[Mike_Parson]

I am a newbie to the forum and i have a new to me 87 GL 1200I. i got it a few days ago and the first day i had it i started it at least 8 or 10 times as we had many stops on the way home. It never gave me an issue.
well the next day i got up for work and it started fine and i drove it to work with one stop along the way there as well. got to work and parked the bike. I go to get on it to go home and the battery is at 9V and wont start. I pull the pattery out and go buy a new one as i didnt knwo how long the old battery had really been in the bike.
Got to work this morning with a fully charged new battery and put it in and the bike started fine and i let it run for a while to just warm it up. This afternoon i go out to check the voltage and the battery says 12.69V and so i start it up and its running. I check the voltage and it says 12.11V so i rev the engine and hold it at 3500RPM. the voltage goes up to 12.22V but no higher. this seems low to me. shoudl it not be a lot higher to charge the battery. while revvign at that rPM it never dropped below the 12.22V. Any ideas on what to start checking? I dont have an manuals or anything yet as i just got the bike. I could sure use some direcvtions to look before i try to take the bike on any kind of long trip like i have planned for next weekend. I dont want to get stranded.... Thanks for any help you fellow GL riders can give.

 

[detdrbuzzard]

hello mike, you can start by checking the stator and voltage regulator

 

[Mike_Parson]

and just how do i do that? i dont have a manual yet to give me any page by page directions. any more help?

 

[Cantankerous]

The is a plug to the left of the battery that has three yellow wires in it. Check the condition of the plug, if it isn't burned up, check the voltage between the wires. Each test should yield the same voltage.

 

[Mike_Parson]

so i found the regulator. but im not sure what exactally to do. i see the 3 yellow wires. there is also a black one and 2 red adn white ones and 2 green ones. can you maybe give me very basic specific things to do as i dont have a book yet? i sure do appreciate all your help guys. thanks in advance...

 

[detdrbuzzard]

disconnect the stator plug and regulator plug and check for continuity between the lead and each lead and ground. you should not have continuity to ground but you should have conyinuity between each yellow wire

 

[Mike_Parson]

I have tested the Regulator like you said. i have good contunity and i have consistant resistant on the 3 yellow wires. they arent exactally the same resistance but they are close. On the wires going down to the stator i have contunity to ground on all 3 yellow wires. Does this mean i have a bad stator?

 

[detdrbuzzard]

if you have continuity going to ground from any of the yellow wires the stator is bad

 

[Mike_Parson]

great. now i got to get a new one and then figure out how to replace it as i dont have a manual yet... thanks for the help guys...

 

[detdrbuzzard]

the stator on your wing is on the back of the motor so the motor will have to come out the frame or be turned sideways so you can get to the stator. do a web search for a poorboy alternator conversion you may want to go with one rather than replace the stator

 

[Mike_Parson]

well thanks for the help. i did the conversion and its working wonderfullly. havent had a single issue since i di dit. it took me a bit of time. about 8 to 10 hours total over a weekend but its all done. dont look to bad either. thanks again for the help.

 

[fossil92]

Hey Mike, How about posting some pics of the finished product? It may help others to see it.

 

[budoka]

Great idea detdrbuzzard! I've never seen the conversion myself and would like to.

 

[Cantankerous]

Hey Mike, How about posting some pics of the finished product? It may help others to see it.

Great idea detdrbuzzard! I've never seen the conversion myself and would like to.

Budoka must have had a little too much ....coffee this morning!

 

[fossil92]

I wasn't going to say anything Tank. HAHAHA

 

[budoka]

Budoka must have had a little too much ....coffee this morning!

I wasn't going to say anything Tank. HAHAHA

Yeesh, you make one little boo-boo somewhere..... probably scarred me for life. Oh the humanity!
...I don't even drink coffee