Charge the battery up and get out the multimeter and see what's screwing you up.
If it's any consolation, generally electrical parts have a really high failure rate right off the bat and then it drops off for the life of the part and then, of course, the failure rate peaks again.
My 06 had a new R/R put it, it died almost instantly and then the replacement has been good since last year. Knock on wood.
I'll have to pull her apart after the weekend and see if any connectors are fried. We were headed out of town for the weekend on bikes, so I just parked it in the garage, moved everything into the soft bags and rode the Thruxton.
I sure it's something that'll show its face... Hopefully easy and inexpensive
Having had simular problems myself recently. . . Turned out the stator had shorted . Mine was a brand new unit from RM STATORS . Only lasted me literally 3hrs of riding.
I had new battery, mosfet fh012aa regulator mod and a brand new stator. Bypassed oem harness and took leads from R/R straight to battery. So sat scratching my own head decided to check everything once more and was surprised to find a BBQ'D stator .
I'd jump start the bike or charge battery untill full then unplug the 3 phase connector either undertaken or at the R/R (this easily accessable) start the bike and check with a multi meter for AC volts between pins 1+2 1+3 2+3 ect. Look for constant voltage across all three wires. My meter has to be set on .200 other wise wouldn't pick a reading up. Depends on the meter . Looking for around 20 v ish at idle across all three.
Also continuity test between same 3 wires and ground. If theirs a connection then it shorted
That'd be really irritating if the stator shorted. I'm sure Rick's would warranty it but then there's a new oil change and gasket... So another $50-60 down.
I'll check the leads when I get home to see if it's shorting tho
Gasket's probably fine, and no need to change the oil. Put it on the center stand and you'll lose maybe an ounce; figure out a way to lean the bike over to the right and you won't lose any.
My '07 1050 did the same on me the other day. New reg/rec last Dec, all fine - until 20kms into a back country road, when the dash went off and shortly after, the power. When mech called to give me the news, turned out the reg/rec wasn't even connected - the cable had just been resting there. All I can guess is that it hadn't been properly hitched at the start, and jolted loose when I walloped a pothole the previous day. Wrecked the battery, but thankfully that was the extent. Hope yours proves that simple.
BTW, one of the first mods I do when I get a new bike is hook up a switched voltmeter. Not sure I'd bother with a bike with an automotive type alternator like a first gen 955, but anything with a discrete stator and R/R gets one. They've kept me from getting stranded and warned me before I got stranded.
I'm totally finding a volt meter. Suggestion for one that fits on the sprint, Kit?
I'm gonna pull off the right side fairing this afternoon and check the r/? connections and test the leads. Fingers crossed. It was a riot riding the Thruxton over the mountains this weekend but I really wanted to get some experience on the Sprint that didn't include commuting.
Not sure my choice of voltmeters will help on a 1050 ST, but I have this mini-meter from Amazon zip tied to the inside of my front fairing stay next to the clocks.
It runs off of my Fuzeblocks FZ-1 aux power box so it's only on when the bike is on.
I feel your pain. My stator partially failed somewhere in S. Colorado/N. New Mexico on the way home to NW Texas. Apparently it was making enough output to keep the bike running once jump/bump started as I rode it 2.5 more hours after the last jump start. I've performed Decosse's diagnostic and as a result, am anticipating the arrival of a new stator from Rick's tomorrow. Here's a very informative tutorial with pictures that I found online. It's on a Speed Triple, but it's close enough having the same engine. I haven't taken my stator off yet so I can't add any additional info.
Well yeah the stator removal and replacement isn't really very involved, I'm pretty mechanically inclined. I did it two weeks ago with one from Rick's. I'd say, once you get the fairings off, it's about a 1-2hr job. Worst part is just routing wires through the bike, in my view.
I got her jump started this morning, and it was reading 11.78v... then 11.75... 11.73... ran her at 4000rpm and the volts kept dropping, so there's no charging happening. Now I get to pull off the tank AGAIN to get to the connectors. I'm going to figure out a way to keep those things better accessible because this is very annoying, pulling the tank. I should be good at it by now because this'll be the fourth time in 3 weeks I've pulled the bloody fuel tank.
I'm cranky about a lot of things in the world right now and having a bike being a turd to me is not helping my disposition.
Alrighty... tank and airbox pulled. The connectors *looked* connected, so I went ahead and disconnected both connectors to/from the R/R (per the Sticky) and tested the three pins on the stator side with my multi-meter.
Readings were... 0.5, 0.6 and 0.8 ohms.
Then I checked the pins by connecting the negative probe to ground and got nothing. The actual reading was "OL," which is the same reading when you're set to resistance and not touching anything. I connected to chassis and negative battery cables, even the negative terminal of the battery (even though that wasn't connected. According to the Sticky, these are all good signs. My previous stator had two bad phases, so the difference between these readings is pretty clear, and the stator isn't showing shorts by my checking them.
Now what? My manual doesn't indicate a fuse for the charging system anywhere, so I'm not sure what to check there. There's an in-line fuse right by the battery but when I traced it it heads to the front of the bike. Either way it looks like that fuse (a 15A) is in great shape, and no charring.
In examining the connectors, they're all basically two weeks old and I'm not seeing the charring depicted in the Sticky.
Another method described in the Sticky is to check these things with the bike running. That's pretty hard to do given that you have to reinstall the airbox and tank, and then the connectors aren't really accessible at that point.
So I'm stumped. What's next? I'm kind of pulling my hair out right now.
Thanks Kit. Interestingly, the fuse by the battery is a Metri-Pack, with a 15A fuse, and oddly I couldn't get it to give me any power readings so I'm not sure what it's hooked to. Perhaps the power ports and they don't complete a circuit unless you plug something in? Looks like this (photos in this post are borrowed from the Sticky)
Got me to thinking, check the old R/R. It's an FH010BA, which appears to be a MOSFET unit? If so, this bike had at least the R/R replaced once already. I'm going to see if I can't rig up the fuel tank and start the bike, see if the stator is making voltage, and then move downstream to the R/R. If I can, I'll keep them all accessible during the testing at least.
My FH010BA looks like this (image again borrowed from the Sticky):
Kit, on my 2006, the R/R is on the starboard side, just like in the photo above, and the connectors are inboard of that. On the unit that I got from Rick's, the cables are built in, so I can't detach them right at the R/R. I'll see if I can't get them to be more user friendly. The exact R/R I bought was the 10-005H Hot Shot
I mounted it in the lid for the glove box. Figured if it didn't last I could just replace the door fairly cheap. Lasted 2+ years so far.
Had to do it again, I would mount it in the left cockpit cover about where the heated grips switch would go.
Its not water proof, but I completely sealed it in hot melt glue.
Wired it into the heated grip plug mounted under the headlight.
I know what you mean by getting those connectors to be more user friendly.
Those are buried in there.
While I think of it, does anyone have a photo of a Sprint GT showing exactly where they located the R/R? I want to get mine out from behind the the radiator and the hot air and the 12K service would be the perfect time to do so.
FH010 definitely did not come from the factory on that bike; I'm sure of that. I'm also fairly sure, but not 100% since I'm a 955 guy, that there were no Metripack connectors from the factory, nor any random fuses just kicking around outside the fuse box.
OK, routed the cables from the stator straight across and I'm able to plug/unplug them. I reinstalled the airbox and tank (darn if I'm not getting really good at it, esp since the fuel pump cable is super short (top tip, keep the tank over on the right side, click the fuel pump wiring in, then center tank).
Voltage readings from the stator pins (1-2, 1-3, 2-3) all came up pretty much zero. I could get the multimeter to flicker to half a volt but I think that's not anything. All three pins reading zero volts.
I also re-plugged in the R/R, still no charging. Swapped out with the "010BA" and still... no charging.
Curiously, that fuse by the battery? Has power, but I can't see how that is related to my issue. Also, did not find anything in the fuse block that pointed at charging system. Here's exactly what the inside of the fuse box and cover look like, and I tested all of the fuses. The blank full size fuse spots have no wires going into them on the backside of the fuse block. Photo borrowed from another triumphrat post
Is the stator that I just bought a dud? Should I call Rick's tomorrow and discuss how they're going to handle a warranty claim?
There is No fuse for charging system in the fuse box. There is a 30a fuse under a little white cover next to the battery.
If using another R/R that bypasses the OEM harness and goes straight to battery there should be an in-line 30A between the R/R and positive terminal on the battery.
If the stator is connected to the R/R connection under tank and the plug/ wire ain't sealed into the R/R. It's far easier to remove the plug on the R/R to test stator rather than pulling the tank. However if it's sealed then under the tank is only option.
Now as said previously depending on your multimeter when testing for AC volts when bikes running check 1-2/ 1-3/ 2-3 make sure your meter doesn't have "step settings".
On my multi meter the meter can be set in .20 / .200 / 2k and so on. If my meter is on .20 V AC I can't get a reading from stator output. Set it on .200 and bingo I get Reading. So check your meter.
If it only has One AC setting and the bikes running and 0v AC output between the 3 wires 1-2 /1-3 / 2-3 then stator proberly Shot. Time to pull the stator cover and see what's going on. . .
If you get a 20v + AC reading that's equal a cross all 3 combinations then stator is fine
Do a continuity test between pins 1/2/ 3 and negative to ground on battery.
Check for a short .
Time to look at R/R.
On the .20 ohms setting check the pins either at R/R plug or R/R it self if it has a removal able plug.
Again 1-2/ 1-3 /2-3 with positive lead and take negative lead to the negative point on battery you should have similar value across all 3.
Swap the positive and negative leads round and test again... there shouldn't be a reading should all be 0
Finally go get battery checked even when battery fully charged and unplugged the voltage in battery should stay around 12.4v .
If the battery is dropping in a unconnected state battery's shot. But taking it to local battery station to be checked also can test the amps in battery too. Shows health of battery. Just because a battery has 12.x volts doesn't mean it's fully functional.
Now there is only these 3 components that control the charging of the bike. They don't share anything with any other component . Your problem is with one of these 4
Wiring between:-
Stator
R/R
Battery
Good tip on the '200v' selection for the multimeter, Super-Nova. I tried that this morning and still got zero volts across the board when checking the pins of the stator wire. I'm using a Klein MM100 testor.
I did find that 30A fuse exactly where you said I'd find it, and the fuse tested good. So there's that I guess?
So, called Rick's and I have to ship the stator back to them (my cost...) and they said it's about a week turn around after they receive it b/c they have to test the unit, or I can buy a new one and see if they say the stator I just sent them is covered under their warranty. I guess we'll see if it gets sorted before my 100,000 ft ride on August 6th. I'll be spending this afternoon ripping the left side of the bike apart to extract the stator I guess.
I'm feeling pretty dejected about this bike, I have to say. I've had it three weeks and It's sat on it's stand taken apart for most of that. Now it'll sit on it's stand for another week because of a faulty new part.
Is this the problem?? I noticed the insulation on the wires being scraped when it arrived but thought, "surely they wouldn't send this out if it's not ok."
This is how the windings looked when I opened the box from Rick's, except for the oil and new browning discoloration. This stator has 340 miles on it, btw.
Looking at the picture I would say it looks like the ceramic coating has been scrapped In places or burnt through? Not normal and I'd question it.
If your not getting a reading it's a bad stator for sure. I would still be tempted to check battery and Regulator too. Especially if planning a long trip.
I feel your pain too. I owned my sprint for about 2 months. Been on it for a grand total of 3 hrs over 3 days (1hr per ride) and either broken down road side due to faulty charging system. And like you its been dismatled more times than riden .
After I thought I'd repaired it and replaced with new parts what could go wrong.... but broken down again whilst out on a 4th ride. It's only been since I had my old genuine stator from triumph re wound by a reputable Company here in the UK. I went out for the first time on Sunday just gone and so far problem free. However to second KitNYC comment about the Volt meter ... is a top tip and can save your ass for being recovered home.
Yeah. I sent both the new R/R and the stator back today so that I don't have to wait again if it's not the stator. I thought I'd overnight them but it was $100 to NH, over $50 for 2day air, so it went ground, which takes a week. Looks like I'm riding the Thruxton for my 100k foot ride. I had hoped to have the Sprint on the road to get to know it.
The battery is brand spankin' new. Bought it when she died on me in 98 degree heat on the side of the freeway on Friday... just so I could get home. I've ordered the voltmeter, and that'll be installed before she's running again.
The frustrating thing is that the system worked when I installed it. Generated great voltage. And then it fell on its face.
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