There are two types of alternator's. The "Alternator" in the GL1100 has very strong magnets passing the stator coils that produces alternating current. Typically they are called stators and not alternator's that are used on car's and trucks. Stators produce the maximum current all the time. The regulator must convert the excess current not used by the electric components on the bike to heat and then dump it overboard via it's heat sink. An automotive alternator is completely different. The regulator controls the voltage of the rotating field coil to control current and voltage output of the alternator. Adding extra lights and accessories that do not exceed the stator output will not cause stator problems. It actually makes the regulators job easier. You can burn up your regulator with too little load forcing it to make more heat to dump overboard. That can happen when your headlight bulb burns out and you don't replace it immediately. Honda eventually realized they needed to stop using stators on their Goldwing motorcycles and switched to automotive type alternator with a controlled rotating field coil that's not producing full current all the time like a stator making it much more reliable and not needing to remove the engine from the frame to replace it starting with the GL1500 Goldwing motorcycles.
Thank you soooo much. So, safe to say that it needs direct current and not necessarily the alternating current which was causing the overload and the constant burnout of the fuse? Yes?
@@kelleynoiseux1888 The regulator converts the alternating current or AC produced by the stator to direct current or DC and regulates the voltage output by converting excess current and voltage to heat to maintain the correct voltage and provide the correct charging current for the battery. As for blowing fuses, that has nothing to do with the charging system. The fuse is blowing because whatever it's protecting is drawing more current than it was designed to use. A common problem that will cause that are bad connection's where a connection through a plug has become a high value resistor and increasing the current in that circuit. If the factory used soldered joints to connect wires together over time the solder will go bad and become a resistor, which will cause the fuse to blow. I've unwrapped many wiring harnesses and found soldered connections where the wire machine ran out of wire and instead of removing the short wire simply spliced in the wire from the new spool of wire using a soldered joint. Not all wiring harnesses would have that joint so the only way to find it was unwrapping the harness and inspecting it for bad solder joints and damaged wires that were just covered up and eventually went bad. Yes, it's a lot of work and a pain in the U know where, but unless you buy or make a new wiring harness that what you must do. That's something that comes with vintage Vehicles and not just motorcycles.
A rectifier turns ac to DC using diodes. Google it and hopefully find how to test it an annilog meter might be best for testing diodes.. what wires to test ???
the 1100 stators did not fail as bad as the 1200 Aspencades, I had a 1985 aspy that 3 stators failed in 3 years. I put a 40 am car alternator on it and the I had a great motorcycle. The best vsc gauges to use to sync the carbs are oil dampened gauges. I bought 4 from McMaster Carr to sync my carb and they were right on the money. Got to keep the older wings going they last forever as long as you take care of them Good luck and nice video
yeah there are a decent amount out there with well over 100k miles. I just bought one with 34k miles for 500 bucks that needed a new carb rack, it'll hopefully have a long future ahead of itself.
My 1100 driving me crazy. When I start my engine the voltage starts dropping. I have 270,000 miles on me1981 got it 1995 with 29,000 on it .I cooked the original stator at 110,000. I didn't know about hard wiring the connector learnt the hard way. I am 82 now I can't take the engine out now. On a.c. scale I get 30 to 40 volts on all 3 yellow wires. I have 4 1100s right now. I have tried 4 regulator on it same results. I have not changed the hard wires since I did it at 110,000.I have always hated electrical problems .I bought a new 1800 in2007 it has 195,000 0n it.I have been riding since 1955 grew up on Harley all we had back then. I have ridden over a million miles. If I had the great Honda back in the 50s I would would have a lot higher total today.
One thing I dont understand, the alternator produces a/c power but at the beginning you said set your meter to DC voltage. You were testing at the plug before the rectifier. Did I miss something?
You did not fix the problem. You fixed the bandaid. To fix it, one must find out why the ground wire of the wiring harness does not work..... If that ground does not work there will most likely be other problems.
There are two types of alternator's. The "Alternator" in the GL1100 has very strong magnets passing the stator coils that produces alternating current. Typically they are called stators and not alternator's that are used on car's and trucks. Stators produce the maximum current all the time. The regulator must convert the excess current not used by the electric components on the bike to heat and then dump it overboard via it's heat sink. An automotive alternator is completely different. The regulator controls the voltage of the rotating field coil to control current and voltage output of the alternator. Adding extra lights and accessories that do not exceed the stator output will not cause stator problems. It actually makes the regulators job easier. You can burn up your regulator with too little load forcing it to make more heat to dump overboard. That can happen when your headlight bulb burns out and you don't replace it immediately. Honda eventually realized they needed to stop using stators on their Goldwing motorcycles and switched to automotive type alternator with a controlled rotating field coil that's not producing full current all the time like a stator making it much more reliable and not needing to remove the engine from the frame to replace it starting with the GL1500 Goldwing motorcycles.
Good to know 👍
Thank you soooo much. So, safe to say that it needs direct current and not necessarily the alternating current which was causing the overload and the constant burnout of the fuse? Yes?
@@kelleynoiseux1888 The regulator converts the alternating current or AC produced by the stator to direct current or DC and regulates the voltage output by converting excess current and voltage to heat to maintain the correct voltage and provide the correct charging current for the battery. As for blowing fuses, that has nothing to do with the charging system. The fuse is blowing because whatever it's protecting is drawing more current than it was designed to use. A common problem that will cause that are bad connection's where a connection through a plug has become a high value resistor and increasing the current in that circuit. If the factory used soldered joints to connect wires together over time the solder will go bad and become a resistor, which will cause the fuse to blow. I've unwrapped many wiring harnesses and found soldered connections where the wire machine ran out of wire and instead of removing the short wire simply spliced in the wire from the new spool of wire using a soldered joint. Not all wiring harnesses would have that joint so the only way to find it was unwrapping the harness and inspecting it for bad solder joints and damaged wires that were just covered up and eventually went bad. Yes, it's a lot of work and a pain in the U know where, but unless you buy or make a new wiring harness that what you must do. That's something that comes with vintage Vehicles and not just motorcycles.
@@n4zou Thank you soooo much.
The most important part we forget is connection of the wires without that diagnosing is like nothing gets inside the brain what we connect wear
Glenn, great video, thanks for the charging circuitry lesson.
That's what's going on with my Gl 1200, going to check it out
Thanks for the education!
Thank you this video helps a lot with my gl1100 if I do not have a loose connection how would I check the voltage rectifier?
A rectifier turns ac to DC using diodes. Google it and hopefully find how to test it an annilog meter might be best for testing diodes.. what wires to test ???
@@GlennsSpeedShop
I will try that again thank you
the 1100 stators did not fail as bad as the 1200 Aspencades, I had a 1985 aspy that 3 stators failed in 3 years. I put a 40 am car alternator on it and the I had a great motorcycle. The best vsc gauges to use to sync the carbs are oil dampened gauges. I bought 4 from McMaster Carr to sync my carb and they were right on the money. Got to keep the older wings going they last forever as long as you take care of them Good luck and nice video
yeah there are a decent amount out there with well over 100k miles. I just bought one with 34k miles for 500 bucks that needed a new carb rack, it'll hopefully have a long future ahead of itself.
Danm, I just got an 84 aspencade and had to replace the battery. Now I'm worried 😅 gonna check the stator first thing 🤣 🖖
I’m replacing my wiring harness how do I know which yellow wire goes where because the have already been cut and soldered to the stator wires
Makes no difference. Do solder each one and quality shrink tube each connection. Good luck.
Glenn
My 1100 driving me crazy. When I start my engine the voltage starts dropping. I have 270,000 miles on me1981 got it 1995 with 29,000 on it .I cooked the original stator at 110,000. I didn't know about hard wiring the connector learnt the hard way. I am 82 now I can't take the engine out now. On a.c. scale I get 30 to 40 volts on all 3 yellow wires. I have 4 1100s right now. I have tried 4 regulator on it same results. I have not changed the hard wires since I did it at 110,000.I have always hated electrical problems .I bought a new 1800 in2007 it has 195,000 0n it.I have been riding since 1955 grew up on Harley all we had back then. I have ridden over a million miles. If I had the great Honda back in the 50s I would would have a lot higher total today.
Great story! I have ridden alot of miles, but you have me beat by a long shot. You and I have made alot of memories on the open road!
Glenn
PLease make an attempt to make it run !!! as long as your on here.
One thing I dont understand, the alternator produces a/c power but at the beginning you said set your meter to DC voltage. You were testing at the plug before the rectifier. Did I miss something?
You are right ,I think he meant to say AC voltage setting on the volt meter. 😊😊
Success!
Could also be a “Stator”
man compared to the one I'm working on all that wiring is a mess!
my 1984 goldwing stator wires getting hot not charging .
Remove the connector, solder the wires tofether, do a good job and re-establish it. Three yellow wires.
You did not fix the problem. You fixed the bandaid. To fix it, one must find out why the ground wire of the wiring harness does not work..... If that ground does not work there will most likely be other problems.
It was simply disconmected.
@@GlennsSpeedShop OK cool