Motorcycle Repair: Charging failure, suzuki mc, bikebandit com

Question
Hi Mark
Last year I went for a bit of an unavoidable slide on my '83 Katana 750. The damage for the most part was contained to the magneto cover which was ground down quite badly on the lower front edge. The damage went deep enogh for a slight oil leak to occur but otherwise is intact. Since then my battery no longer charges while running and I was told that it is very likely that the stator was damaged and needs to be replaced. Is this usually the case with this type of damage? And how can I be sure that the damage to the charging system is not more wide spread? Over the last few months I have acquired all of the original parts for this repair, stator, gasket, mag. cover etc. and wish to make the repairs myself. I am more than handy but get a little shy when dealing with gaskets etc. and wonder if this is a repair worth attempting myself. Any info or assistance would be greatly appreciated as I have had rather bad experiences in the local shop and therefor would only deal with them as a last resort.
Thanks
John  

Answer
Hi John,

Yes, the impact with the ground could cause the permanent magnet (rotor) to loose its magnetism. The result would be no altenator (stator) output.

I recommend the service manual for all MC owners. The manual has illustrated procedures, specifications, and inportant warnings to know about.

See michrofiche parts at "www.bikebandit.com"

Visit "www.the gsresources.com" to learn more about your MC.

Visit "www.electrexusa.com" for quality replacement parts, especially for the GS series Suzuki MC's.

Respectfully,
Mark Shively