Diagnosis of Bad Stator/ Replacement options?

[mudduck]

Thought I would share my stator failure story.

 

So I leave for a long DS ride bikes running as normal. About half way through the ride we stop and bike wont start just cranks over happily without firing. So next option push start....starts no problem. So we are only about half way through an all day ride so I only turn off where I can push start it and make sure not to kill it in the bottom of any canyons. Make the rest of the ride trying with the e-start occasionlly with no love. My bike would also backfire on decel which it never does normally.

 

So I'm thinking it could be valve clearances (12.5K miles 80% Single track) or stator. I check the stator leads continuity to ground and have continuity, thats bad according to the FAQ troubleshoot. Also only charging ~13V which isn't enough. Fully charged battery read 14+V. While I have the stator unhooked I hit the e-start and instant fire and running bike.

 

So is the Ricky Stator the preffered replacement? Let me know if you think I missed anything in the diagnosis. Any other advice on options for replacement are welcome.

 

TT Store has:

 

Ricky OEM Style--$240

 

Ricky (not OEM?)--$143

 

Electrosport--$125 and claims 20% higher output.

 

Thanks.

Edited August 28, 2013 by mudduck

[ohgood]

Thought I would share my stator failure story.

 

So I leave for a long DS ride bikes running as normal. About half way through the ride we stop and bike wont start just cranks over happily without firing. So next option push start....starts no problem. So we are only about half way through an all day ride so I only turn off where I can push start it and make sure not to kill it in the bottom of any canyons. Make the rest of the ride trying with the e-start occasionlly with no love. My bike would also backfire on decel which it never does normally.

 

So I'm thinking it could be valve clearances (12.5K miles 80% Single track) or stator. I check the stator leads continuity to ground and have continuity, thats bad according to the FAQ troubleshoot. Also only charging ~13V which isn't enough. Fully charged battery read 14+V. While I have the stator unhooked I hit the e-start and instant fire and running bike.

 

So is the Ricky Stator the preffered replacement? Let me know if you think I missed anything in the diagnosis. Any other advice on options for replacement are welcome.

 

TT Store has:

 

Ricky OEM Style--$240

 

Ricky (not OEM?)--$143

 

Electrosport--$125 and claims 20% higher output.

 

Thanks.

 

 

i'm not buying another rickystator, myself. i've had 3 of them inside of 20,000 miles. 

 

i'm trying a regular old rewound stator now, from a local shop. 

 

do not buy high output stators, they will run hotter, and cook sooner, to my understanding. 

[Anthon Berg]

do not buy high output stators, they will run hotter, and cook sooner, to my understanding. 

 

- I believe this is true, and I think connected to the DR-Z voltage regulator being a "shunt regulator". This is an electronically simple design that has the design compromise that if power usage is much lower than the maximum output, the stator heats up - because the regulator shunts the excess power "back into the stator". (As I understand it. This is not a technically accurate description.)

 

For e.g. Ducatis and Harleys there exist stator upgrades to series regulators which don't have this property. The stator runs cooler with these. (As I understand it. I may be wrong.)

 

The Yamaha WR250R/X has a 350W stator and plenty of unused power stock. I'd bet that Yamaha use a series regulator on them, but I haven't been able to find that information.

 

I'm always curious whether a WR250R stator or a Harley/Ducati aftermarket stator couldn't be used on a DR-Z400 to allow for a higher-output stator and/or better stator reliability.

Edited August 28, 2013 by Anthon Berg

[mudduck]

OK.

 

One vote no Ricky

Two votes no high output

 

Hmm....preferred to go with TT store.

 

So I found this stator? One year Warranty.

 

http://www.discountstarterandalternator.com/p-3457-stator-suzuki-dr-z400-drz400-drz400s-drz400e-drz400sm-2000-2012-motorcycle-new.aspx?cagpspn=pla&gclid=CL-x0dHSoLkCFShxQgodDBsAPQ

Edited August 28, 2013 by mudduck

[Drz400-driving]

OK.

One vote no Ricky

Two votes no high output

Hmm....preferred to go with TT store.

So I found this stator? One year Warranty.

http://www.discountstarterandalternator.com/p-3457-stator-suzuki-dr-z400-drz400-drz400s-drz400e-drz400sm-2000-2012-motorcycle-new.aspx?cagpspn=pla&gclid=CL-x0dHSoLkCFShxQgodDBsAPQ

why not buy another oem?

[mudduck]

$390 and from the research I have been doing they are not neccesarily better than aftermarket. My OEM only lasted 12K miles and I treat my bike well.

 

Looking for the best price/performance option if one has been found.

[Drz400-driving]

$390 and from the research I have been doing they are not neccesarily better than aftermarket. My OEM only lasted 12K miles and I treat my bike well.

Looking for the best price/performance option if one has been found.

well my oem stator has lasted 22000 miles so far.

[topaz250]

mine just went out, 18k km,,, so yeah i'm out for oem stator also.

went with RickyStator, many good reviews and after purchase support.

hopefully i'll be giving a good review.

 

TT store has good prices imo for US customers and I think Rickstator gives TT users a discount.

Edited August 28, 2013 by topaz250

[topaz250]

i'm not buying another rickystator, myself. i've had 3 of them inside of 20,000 miles. 

 

i'm trying a regular old rewound stator now, from a local shop. 

 

do not buy high output stators, they will run hotter, and cook sooner, to my understanding. 

yikes, how's the rewound one working and how much? Thx

[Noble]

Ricky Stator is the preferred replacement stator here on TT.  Good product, good customer service.  Elecrosport, not so much.  "High output" is more often just advertising.

 

ohgood seems to have more stator problems than anybody, not sure why.

 

Regulator styles confuse me.  There are only 2 choices.  Open circuit or shunt.  The electrical power gurus tell me both styles have drawbacks.  Shunt sends the unused power back to the coils. Open circuit creates high voltage discharge on field collapse.  Shunt seems to be the most common on motorcycles.  Automobiles use a different technology.  By reducing current to the electromagnets, alternator power is reduced.  Most motorcycles use permanent magnets so the magnetic field strength is not variable.

[mudduck]

Thanks Noble. That's what I was looking for.

 

Ricky it is...non OEM whatever that means. TT store has it for a little less than the Ricky website but free shipping from Ricky.

 

TT store it is.

[jeopardy98]

Ricky stocked some OEM stators back when they were out of their DRZ stators so people would have an option.  That is why their are 2 options.

[Erik Marquez]

i'm not buying another rickystator, myself. i've had 3 of them inside of 20,000 miles. 

 

i'm trying a regular old rewound stator now, from a local shop. 

 

do not buy high output stators, they will run hotter, and cook sooner, to my understanding. 

And I have 20,000 plus miles on one, plus dozens of them I have installed in street bikes, dirt bikes and a few in ATVs still going strong.

 

I'd venture a guess, it's not the quality of a Ricky Stator that is an issue.

 

To the OP...

Ricky Stator all the way, no reservations what so ever. 

[signit98]

I am using a 50 dollar stator from a eBay vendor I have used before with good results.... Can't be worse than my OEM which gave out with less than 2k miles on the bike... I also have a low draw led voltmeter installed and my head light is switchable... So, so soon as I see irregularity, I switch the headlight off and can ride at least 20 to 30 more miles .. works for me.

[Qqqqqqqqqqqq]

Yeah , it seems stators can go AWOL at almost any time . Some get 2 others get 20,000 miles .

[motobobintexas]

I bought a new stator and rectifier for 92 bucks from Caltric on EBay, getting 14.5 at the battery now

 

I replaced the OEM at 15K with one from Electrosport

 

That one just dies at 20K (5K miles)

 

I do have a Trail Tech lighter flywheel so that may cause some issues with the stator only lasting 5K miles on my bike

 

Before I only got 13.5 at the battery, I cleaned up the wires and checked the ground wire and such and it all seems good for now

 

I did buy a new LED voltage meter from EBay and I will post a pic of that when I get it installed.

 

I used to really believe in this bike but I seem to have a lot of minor problems with my bike with 20K miles

[topaz250]

I bought a new stator and rectifier for 92 bucks from Caltric on EBay, getting 14.5 at the battery now

 

Before I only got 13.5 at the battery, I cleaned up the wires and checked the ground wire and such and it all seems good for now

 

I did buy a new LED voltage meter from EBay and I will post a pic of that when I get it installed.

 

I used to really believe in this bike but I seem to have a lot of minor problems with my bike with 20K miles

 

we probably bought the same LED,,, at least we'll know when the stator craps out. I was lucky and made it home, stock one gave out @ about 18k kms.

keep us posted on how the Caltric one goes.

[mudduck]

Ordered Rickey stator from TT.

 

I was willing to pay more to support TT but  they had the best deal around $142 no tax or shipping charge.

 

Moto: I really can't complain about my bike at all 12K miles almost all of that is slow technical SSS. The stator has been the only failure, never once has it stranded me in some hole in the middle of nowhere.

 

If I was riding a different 4 stroke I would have already had two valve jobs and piston and rings set on the bike. 

Edited August 30, 2013 by mudduck

[Erik Marquez]

Ordered Rickey stator from TT.

 

I was willing to pay more to support TT but  they had the best deal around $142 no tax or shipping charge.

 

Moto: I really can't complain about my bike at all 12K miles almost all of that is slow technical SSS. The stator has been the only failure, never once has it stranded me in some hole in the middle of nowhere.

 

If I was riding a different 4 stroke I would have already had two valve jobs and piston and rings set on the bike. 

IN your order did you tell them you were coming from TT forums? If not, amend your order,, and you'll get a nice surprise. 

[mudduck]

Schnit, that reminds me that it is my b-day this month and I did'nt use my 10% discount coupon.