My nephew has one of these bikes and it's not charging the battery. The dealer wants $1000.00 to repair it, they claim
stator failure is a common problem on this model and it's a big job to replace it. I sent him the 4 page trouble shooting guide
to look at.
Does anyone have any tips etc on this?
Thanks, Dan
( I know, I know it's not a Vision, but he really is down in the dumps about this,and I thought I could tap some of the wealth of knowledge
you people have. :))
Asking at my local stealer , River Rat Motor sports, Kawasuzuki dealer, they do not have any more stator problems, on Kwaker Vulcans than any other bike. $1000 is a rip off!!! avoid this crook! River rat quotes uuder 450.00 to replace it , parts and labour!
The trouble shooting guide is a good idea. Is he mechanically inclined? Just follow the guide and check one thing at a time and eliminate the possibilities until you find the problem, then fix it.
Dealing with issues like this really help to gain an understanding of the whole system, which can be invaluable in a tight spot.
The charging system must have all elements working: stator putting out current, regulator/rectifier working, and the battery in good condition and charged. CHECK ALL WIRE CONNECTIONS INVOLVED. I hope it goes well.
Does he have a manual for it? I'm not sure which years are the difficult ones but some are a bit more involved than the Vision. There may be some exhaust removal and breaking coolant lines requiring draining/refilling. I've even read some accounts on having to lift or move the engine a bit?? Seems unbelievable for a stator swap but maybe worth some interweb searching to get year specific advice. Good luck with it.
I think I will end up giving him a hand with at least troubleshooting it. He does have a manual but he said
it was confusing. Not sure what his mechanical abilities are, he's not to good with electrical issues.
Rikugun: I think it is one of the bikes that you need to drop the engine.
If you have to remove the engine, then $1000 is probably about the right price. It would have to be a 2 day job
Video here on doing the stator without removing the engine if he doesn't mind butchering his bike to save some labour
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN-JEBCnhDI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN-JEBCnhDI)
Wow, that is a brave repair.
Yes, I saw that video, I think alot of steps weren't shown. :)
I think a person would need a lot of courage to do that mod.
The motor has to come out for that stator. I would charge probably 1000 with the cost of the parts and labor. Otherwise there is a way to do it with the motor in but requires buying a kit and doing some grinding on the case.
kwells: Do you know where a person could get a kit?
here's a step by step on an older model from VN750 dot com. Not sure how silmilar it is but he shifted the engine in the frame rather than removing it.
http://www.vn750.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11369 (http://www.vn750.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11369)
Thanks Rikugun, I will send him the link.
http://imageevent.com/radicalrags/kawasakivulcanvn750statorreplacement;jsessionid=22qbd6w568.camel_s