Volt meter a must...

[Cdnlouie]

While it's true that a stator can just totally fry and not charge at all, it is more common for them to maintain some charging capacity, and if you pull your headlight fuse (daytime running lights Canadian requirement) you can run until your battery sinks below the TCI ability to fire the ignition.  You can pull all fuses but the main (I believe) and head for home.  You can even bump start the bike if it won't turn over on the starter as long as you have enough voltage to fire the TCI (about 10.0 volts).  So if you are running a voltmeter and you pull some fuses and want to head for home you can estimate that you have until about the 10.0 volt mark to make it.  How far you make it depends on how soon you discovered you were not charging (purpose of the voltmeter) and how good your battery condition is overall to hold a charge (this is variable).

On one occasion we were on a ride with some Visions and I noticed my charging becoming intermittent and barely making 13.0 volts, therefore I pulled my headlight fuse and it maintained about 13.5 volts while I rode home.  After testing the stator one yellow wire was grounded, but the other two were still good so I had some charging capacity, but not enough to maintain the battery for very long.  No one can guarantee how the stator is going to go down as it depends where it fails and how long you don't notice it is failing and that is where a voltmeter really carries the day.

Voltemeters also help reveal battery conditioin when cranking the engine.  If you battery is getting weak it will start pulling down under the 10.0 volt mark under load and that may indicate that your battery is losing it's spunk, so this can be a helpful indicator too.

Cheers  ;)

[Night Vision]

Does anyone know the root cause as to why the stators go out so often?  Why are the Visions so much different then other old bikes?

failing stators are not unique to Visions... CBF1000 stators fail, albeit a lesser frequency

[Walt_M.]

Just a note here, your starter will crank the engine when the voltage is too low to fire the ignition. I have seen it many times. You will be able to get away with bump starting for a while as the starter isn't pulling the voltage below the required 10.6.

[The Prophet of Doom]

Following Tiggas advice, but took me ages to decide where to put it.  I didn't want to hack into my dashboard or the sides of my fairing.
In the end I removed the left hand dashboard screw and drove a new one from underneath straight into the back of a gauge cup (autogauge brand) from which I had removed the swivel bracket.  A little inner tube between the cup and the dashboard to prevent scuffing.  The mount inside the gauge cup just needed a little tweak with pliers to clear the lip of the fairing.  It's rock solid, and no horrid zip ties.
Plan is to get a matching analogue clock for the other side

[fret not]

I suggest a self contained battery powered clock if you need a clock.  BMWs used to run the battery down in about 15 days or so if parked because of the clock running off the bike's battery.  Granted those were older technology clocks, but just something to consider.

[QBS]

I mounted both the volt meter and analog clock from a BMW 100rs.  Painted the chrome bezels and instrument case's simi gloss black and used black zip tye's to hold them onto the upper fairing frame under the mirrors.  Mounting the clock in this manner allowed me good access to the back of the clock for setting purposes.  Mounting the volt meter in the same manner kept it visually consistant and mounting was easy to do.  So far the instruments have not moved and remain tightly attached.  The clock is mounted on the left.

I had to have lighted instruments, especially the clock.  A clock nor a volt meter is any good if you can't see it in the dark.  The 100rs units are the right size, they were designed to live on a motorcycle, and in my price range.

The clock drain problem is solved by the Battery Tender Jr. that is always attached when the bike is home.  It easily keeps up with clock drain.

I do have mixed emotions about the BMW identification on the instrument facing.  Oh Well.

[Rikugun]

Roro, is that 11 volts key on, not running and do you still have the original glass fuse panel on your Vision?

[Kenny]

    roro, 
     I like this location for the V meter. I mounted mine to the fairing frame tube with two insulated clamps & have angled it's face towards me. It's one of the Princess Auto ones with  7 different colours  avaliable for  ;) your mood.
                        Cheers Ken S.

[muukow]

For those of you with a 82 naked,I made an idiot light,  I put a extra bright led in with the neutral light and if the voltage drops below 13.5 it comes on. I couldn't find away to put a voltage gauge that didn't look tacky so that was my solution for the naked :o

[fret not]

Muukow, what sort of wiring and circuitry did you use to make that happen?   It sounds like a great idea.

[VFan]

For those of you with a 82 naked,I made an idiot light,  I put a extra bright led in with the neutral light and if the voltage drops below 13.5 it comes on. I couldn't find away to put a voltage gauge that didn't look tacky so that was my solution for the naked :o

I have the same opinion about figuring out a voltage indicator solution for my RJ. I'm trying to keep that OEM look. Where did you find a component that feeds juice to the light at 13.5v? What connection did you wire it to?

TIA,
Kent

[Brian Moffet]

When I put my voltmeter in, I actually mounted a fuse block behind the dash of my fairing. That had a line to a relay which ran back to the battery.  The relay was hooked off of the headlight main power.

I don't think I have a photo of the voltmeter, But below is a photo of the fuseblock and the ground bus. Clicking on the photo will get you to a larger photo.

[The Prophet of Doom]

Roro, is that 11 volts key on, not running and do you still have the original glass fuse panel on your Vision?

Yes, 11.5v key on motor not running, 12.7 straight off the battery. Main ignition fuse has been replaced with in-line.

I'm getting a 1.2V drop across the ignition switch even when disconnected from to wiring loom.  Worse I am getting 10.2V at the Brown sense wire on the r/r.  Time to pull things apart I think.

[Rikugun]

I was in the same boat regarding voltage drop. I recently replaced all the fuses with blade style and realized an improvement.

[QBS]

roro, if you still have the factory fuse box (I do) check the metal ends of the fuse tubes for corrosion.  Clean the fuse metal end caps and the inside of the fuse holder prongs (use a nail wrapped in sand paper) to bright and shiny condition.  Put a very thin coating of grease on the metal end caps and reinstall the fuses.  Check for changes in various voltages as indicated in your post.

The grease provides an atmospheric barrier so corrosion can't happen.  Hence resistance and heat are reduced.  Resistance induced heat is what really messes up glass tube fuse holders.

[Rikugun]

Even after doing all that I was at the mercy of the wire harness connections to the fuse holder prongs which are factory crimped, not soldered. When new, they offer a great mechanical connection and good electrical connectivity. The latter degrades with time. Under some of the fuse clips were the beginnings of melted plastic. I soldered individual blade fuse holders for each circuit. My goal was to eliminate the resistance and resultant heat buildup. I hadn't considered an increase in system voltage. However, when I turned the key to check my work the first thing I noticed was the volt meter read higher than when I started. A very welcome ancillary benefit!

These age related areas of corrosion and resistance are unfortunately everywhere on the bike's wiring up to and including various switch contacts. How the bike has been stored and your local environment are as much factors as the bike's age. But every little improvement helps.   :)  :)

[muukow]

 To answer Fretnuts question,the circuit was simple using only a PNP transistor a zener diode and a couple of resistors,the whole circuit fit on a board about the size of a quarter that I stuffed in the gauge box and took the hot off the main 12v to the key switch!

[fret not]

Thanks Muukow, is there a circuit diagram somewhere for that? 

[muukow]

 A diagram can be found by searching "using a transistor as a switch,I'll dig up my parts list and post those too!