Statorless: observations (updated)

[Anonymous]

I am presently running my 82 GS1100EZ without a stator. Tonight I went for a ride to see how long I could run before my battery died.

For starters:
I began my test with a battery voltage of exactly 12.40V without load. Right on. I charged it up a few days earlier with my standard wall plug-in battery charger. I used my BC 1200 bike computer to clock my ride time.

On the ride:
I rode with typical duty cycle. I started out with a half mile on residential streets, then 6 or 7 miles on the highway. The rest was all city driving. I checked my voltage at about 10 minutes. It had fallen from 12.4V to 12.2V (no load).

Near the end:
I ran fine until about the 35 minute mark, where I had trouble accelerating in 5th gear. I was running down by a couple cylinders at that point, but only when I opened the throttle up. I was back at my home at that point, and I checked the no load voltage: 11.8V. The starter groaned and complained but it started and ran, so I ventured out again. I only made it a few more miles. At the 40 minute mark I was running weakly on two cylinders I think, with an open throttle. I'm not that good at hearing a misfiring cylinder, so maybe I was always misfiring, but the gas expansion at idle was too subtle for me to hear. Anyway, I limped home, being down to one cylinder at the end and put it up for the night. Final no load voltage: 11.6V. With load: 11.0. Total ride time, including limping home: 44 minutes. Total distance: 25 miles.

I know I'm low on gas, but I don't think I hit the reserve during my test. I think it would fall off and die, rather than limp on one cylinder, if I were
out of gas. EDIT: Well, it turns out that I was out of gas. Poopyhead. Fortunately, that means that I could have kept going. Although my starter was so weak that I was probably right to stop then.

In case you were curious,

Michael

[Anonymous]

Update:

I recharged my battery from the wall charger and went out for a ride. But before I rode, I installed the left-hand control pod which Billy Ricks, hereafter referred to as Awesome Dude, gave me for free. (yay!) In the course of wiring in the new control pod, I deliberately left the high-beam selector wire disconnected and taped off. So, effectively, I turned the high/low headlight switch into a headlight on/off switch.

So I drove around town this evening (during the lighter hours) with my headlight off, testing the durability of my battery without the headlight load. Unfortunately, the first thing I found was that my sputtering engine from the previous tests was due to lack of fuel. Oops. At least that means that the electrical system will hold out at least that long. So I switched to reserve, filled up, and continued my testing.

Here's the data I collected:

Baseline battery voltage (no load): 12.50V
Total ride time: 45 minutes
Final voltage (no load): 12.08V

At this rate I could probably ride for hours before my battery could no longer run the spark plugs. I won't go on any big trips because of the "what if" factor, but it's nice to know that my bike will be fine around town -- as long as the cops don't notice I'm riding without a working headlight. If they do catch me and I decide to try and weasel out of it, I'll say "really?" and look surprised. I'll fiddle with the high-low switch and say "Huh. Must be the high beam burnt out."

Michael

[scotty]

thats good info. It alaso gives sort of proof that installing a healight kill switch can save the ride.
Yeah we know--some older gs bikes already have them as standard equipment.((jealously said)) 8O

[Anonymous]

When I had a '80GS750L the stator went south. I would charge it every day and ride 26 miles to and from work(2nd shift). One day I forgot to put it on charge and made it to work, but when I started home at 10:30p.m. my light got very dim within a mile or so. I had to switch the light on and off for a while, mostly off, and made it home. I probably rode almost 2 hrs with the light on.

[Detman101]

Now this is the type of field testing I love to see.

Thank God my ratbike has the on/off and hi/lo switches already on the controls. :P

Dm of mD

[Anonymous]

thats good info. It alaso gives sort of proof that installing a healight kill switch can save the ride.
Yeah we know--some older gs bikes already have them as standard equipment.((jealously said)) 8O

Just remember that if you want to do that, you must disconnect the RR from the stator. If you run it headlight-off with just one part bad you will likely ruin both of them. My stator is lying on the garage floor so I don't have to worry. And the RR is also completely disconnected from the wiring harness.

Michael

[Anonymous]

The stator and RR are dead on me 80 750L, so I limit my riding to daylight hours, and just today road 150 miles total time 4 hours around the local lake and parks. I really like the headlight on\off switch on the old gal.

[Anonymous]

The stator and RR are dead on me 80 750L, so I limit my riding to daylight hours, and just today road 150 miles total time 4 hours around the local lake and parks. I really like the headlight on\off switch on the old gal.

How was the electrical system at the end? Was it able to electric start? Or was it a bump/kick situation?

I wish my bikes had kickstarters. Really really convenient sometimes.

Michael

[scotty]

thats good info. It alaso gives sort of proof that installing a healight kill switch can save the ride.
Yeah we know--some older gs bikes already have them as standard equipment.((jealously said)) 8O

Just remember that if you want to do that, you must disconnect the RR from the stator. If you run it headlight-off with just one part bad you will likely ruin both of them. My stator is lying on the garage floor so I don't have to worry. And the RR is also completely disconnected from the wiring harness.

Michael

from what i think i have read, later bikes do not run one leg of the stator in that configuration so the switch is a simple job on some models

[Anonymous]

I never checked the voltage but it had plenty of juice left to start the motor.

I know that the battery will last right at 45 min with the headlight on, and would barely turn over after 20min, in town riding with a freshly charged battery.

[terrybird]

I am proud to say I have owned my 750 for the third year running a total loss electrical system. In the ensuing time I have purchased a quality leather jacket, two pairs of leather riding gloves, two new tires (one for front other for rear, in case you need to know), two full faced helmets (one for me one for passenger, if you need to know), and a Phoenix jacket for the really hot day we get up here. Now I am about ready for the charging system. I run ALL the time with the headlight on but not the preferred high beam and I get about 50 miles. Suzi only left me once, just last week. I was about a quarter of a mile ride downhill from home except for the last 200 feet (push uphill) which about killed me. I put a small (Ford type) harness under the seat to plug in my charger, but my biggest problem has been boiling the battery dry. My charger is a 4 amp that goes to 1 after about an hour. When I got the bike in the garage and caught my breath I pulled the battery and the cells were dry. I need a good reliable stator and reg for about 50 bucks. I would like to add more lighting for safety, I have seen some godawful bright lights on bikes and I want one. 8)

[Anonymous]

How come mine will only idle for less than 5 minutes? Is the battery shot? I had it tested recently was was told it was good.

[Anonymous]

How come mine will only idle for less than 5 minutes? Is the battery shot? I had it tested recently was was told it was good.

If you charge it up with a wall charger, it should run the bike for more than five minutes. If it doesn't, the battery or the charger is at fault. If the bike was at fault and discharging the battery in 5 minutes, the battery would get so hot that it would melt something. And I assume that isn't the case.

For a test, charge up the battery and run the bike for the 5 minutes, but keep a voltmeter on it and see what voltage happens and when. The battery should start out at an artificially inflated 13.5 volts or something and quickly drop to 12.4V or so. In five minutes it should hardly drop any more. If it is less than 12.0 V in five minutes you should do some diagnostics on your battery.

Michael