Gen light

[Roy Gavin]

There are also a couple of blobs of solder on the end of alternator rotor where the wires from the windings connect to the slip ring.
According to my rewinder failure at these points is the only fault on 90% or the rotors he gets in for a rewind .
Sometimes the slip ring has to be pressed off to fix, sometimes not.
EME has a cheap warning light bypass so you are always charging, and also a battery voltage monitor.
Gamatronics also have a cheap and compact unit which can be set to monitor either charge voltage or battery condition and is cheap reassurance one our elderly bikes, if you dont like waiting on things failing.

[Wobbly]

There are also a couple of blobs of solder on the end of alternator rotor where the wires from the windings connect to the slip ring. According to my rewinder failure at these points is the only fault on 90% or the rotors he gets in for a rewind.

Slinging the solder is usually a sign of over heating. Over heating due to pulling too much current from the alternator. That's easy when you run a 100W HL bulb, heated vest and heated grips.

Converting to all LED bulbs may give you just enough safety margin in your current budget to allow you to stay with the older alternator.

[Roy Gavin]

No problem with lights, ignition and a 300 watt alternator, stock wont pull 100 watts so adding 45 watts to the headlight still doesnt get you close.
Heated gear, grips and a couple of non LED spots might, if you like driving in the dark on ice.
Part or the problem is that the copper parts of the alternator pulls the heat away from the soldered joint and there might not be enough left to make a sound soldered joint, unless you are extremely careful.
It can also be caused by following the instructions on a crank mounted ignition system, some instruct you to scrape the blobs of solder off so the rotor sits flat------------.

[Gibson]

While working on setting the timing, I noticed the 3 connectors that plug in on the alternator looked like they melted just slightly. I suspected a bad connection perhaps on the spade connectors. I pulled them and plugged them back a few times. Have not seen the light yet. I suppose on a 23 year old bike some oxidation there is possible.

[Kurt in S.A.]

You gotta then wonder about the plugs on the other end of those three wires. On my /7, they're behind the diode board...the board has to be removed to get to them. When installing the solid mounts, I noticed that behind board connector was greenish with corrosion. I had Rick build me a new harness to replace the OEM hooded connector...breathes a bit better.

Kurt in S.A.

[Wobbly]

The problem is water, either from being washed or riding in torrential rain. It's a very good idea to treat all those connectors with a corrosion inhibiting compound for electrical connectors, such as No-Ox-Id (available on Amazon). Over the course of a year, I was able to treat every connector on my bike and things really did start working better, all over.

[Roy Gavin]

Problem is worse on modern bikes with the small solid state style regulator/ rectifier as they get hot and the heat travels down the wire to that first connector.
I have replaced them on every bike I have had , the correct size or Posiloc? has worked for me, with a bit No- Ox and adhesive shrink wrap. Eastern beaver---

[Gibson]

Hey Roy, thanks! So what regulator / rectifier do you recommend? I used a jeep Solid State rectifier regulator on my XS650, and it worked great!

[Roy Gavin]

I think EME has one, including a harness which lets you mount out in the breeze, but there is static regarding Mosfett ? types which appently run a lot cooler.
But they cost-----------.
I have been running a $20- ebay knock off on my F650 for the last 70,000 km, but my electrical knowledge isnt sufficient to tell if they would work on a airhead.
Some R/R'S just have three wires in from the alternator and two out to the battery, others add one or two more, and I have never tried to find out the difference!
Maybe one day!

[SteveD]

Hey Roy, thanks! So what regulator / rectifier do you recommend? I used a jeep Solid State rectifier regulator on my XS650, and it worked great!

Bosch RE57 regulator.
Thunderchild diode board.