Stator eating GasGas

[GGRider01]

My bike just ate its 3rd stator this year.

First one was OEM, 2k2, no spark
Second one was OEM out of a EC200, spark/no lights
Third stator was a 2k2 from regulatorrectifier.com, dead on arrival
Fourth is an ElectroSport eBay unit. Currently dead. No spark.

Same pickup used from the beginning, always showing 100 ohms even.


Things I have checked:

Dry behind the cover, crank seal not leaking
Contact marks from the flywheel to stator assembly
Connections, connections, tons of connections!

New stator always results in a running bike. What's going on here? RickyStator won't rewind these, just replaces them, with their floated ground units, which might be nice - still need to get in touch with them for one I sent out. I won't be out a ton of cash if that eBay seller takes it back, otherwise this is getting sickening.

The first 2 going out wasn't terribly surprising, they were both 16+ years old.. but I'm seeing a trend here.

[gasgasman]

May not be a stator.

[GGRider01]

What else could it be?

[gasgasman]

Check your grounds.
Measure the resistance from the engine case to the ignition coil ground.

[jostby]

Originally Posted by gasgasman

Check your grounds.
Measure the resistance from the engine case to the ignition coil ground.

I agree. Bad grounds are hard on all components. Both my bikes still have their originals. One 2K3, one 2K2.

[GGRider01]

Checked all over the case to ignition coil: .02 Ohms. Sometimes .03

Ignition coil checks out from lead to HT, and cap, the same as before, and same as the old one that I replaced. Can CDIs have any ill affect on the stator?

Pretty sure I have a stator curse. Been through a few on more than one bike, this is the first I'd tried running lights off of though.

[Neil E.]

I'm no expert on this stuff but stators are not very complicated things. A CDI is a whole different matter. Let's revirew the basics; the stator has one winding for creating CDI power and multiple other windings for creating lighting power. So it's just a bunch of copper wire wrapped around some iron posts.

The only one that really matters is the single winding. If it goes bad, the bike won't run. On any stator you obtain, check the ohms value as per the workshop manual so you know it's good to begin with. Aslo check the readings for the lighting coils and trigger/pickup.

You mention you are using a 2K2 stator designed for a floating/isolated ground setup. Are you sure your DC rectifier/regulator output is really floating? The AC input remains grounded while the DC output connects only to the battery (and lights).

Stators usually die from either of two things: an open circuit from corrosion or an open circuit from a bad connection as a result of overheating. Excess heat can also break down the insulation on the copper wire causing a short.

If you inspect the windings carefully after a failure, what do you see? Can you trace every wire on the bike and make an accurate wiring diagram? If so I might be able to help. A 2K2 doesn't have much output but should be able to power some basic lighting.

[GGRider01]

Sorry Neil, this is a misunderstanding due to my lack of clarity.

The bike came as an XC with a 2k2 which stopped delivering spark. It was replaced with a 99 EC 200 2k3 which stopped making voltage, but bike ran. Honestly, if you saw the stator before it went in the bike, you'd be surprised it worked at all - not surprised this one baked in quick order. The 3rd (working) stator I installed was a 2k3 coil from ElectroSport. These are known to be pretty shoddy, and I was pretty sure I was in for failure, sooner or later, before it even arrived. It was too late to cancel the order, so I gave it a shot. This one is failing to deliver spark, but is showing voltage on the yellow wire when kicked.

None of these stators have a floated ground. I'm using the non-floated ground setup stickied at the top of this thread, as modified by "Coop". As you and I both know, even if I completely screwed up the reg/rec, it should not in any way affect spark, and can be verified by disconnecting it. The setup does work though and keeps (kept, when it was running) my battery charged.

So, I'm beginning to think that it's an unfortunate series of subpar equipment being installed in the bike with a rash of bad luck. I ordered an OEM stator assembly from MCC in Spain. This will give me a completely fresh start. No homemade loom, new pickup coil, etc. If this one goes bad, then something is seriously wrong. I do have an accurate diagram I made in TinyCAD, although it's fairly crude. Won't be able to post this until evening. There's an incorrect version in another post in this sub-forum.


I only have values for testing the ignition coil and pulsar coil. Do you have any data available to test the stator when it arrives?

[Neil E.]

I emailed with the owner of ElectrexWorld (in the UK) a few years back when I was considering their three phase stator. He told me that ElectroSport copied their stators and had them manufactured in China. That would explain the quality issues if true. I have attached the specifications from the GG workshop manual.

[GGRider01]

This doesn't show the Reg Rec layout. I left it out to keep the diagram simple. The RegRec wiring is not difficult to replicate anyway. Can't imagine this affecting spark anyhow but there's a lot I don't understand about electricity.

Anyway, I will see what numbers I get on my stator, and compare to the new when it arrives. Hopefully something turns up bad on this one, as odd as that sounds. Not terribly fond of leaving it unsolved.