1981 gs1100

[sean doan]

hey was just thinking about some stuff. i reacently thought i had a bad charging sytem. i forgot to mention when i tested it at the battery running it never went much over 13volts i rode for a hour and checked my battery again and the volts were still 12.8 so i should be good then right?

[SqDancerLynn1]

with the bike off what does the batter read ? I would sugest checking the stator. Make sure you have a good ground on the reg. The voltage readings should be higher

[sean doan]

dang the battery volts are 12.9 with it off and it will hit about 13.4 when running. see i dont totally under stand why you need 14.5 volts if its charging at over 12 the whole time shouldnt that be good enough for you battery.

[Marine36]

In order for your 12voltl battery to maintain 12volts the charging system must put out more volts typically for a 12 volt battery that means 14 for my laptop battery (14.4 v) it is 19 volt charger.

The charging system and battery also have to provide power to lights, coils, etc. when you are riding that is why more voltage is better.

[Big T]

Sean,

You may just have some corrosion in your connections preventing the full 14.5V. Especially check the stator wires where they hook into the harness near the battery. They have a tendency to get cooked even when stator is functioning properly.

And, add in that ground wire from the R/R to the batttery negative post. That seems to be a big improvement for most of these old bikes.

[sean doan]

now the R&R is the part thats bolted to the battery box right? is there anything i should check while im in working on my starter clutch.

[Nessism]

now the R&R is the part thats bolted to the battery box right? is there anything i should check while im in working on my starter clutch.

Make sure the wire terminals are in good shape and not corroded or cooked.

R/R typically is attached to the battery box. As Big T states, make sure to run a dedicated ground to the battery.

[BassCliff]

Hi Mr. sean doan,

For reference:
The Stator Papers

Stator Test

Stator Replacement

Regulator/Rectifier Replacement

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff