MOSFET convert...

[Cdnlouie]

That's awesome Brian! Well that's at least three (QBS, Jason, Brian M.) now in the " :o very high mileage  :o" category. It's interesting to put everyone together just to hear the story.

Are you fellows all 83's?

[Brian Moffet]

My bike in a 1983, I am the original owner.  Well over 99% of the riding I do is commuting to work.  I have taken some longer trips (Los Angeles, Oregon, Bakersfield for the CROV) but for the first 11 years I owned it I pretty much rode it to and from work (about 15 miles round-trip).  It then sat for a lot of time until I started riding it again in San Francisco, and here it's 15 miles to and from work, just about every day.  I did replace the stator/RR connector with a better connector around 1990 or so.  I did a complete frame rebuild around 2006, but the engine was untouched, except for the carbs.

Brian

[Night Vision]

The oil-cooler fellows should be showing some signs of success or not too, as these have been about the best things to do to help extend stator life.

I'm in the oil cooler club but haven't joined the long lasting stator club

I tried the electrosport - 3k mile= fail
then went through 2  Virago stators - 12k miles= less fail
now my HondoStator has gone over 10k miles= eventual fail?

[QBS]

NV put in the big headlight and see what happens.

[Night Vision]

just might do that... this spring she was charging hot after I woke her up from her winters nap... but then everything has been fine since then.

a brighter light sounds good to me!

[Lucky]

I'm 8 or 9 years in on the oil cooler & still on the same stator. i'm not one for numbers, so i don't know the milage, plus the Odo got changed out for an 83 at some point...

[Kenny]

    Still running on the original stator & R/R at 103,+ kilometers.R/r in the stock location,synthetic oil in the cooker. No gremlins wanted !
                      Cheers Ken S. ;D 

[Cdnlouie]

Whoa! The "elite group" continues to grow!  The oil cooler club also getting a nod after 8 or 9 years because that has to be over the average life of a stator which most get around 10,000 miles or 15,000km.  You are all making me jealous, just think of all the fun you have been missing with the rest of us sorry lot.

So QBS, Jason, Brian, Kenny (all 83's I think) with some of the highest miles/km on a stator (50k plus miles).  I think that pretty much defines the "elites."

The "oil cooler club" gets a nod with Lucky (so high he has lost count)....

The "mosfet club" we are still waiting on...too soon to say.

Everybody else "losers" that would be me plus....a few more good men.  Of course I mean that in the nicest way.

Anybody else to join the club?

[QBS]

Cndlouie, my bike is an '83 I purchased used in '84.  Odometer showed 1300 miles.  $1300 changed hands.  I am the second owner. Current mileage estimated at 88k miles made up of about 40% urban and 60% rural.  Early, on for about two years, it was my primary transport.

[spectre]

Well, I just purchased a MOSFET from Fret, so I'll keep you guys posted if I notice any improvements on anything :)

[Rikugun]

As a MOSFET club member (and card carrying non-YICS using Rebel member  ;)) I fall into the too "early to tell" category with only a few thousand miles on my setup. Regarding Lucky's 8-9 years w/oil cooler I'd be impressed if there were a mileage figure along with that claim. I'm not suggesting his bike sits unused under the car port but even a realistic guesstimate would give some weight to the data point.

We may need another category for members with alternate forms of cooling. Was it "Hypermiling" darkvision that installed heat sinks on his alternator cover? What about cooling fans (Walt?) on the R/R - has that been shown to increase stator life?

[Cdnlouie]

All substantiable (I think that word works) claims proudly accepted.  I will say that there is an interesting correlation with the elite group that all have 83's. What's the deal here? Did Yamaha change something?  It seems that OEM stators on the 83's are making us proud.

I have not heard of any long running stators on 82's, at least not yet.  One day I hope to be one, but for the moment remain hopeless.  Let's find out who is running a Mosfet so far and start tracking mileage on that group.

Cdnlouie - Mosfet (2011 @ 55,000km) installed a Suzuki OEM with approx. 5000km previous to mosfet install (not sure how much was on it originally, but windings were new looking)  56300km showing this fall (1300km on mosfet so far). Just inspected stator after 4000km usage (before Mosfet) and windings were browning up at this point with a lovely golden colour. 

We still need to hear from Tiger (Mosfet 2011) and no doubt a few more...

[Rikugun]

That's a good idea to track the MOSFET data maybe a dedicated thread or sticky?

Regarding the long lived '83 stators.... I got the impression when I first joined that the '83 stators did last longer and surmised that Yamaha had corrected the problem by using better quality components? I'm sure there are exceptions but am I incorrect in this assessment?

[Cdnlouie]

I am not sure what "correcting the problem" might have entailed, if that is the case. I don't know if anyone has bought an actual OEM stator to find out, but in all the aftermarket stators there is no improvement, nor in using other manufacturers OEM (with same much newer G7 (?) stator) does there seem to be an improvement.

Unless, they changed the flywheels, and there is something inherent in those (degree of magnetism  ???), I can't imagine what it would be. However, QBS saw an improvement after 3 stators so that might imply a stator upgrade.  No conclusive correlation is really possible and we have been doing this for almost 30 years.  And less we forget there are many other bikes that suffer from the same malady so we are in good company.

[QBS]

It's been so long ago that I can't remember for sure if my present stator is oem or not.  I do know that I hadn't heard of any aftermarket stators until long after the install, so it might be.

[pullshocks]

When I got my '83 it had under 13k on it and the stator and r/r were both bad.  No way of knowing if it was original, but the stator mounting screws were really hard to loosen. 
The crispy looking used stator I put in is still going strong after 4K+ but I think this winter I'm going to go ahead and put the Tim Parrot stator in pre-emptively

[jasonm.]

My stator has looked like  a charcoal brickett since 15k, when I 1st took the cover off for the shift seal. It's now closing on 40k. A wise man once said...looks aren't important if she lets you play any way you want. My bike let's me play... and the stator no matter how ugly , still works.

[QBS]

Pullshocks, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, BTDT.  Check present voltage.  If it's within specs., leave it alone and install a voltmeter instead.  Then, run the stator until the voltmeter says it's time to change it out.  If present output is marginal, change it now.

[pullshocks]

QBS thanks for the advice.  . I never expected to last this long, and I am really curious how long it will last.  Also, I have a lot of other projects to work on.  I  have a volt meter installed, and output is strong as ever. I understand that if it goes during a local ride I can pull the headlight bulb and probably get home.
But if I do another trip this summer, it would be peace of mind to have the fresh stator in there.  I know it is possible to do a roadside R&R but don't want to inconvenience my riding partners, most of whom are on late model machines.

[QBS]

If ever nessessary, remove every light fuse you can to get max miles out of the battery.  Much easier than removimg the bulbs.  For extra points, whenever possible, park the bike in a way that will allow it to roll down hill so you can bump start it while seated.  Every little amp counts.