 new wires from stator to regulator and solder the wires together eliminating the connectors. I would additionally solder all remaining connections off the regulator's wiring harness. Finally check the condition of the main dogbone fuse at the start solenoid to see if that to requires attention. Many people prfer to remove the main fuse setp and go with an inline fuse. Also the type of regulator is important. Many aftermarket ones will fail quickly. Regulator Rectifier.com has the correct Shindengen regulators. Let us know if any of this has been done. If not, can clarify...

 

[Ken Bergen]

imported post

If you tested the stator at idle not the recommended 3,000rpm and without being connected the 30vac might be good enough.

The capacitors are likely to smooth the charging ripple that can cause radio noise.

It's possible that either the stator or new regulator has decided to take a vacation but double check all connections before condemning either.

 

[seancap]

imported post

Thanx for the fast input. - I'm looking forward to retracing all of the wires in the harness to the stator. I have sufficient reason to believe the sator is doing it's job because I can read plenty of AC voltage coming from the leads at the coupler next to the negative battery terminal, 30 Volts AC. The rest will be in tracing the wires to the stator. The new part is only 2 days old and worked for a few hours at idle and under revs. It would be just my luck that I bought a bad one online. Though the seller was a peach to deal with on ebay. - http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220917517749&ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:US:1123

 

[wilf]

imported post

Don't know about the 1200 but both my 1100 and 1000 will show below 12 volt's at times on there built in volt meters. Not shure why this happens but they do go back up after riding but when stopped the voltage can go down below 12 and stay there for a while till under way. Sometines when riding I will glance down at the gauges and see the volts below 12. but I ignore it because it will spend most of it time in the 13 v mark. Perhaps your old regulator was on way out and reading high all the time
Wilf

 

[Ken Bergen]

imported post

Well you just answered your question. You bought a cheap Asian knockoff and as expected it failed.
Get your money back if you can but don't accept a replacement if it involves any shipping/handling charges as it will likely fail as soon or sooner than the one you have now.

I don't have a source for a good regulator on hand but someone will post one soon. Expect to pay about double what you did for one that actually works.

 

[seancap]

imported post

I think next I will inplug the suspected faulty regulator - and test output voltage on the yellow stator leads on the harness side of the plug.(that would go into the regulator) If they match the scores I saw at the plug of the stator pigtail, we can eliminate the wiring jacket and lay blame on bad aftermarket stuff.

 

[neoracer]

imported post

if you dont have 40-70v tested on all three legs A-B,A-C,B-C
at 3000 rpms you have a problem to begin with,the fact that you bought an aftermarket regulator if if isn't marked Shidigen only compounds the problem, hopefully you have already upgraded the stator connector and all voltages are checked for 12V at the battery,bad connectors at the solenoid also can create a less than reliable test,many problems also occur at the regulator connectors and hardwiring isnusually reccommended there too
sorry that we meet on this forum under less than ideal conditions but welcome nevertheless and we will help guide you thru the problem

 

[groutby]

imported post

Hi seancap, welcome..!!!:waving:, totally agree with neoracer, you need around AC 45 "ish" volts + across (not to ground, pick any two of the three wires and test and across each) of the disconnected legs from the stator at around 3,000rpm, if you have, all good at that point, and then move forward to the regulator..you mentioned AC 27-30 volts at the stator, if that's at 3,000 rpm, sadly we have a problem here to start with..........worth a quick recheck before moving on?...take a look at recent posting "3 yellow wires, GL1200", this may help?

 

[seancap]

imported post

You guys are great. Thanx, I know we'll get er whipped. Holiday schedule is over and I'm looking forward to tracing this away. But gotta go to work through friday. Love that Bike.

 

[seancap]

imported post

New Part is finally installed over the last defective one. SHe's posting 13.5 volts across the battery and the voltmeter in the dash is just over 13 at startup. Now to do an international fax notary and registrationwaiver to buddy/ donor of bike who signed the title and thought it was good. - Whups?

 

[neoracer]

imported post

dont be surprised if the none OEM regulator doesn't last any longer than the previous one did

the condition of the regulator connector from its appearance may be the source of some of the problem in itself due to poor connections

just saying

 

[ridgid11]

imported post

it looks like you had to cut the wires and change the ends so maybe its not the right one for your bike

 

[roscoepc]

imported post

Here's the site to contact for the correct OEM Shindengen regulator: http://www.regulatorrectifier.com/catalog/



They have a chat window that you can use to ask for the correct regulator for your bike. I've only heard of 1 regulator that was bought there that failed but it turned out the bike had additional issues causing the new unit to fail.



Good luck with her!

 

[seancap]

imported post

I'm noticing that part - at least the old one was getting hot pretty quick. 195 deg -F in just a few minutes. Admittedly I did idle the first one for quite some time before catching on to this. It did quite a job for, 90 minutes? All - put together on the centerstand? (On new Years eve i knew better than to take her on the road - "with no new tags yet" =). Couldnt resist reving idleing and inspecting the thing. - We'll respect the job that the regulator does. - Might loose that tool tray in intrest of keeping her cooler.

 

[nobbie]

imported post

Ken Bergen wrote:

Well you just answered your question. You bought a cheap Asian knockoff and as expected it failed.
Get your money back if you can but don't accept a replacement if it involves any shipping/handling charges as it will likely fail as soon or sooner than the one you have now.

I don't have a source for a good regulator on hand but someone will post one soon. Expect to pay about double what you did for one that actually works.

I had the same bad luck with a Honda OEM R/R, lasting a few tank fulls. Isn't japan part of Asia? I then replaced itwith a used R/R from an 1100 and no problem. ThenI sold the bike.

IMO if you want a museum piece 100% true to the build list go for new R/Rs. If you want to ride go for a conversion.

 

[roscoepc]

imported post

nobbie wrote:

IMO if you want a museum piece 100% true to the build list go for new R/Rs. If you want to ride go for a conversion.

Nobbie, I'm sorry but if, as you say,"you want to ride", you DON"T have to go fora "conversion" with the GL1200, (I'm assuming you're talking about the Poorboy Conversion)..... You just remove/repair the problem areas like the stator and regulator connectors and the 30amp maindogbone fuse,(s), and you can ride like a Big Dawg coast to coast if you want to!! At least I feel confident enough to do so on mine!!



Is mine now a Quote: "a museum piece 100% true to the build list"?? No.. The connectors/fuses mentioned have been removed... But She's very close AND She's,,,,, Rideable!!!!:coollep::coollep:

 

[newday777]

imported post

Did you inspect the wires coming off the battery? There was another post on here a few weeks ago, long thread, where he had a melted battery post, reused the battery wires and a new battery and went through a couple regulators before finding out one of the battery wires was toasted. Just a thought to check before hooking up another R/R.

 

[wingsam41]

imported post

roscoepc wrote:

nobbie wrote:

IMO if you want a museum piece 100% true to the build list go for new R/Rs. If you want to ride go for a conversion.

Nobbie, I'm sorry but if, as you say,"you want to ride", you DON"T have to go fora "conversion" with the GL1200, (I'm assuming you're talking about the Poorboy Conversion)..... You just remove/repair the problem areas like the stator and regulator connectors and the 30amp maindogbone fuse,(s), and you can ride like a Big Dawg coast to coast if you want to!! At least I feel confident enough to do so on mine!!



Is mine now a Quote: "a museum piece 100% true to the build list"?? No.. The connectors/fuses mentioned have been removed... But She's very close AND She's,,,,, Rideable!!!!:coollep::coollep:

Ditto that Don-I'm running stock but improved set up and I've done two 2500+miles trips into Canada and back running heated gear -plus an 1800 miler to Arkansas and back. Charging system and bike performed flawlessly.

 

[CrystalPistol]

imported post

Honda says at least 50 Volts AC at 3000 engine rpm on any two pairs of leads from the stator.


That's three pairings.





.