OK, the short version.

The bike (97 F3) has not been holding it's charge for a couple months now. I have changed the battery, and the r/r. Still wont hold it's charge.

I charge it pretty much every night as the bike will only get about 30 miles before it dies/refuses to start.

I have checked the connector to the r/r, made sure the battery terminals are tight. All seem OK

I did some research on checking the entire system with a multimeter, but I am completely useless with the electrical side of things. I just don't understand what the guides are telling me.

Could someone list (in lehman's terms) anything I have overlooked?

Also, I read that checking the stator via the plug is a must, does the tank really have to come off the bike for that?? I have had the tank off before and had a huge problem re-attaching the fuel lines!

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm beginning to lose faith in my F3 and really don't want to.

 

Get yourself a manual. Preferably the factory one. In it is a section on trouble shooting the charging system. It has the numbers and tells you where to set your multi-meter probes to. I believe you can download a pdf from several places.

A quick test would be to measure the voltage between the terminals of your battery with the bike running. It should charge from 13 to 15.5 volts by 5000 rpm.

You can also disconnect the battery ground cable with the bike not running, and connect a meter with an amp scale or use an ammeter to measure the amount of battery drain. Spec is no more than 1.2 mA. Start with a 1 amp setting and lower it gradually if you have any wiring issues. Check all your connectors to the r/r for burning or discoloring.

Good luck

 

If the battery and r/r have been changed, the only thing left is the stator. You can usually tell when a stator is bad just from a visual inspection. Buy a stator cover gasket (alternator cover) just in case you break the gasket... which will probably happen. Have someone or something holding up the bike with it tilting slightly to the right and you won't have to worry about oil spilling and having to deal with a mess. To be specific about the stator cover, it's the left side engine cover that looks kinda roundish and has 9 8mm bolts holding it on. Be careful as there are wires still connected to the cover and possibly some cogs that could come loose so don't tug on it too hard. Look at the stator and see if you've got any scorching on any of the copper wiring that's wrapped around the prongs of the stator.

This is one method if you're not good with a multi-meter. If you're nervous about it, I recommend you bring it to a shop. I dunno how it is over there, but electrical diag around here doesn't cost much to have done and at least you can be sure of what needs replacing. Also, the diagnostics probably won't be much more expensive than the service manual itself.

Hope that helps. Let me know via PM if you need any clarification, I'm not a tech, but I've had my fair share of run ins with electrical issues on one of my bikes and can always ask a tech at work if I don't know the answer.

 

I just replaced my R/R due to it actually charring the connector to the point where its was burnt black and welded itself to the R/R pins, but enough about me.....I recommend taking the tank off, i know you said you had problems but its just 2 bolts and some tubing, have a second hand to help hold the tank up. Then follow the stator wires from the case to the where they connect the R/R, un plug, set the tank back on with the fuel line hooked back up, no need to tighten, start your bike, take a multi meter and set it on AC, stick MM terminals in legs of stator connector, making sure to test all 3, idle mine was 45-47 VAC, have second hand run RPM's up to 4500-5000 and see what you get, i think it should be around 65-70 (not positive) but from your situation i'd imagine you wont be getting readings even at idle if you replaced battery and R/R. Remember, test the stator wires coming from the case, not the R/R connector

 

I did exactly the above and eventually found the cause of all my charging headaches!



the connector between the main wiring loom and the stator coil is completely fried!

I have replaced all the connections and the stator coil as the wires coming out of that were looking a bit dodgy too. She is runnning well now.

Next job on the list is to replace the cam chain tensioner as that has developed a rattle!

Ahhhh the joy of owning an older bike!

 

hay buddy thanks for posting on my thread as im in the same issue to just clarify

did u replace the stator or did u just replace parts of the wiring as mine is not as burnt as urs only one wire n connection point is burnt????

cheers jamie

 

Replaced the whole thing mate. The stator didn't look great so replaced that as well as the wiring.

 

:0 no wonder your wires burnt out its dirty, get some castrol dwf and get cleaning seriously though you should replace RR and stator at the same time as when one melts it usually causing the other to melt also had that with mine way back.

oh and 30 miles :s i was getting 100miles with no stator and a brand new battery