Bold claim about XZ550 Stator

[VFan]

On the www.regulatorrectifier.com website, they make the following claim about the XZ550 stator that they sell "Redesigned and Improved output Stator. This unit has a higher output capacity than the OEM unit, and will not have the problems that you have experience with you OEM version." Actually, they make that claim on all their stators, but nevertheless, the comment caught my eye.

I've written them an email to ask them who their manufacturer is, but meantime has anyone had any experience with RegulatorRectifier? They also have a similar claim about the R/R they sell for the XZ550R, "Re-Designed and Improved Regulator Rectifier. This unit has a higher output capacity, and will not have the problems that you have experienced with your original version. 8% better Performance than the stock unit." I'm intrigued by the possibility of them having best of breed quality parts for these two components

[Brian Moffet]

All we need to do is have 20 people chip in 8 bucks, ship one to H₂O and see how long it lasts...

[YellowJacket!]

All we need to do is have 20 people chip in 8 bucks, ship one to H₂O and see how long it lasts...

LOL...the true "Acid Test"

I think they should just ship it to him for free to try to prove their point.  If it fails, then theyre fibbing.

David

[h2olawyer]

That's a good one, Brian (and David)!

I'd say, these are from the same supplier Electrosport uses.  Same blue insulation on the stator and same casing on the R/R.  I got my last ones from RM Stator in Canada & that stator was the same as the Electrosport unit I bought a few years ago.  They're Chinese made.  Electrosport makes exactly the same claims.  When they were still Electrex, they had all their parts made in the US.  That's no longer the case.

I replaced an OEM type R/R with the Electrosport / RM Stator / this outfit replacement last year.  The regulator went out in about 1500 miles.  Swapped back to the old OEM type & got an additional 1000 miles out of the stator.  That stator was the first to go much over 1000 miles & it made 2500!  That's why I'm pretty sure I got a bad OEM type replacement R/R.  The older OEM type R/R still tests as fully functional with no faults.  Somehow, it was shunting too much back into the stator - with the new aftermarket R/R, the bike runs a bit cooler as well.

Pretty sure I have my stator issue cured.  I'll know in about 400 more miles.  If it fries then, I'll know it is most definitely a vibration issue since everything was replaced (again) last time.

H₂O

[VFan]

So much for their specific claim:

"We have a few different models, some are made in South America, and others in China. Is there a brand name that you are looking to avoid?"

At this point, it looks like simple cut and paste marketing

[Tanno]

Mine was Rick's Stator. It's now dead. I might just buy another from Rick.....mine lasted two years. That's longer than any of the warranties.

[jasonm.]

H2O, I doubt the cause is a vibration issue. Unless yours vibrates more than most or you are not using quality hardware to fasten the stator the the case. Both my Vs had the same vibe characteristics. Electical failures are caused by 50% heat the other 50% wiring issue. But in the Vision case is mostly heat. Take it from an E.T.

[h2olawyer]

After changing the stator several times and the R/R twice - and still burning stators, I was thinking I might have a high frequency vibration - one that isn't easily heard or felt.  After the latest R/R swap, I believe I may have the problem at least partly solved.  Always used the OEM hardware to mount the stator and always loctited the screws.

H₂O

[Tanno]

Mine weren't locktited.....but installed with a manual impact driver. I'm sure that I'll have to use the impact to get them out also.

[jasonm.]

you do not have to use the phillips bolts that hold the stator. There is enought clearance for regular hex bolts. Reason for the phils is to limit torque so you don't strip the cases.

[Glyn]

Perhaps those with stators that last a long time ride mostly at lower (or higher?) rpm's than those with short lived stators? I've only taken my bike to the redline a few times and ride mostly in the 4-5000 range, or try to. Mind you, I've already burnt one out.

[jasonm.]

90% of the time I am in 5th gear...back roads or hi-way. So my rpms are 90% 3500 to 6500. ANd I see redline regularly. 31k on the original....still kickin'...hope I have not jinxed myself.  FYI I have set my thermostat to 165 opening. COuld that be a help....? suggest that may help. But constant changing the same parts and not finding the ACTUAL cause is wasting time.  H20- You have an electrical issue and the stator failure is the result. QUESTION:What's the root cause?  Personally...I think it's likely the wiring harness. Or your brown regulator wire is screwing things up somehow. 

[Lucky]

I've been good for 5+ years now (touch wood). did all the regular mods, soldered the connections, moved the R/R & of course built the oil cooler.

--Lucky

[YellowJacket!]

I think H2O finally determined it to be a bad R/R.
somebody better knock on some wood.

David

[h2olawyer]

About 98% certain it was an R/R issue.  The times I've been able to swap the R/R in the past, I kept getting bad regulating issues in the replacement R/Rs & went back to the one that kept testing OK.

I'm getting tired of posting that I'm fairly positive I found the issue.  Posted it what seems like a dozen times in various threads.  It sure appears that the replacement R/R I got from Rick's when my original stator died was fubar from the start - even though it passes all tests with flying colors.  The "Rick's" R/R is nothing more than the exact R/R Yamaha installed originally.  Same size, shape, color, sticker & brand.  I'm now running the replacement R/R sold by RM Stator.  (Looks like the one Electrosport sells.)  Had one from RM last year & the regulation side went bad (charging @ 17+ volts) of course, that happened a week after the warranty ran out.   >:(  But, I got 1500 miles on that stator / R/R combo before the R/R died.  Then I changed back to the "Rick's" R/R and got the typical 1000 miles before the stator died.  So, I got 2500 miles out of that stator - 1500 miles on the RM + 1000 additional on the older "Rick's".  The fact I got the 1000 miles on the "Rick's" again was the telling factor.

If it was a wiring harness issue, I have no idea where it would be.  I've owned this bike since new & have never cut any wires except for the stator connectors.  I've built a few taps to install in line to get power for things, but that involved making a wire pigtail that plugged into factory connectors.  The only other wiring fault would have been a factory defect or a short from rubbing - but I went through the harness & there is no sign of rubbing anyplace.

H₂O  

[Rick G]

I installed a hardly used stator (OEM from the Vision racer) in the spring 0f '05 and it failed 2 weeks ago . Mileage was around 25,000. It's been hard wired on both sides of the RR, which is from a Kwaker KZ1100, which has a larger heat sink and its been relocated to a bracket above the left foot peg mount.
It failed after a day of running in 122. deg temps. The Vision was coming up on an oil change and was  about 1/4 quart low when i left home. It took a quart to top it off , just before I jumped on the freeway to come home, so the stator was not getting the correct amount of oil splashed on to it.
I still need to remove the '03 Eletrex, from the spare bikes engine and install it in the rider.

[jasonm.]

H2O, WHAT >>>>if any electrical accessories are you running? These bikes only put out max. 250-300watts depending on the rpm of the engine. The bike running and w/brake light on draws 217 watts. So imagine stopped at a light. The stator is not capable of pushing needed juice for high wattage accessories like an electric vest(winter) or another 55w quartz driving light...  I have 1157 bulbs in the front signals as running light(aka Honda style). That's only 16watts extra. I know any more draw is pushing it if I was stopped w/brake on. If you have high wattage accessories...take them off.

[h2olawyer]

Again, the damn thing is most likely fixed!  98.2763957% positive it was the R/R.  (re-read the post above as to how I made the determination)  I also installed a new battery both with the first stator / R/R replacement and just got a new one again this spring.  Made it 6 years with the previous battery on a battery tender.   8)

I went through several stators with just the OEM power requirements - no accessories.  Some I had just the helmet cam added.  The last 3 I had a pair of 55w driving lights.  Every time, the stator lasted 1,000 miles.  No more, no less.  (within a hundred miles)

The stator is ALWAYS putting out the maximum once the bike is over around 2K RPM.  The excess power is shunted by the R/R to ground & as heat off the R/R.  After much discussion here, I tried using all the available power & then some.  By using all the power, the R/R has much less or even nothing to shunt.  Made no difference in the stator life.  I've tried soldered connections, Posi-lok connections & OEM style plug connections between the R/R & stator.  No change.  I've run an additional ground from the R/R directly to the frame.  No change.  I've been through the entire harness twice looking for bad wiring - found none.  It isn't like I merely swapped parts every time.  I even tried using the battery from Tractor on one of the stators.  Still got the typical 1000 miles.

Tried other R/Rs, but every one I had on hand had a bad regulator circuit - charging @ 17+ volts.  With the new R/R from RM Stator, I got 1500 miles out of the stator before the regulator side died, installed the old OEM type R/R & got 1000 additional miles before the stator fried.  Finally, 2500 miles out of one stator!  The difference was the mileage I got with the R/R from RM Stator.  I installed another new RM stator R/R with the new stator last fall.  900 miles so far & going strong.  The R/R that I had been using tests fully 100% functional in all Electrosport tests & it was brand new when I originally installed it when the first stator died.  That was why I doubted it was the R/R for so long & tried finding other trouble sources.  I had thought the R/R could have been the culprit and that was why I finally bought a new one 2 years ago - (only to have it go bad about a week after the warranty ran out).

The big irony is that I decided to install a new R/R, & new battery when I put the first replacement stator in.  I was hoping to avoid future stator issues.  That was also when I soldered the stator / R/R connections the first time (never again).  Turns out that in my zeal to avoid or at least stave off future stator problems, the new R/R I installed has some sort of undetectable defect - at least undetectable with the Electrosport charging system flowchart - which ended up causing all the fried stators.   ::)  I believe it was failing to shunt all the excess to ground, causing the angry electrons to back-up and cooking the stator.  It was working more like a heating coil than a charging system.  With the new R/R (as well as the previous RM R/R, the bike tends to run cooler as well.

I installed an auxilliary power center in the fairing.  Ran a pigtail tap into the license plate light circuit to operate a 40A relay.  The tap is a "Y" with connectors that plug into the wiring.  No "Scotch Lock" type connectors.  In fact, the wiring has NEVER been spliced into - not even with a "Scotch Lock" connector.  Relay is wired directly from the battery & then to power center.  The aux power center has the driving lights, the volt meter & the helmet cam power port connected to it as 3 separate blade fused circuits.  However, I was blowing up stators long before I added the power center & it changed absolutely nothing regarding the stator life after installation.  I also added a second switched ground circuit to the cooling fan for manual operation.

My volt gauge shows 14.5 volts with everything but the driving lights on.  When I add those to the mix, the volts drop to about 13+.  If the cooling fan, brake light & turn signal are on, the voltage slowly drops to between 11.5 ~ 12 @ idle.  It quickly recovers to 13+ volts when I get moving again & the brake light / turn signal are off.

This is the last post I plan to make on the subject - unless this stator fries in less than 3000 miles.  I'm getting tired of typing the story over & over again & again.

H₂O

[QBS]

H2, to make life easier, in the future use Control C and then Control V.  Old school DOS.  Cheers.

[Walt_M.]

I think H2O uses typing the whole thing every time he has to think about it as a form of therapy.