Motorcycle Repair: 89 883 Charging problem, rotor stator, ac volts

Question
Hi Mike,

Got a '89 XLH883, but it has a charging problem. Placed a brand new battery in it. I ordered a repair manual for it, so I don't have any scehmatics to work with. I see that the rotor/stator is a bear to replace, along with being costly. What's the chances that it is my regulator? How can I test the regulator to determine if it is that? Is it also a rectifier?

Thanks,

- Bill  

Answer
You can test the stator to see if its bad. You will need a OHM meter and a AC volt meter.
First, unplug the stator and test it for ground with the OHM meter.Go from one plug in the stator to ground. Next test for a short. Put hte test leads in the stator plug with the OHM meter. If it passes both tests then, with the AC meter, start the bike and you should get 12-18 AC volts per 1000 RPM. If not then the stator is bad. If it passes all tests then the regulator is bad.
Good luck and happy riding
Mike