Need some advice on 80 gs850gl

[Stryfe]

Picked up a 1980 GS850Gl for $400.00 but has some electrical problems, previous owners jerry rigged some of the electrical. Trying to trace a charging problem. The big problem is that the rectifier/regulater and the generator both look aftermarket, since according to the clymer manual I have the rectifier is suppose to have a blue/white, yellow, and red/white wire going to the generator. But instead it has 3 solid yellow wires. The generator is suppose to have a green/white, blue/white, and a yellow wire that connects the the 3 wires coming from the rectifier, but those are all black.

When I tested the rectifier with the 2 fuses pulled and the engine running at 5000 rpms the voltage was 13.4 volts, and the manual says if it's undercharging to go on the the no-load alternator test, but before I do that is there anyway to tell if the previous owners if hooked the rectifier up to the right wires going to the generator since they are all yellow?

Thanxs for any input you can give.

[bwringer]

Two words: stator papers.

http://thegsresources.com/garage/gs_statorfacts.htm

Do not skip any steps, and this will answer all your questions and lead you to the solutions.

[Stryfe]

I appreciate the link but is there a way to open the R/R and tell by were the wires are connectied inside and compare that to were the wires are connected internally on the generator to tell if they are connected properly since all the wires from the R/R except for the power wire are a solid yellow and the three wires coming from the generator are all solid black?

Would the bike even run if they were connected wrong, does it matter how they are connected, or if they were connected wrong would that show up as under or over charging?

[Mike Pellet]

GS wiring

The three wires coming out of the stator all carry the same current.

I believe the color coding is mostly due to slight differences in the lengthes of the wires being connected.

Don't worry about it. Connect them in the way most convenient.

[bwringer]

As noted in the stator papers, the order/coloring of the stator wires is completely irrelevant. Most aftermarket units use three yellow or black wires.

[Stryfe]

thanxs for the info, once i replace the intake and airbox boots and put it all together I think I'm going to just replace the R/R and stator with the ones listed on ElectroSports website.

I'll make sure I take some before and after pics of my restore process, someone stuck a Vetter fairing on it and then discarded the original headlight casing and turn signal arm, which I plan on ordering and puting back on once I have the engine and electrical all running right.

Great site and thanxs again for the info, (and thanxs for clarifying the wire connections, read through the stator pages but missed the part I was looking for, but bookedmarked it for future references).

[Steve]

thanxs for the info, once i replace the intake and airbox boots and put it all together I think I'm going to just replace the R/R and stator with the ones listed on ElectroSports website.

Go ahead and spend your money, if you want, but I'll gladly accept the ones you took out. :shock:

Chances are that one or both of them are still good. Do the tests, read the results. If one of them is bad, replace it, not both. And, if you need a stator, I believe there is information (might be with the stator papers, I'm not sure) about where to get a re-wound stator for about half the price of new, and GSR member Duaneage has regulator/rectifiers available that are an upgraded Honda unit that are tested before shipping, also for less than half the price.

Spend your money if you want, but just remember that I'll accept leftovers. 8-[

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