Electrical Checks/Mods

I have a 92 ST with the original 28A alternator and I was wondering what checks and mods I could do to prolong the life of this ticking time bomb. A 40A swap isn't possible at the moment, so I would like to keep the 28A alive as long as possible. I use the bike for commuting and don't run any additional loads. I have seen the Ignition Bypass mod and plan to do this in the near future, and am considering replacing the VRR.....any additional insights?

Thanks in advance!

Don't replace the VRR if it is functioning. Get a copy of the Honda Service Manual for your model year and perform all the electrical tests shown for the alternator. Take the red 3P connector apart and inspect closely for corrosion. That is often where troubles begin. Also check the VRR connector, particularly the red wire for overheating.

Re: Electrical Checks/Mods [ST1100]

Short liST:

Checks - corrosion in the red 3P (yellow stator AC leads) and white 6P at the VRR. Test resistance in the leads from 3P to 6P. Optional: perform the stator static continuity and dynamic AC tests.

Mods - cut out the red 3P and join with butt connectors and quality shrink wrap, secure with zip ties to the frame (I don't solder). Install a quality voltmeter like the Datel that reads to a tenth of a volt.

Other - add a mini multimeter to your onboard tool kit. Download and printout the colored wiring diagram from ST-Riders.net.

John

LEDs to lower the load.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

Dave.David said:

LEDs to lower the load.

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+1

While you're fairly well within the safe operation envelope of a 28A alternator replacing your incandescent lights with LED can make a big difference in Amp overhead.

All my bulbs except the position lights (the little bulbs outside the headlights) are LED. Replacing the headlight bulbs with LEDs would make a significant difference in the load your alternator sees.

Here's a link for a new 40 amp alternator $141. http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/142538065683

This makes the conversion more affordable.

The other folk have covered what to do with prolonging the life of your 28 amper

Kiltman :

Thanks for that link !! I was going to rebuild my alternator this winter as a pm measure, but now I will just replace it.

Jim Van said:

Kiltman :

Thanks for that link !! I was going to rebuild my alternator this winter as a pm measure, but now I will just replace it.

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to be honest John O. Found it, as a result of a conversation he had with another gentleman that said he could get these alternators for a good price.

Well, Thanks to both of you. I ordered one, and I should receive it by October 31st. Maybe Bush will buy my old alternator. It has only 90K miles on it.

Jim Van, I hope this will work out for you. Over the winter I will try and have a look at mine. I'm sure it's currently covered in red dirt from my summer on the east coast, and will probably need a good cleaning.
cheers
Robert

Thanks for the replies. For those of you that have converted to LED headlights......any recommendations? LED quality is all over the place in my experience....

I did the Evitek LEDs on all three of my ST1100s and I have been really pleased with them. IIRC, I got them on Amazon. I do recommend pulling the headlight assembly because you have to fuss with the wire bails to get the unit to seat right (the bail presses against the fan and wants to tilt the bulb). You could do it in place, but for all the time you would spend fiddling with it, you can pull the headlight assembly out, put it on a bench, and do what you need to do and put it back. You will need the h4 adapter rings which means you have to cut the side tabs off the Eviteks.

Mxdad....I hardly think the 28 amp alternator is a 'ticking time bomb'. All will fail eventually. This unit seems to be subject to overloading with electrical goodies. Also, as several members have mentioned, check out the wiring frequently for evidence of overheating and loose wires. Snap the connectors apart periodically and look for evidence of corrosion or electrical arcing (burns).
I am considering installing a voltmeter on mine. The stock indicator on my 1978 GL1000 gave me plenty of warning when my charging system began to fail. Turned out to be a faulty voltage regulator. I seems like a major omission on the part of Honda with these bikes.
Given the unavailability of the 28 amp spare alternators, just do the 40 amp upgrade once it fails. Been documented several times/ways here. Just search for it.

Uncle Phil said:

I did the Evitek LEDs on all three of my ST1100s and I have been really pleased with them. IIRC, I got them on Amazon. I do recommend pulling the headlight assembly because you have to fuss with the wire bails to get the unit to seat right (the bail presses against the fan and wants to tilt the bulb). You could do it in place, but for all the time you would spend fiddling with it, you can pull the headlight assembly out, put it on a bench, and do what you need to do and put it back. You will need the h4 adapter rings which means you have to cut the side tabs off the Eviteks.

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Thanks! Maybe I can convince the wife to get me some of those for Christmas.....I don't drink much night riding, but the stocker headlights definitely take me back to the 90's.

Oldbikefixr said:

Mxdad....I hardly think the 28 amp alternator is a 'ticking time bomb'. All will fail eventually. This unit seems to be subject to overloading with electrical goodies. Also, as several members have mentioned, check out the wiring frequently for evidence of overheating and loose wires. Snap the connectors apart periodically and look for evidence of corrosion or electrical arcing (burns).
I am considering installing a voltmeter on mine. The stock indicator on my 1978 GL1000 gave me plenty of warning when my charging system began to fail. Turned out to be a faulty voltage regulator. I seems like a major omission on the part of Honda with these bikes.
Given the unavailability of the 28 amp spare alternators, just do the 40 amp upgrade once it fails. Been documented several times/ways here. Just search for it.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the input. All my wires actually look pretty good. I'm going to get my Fluke multimeter our today and do some voltage tests to get a baseline.

Mxdad said:

I don’t drink much night riding

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The G6s are great for daytime riding. My GW comments on my G6s every time we ride. Even though mine is the third bike in the ride from the lead puppy position my headlights are brighter than my ST buddy's 45/45W factory bulbs.

I did give my ST buddy my 55/60W H4s that were replaced by the Eviteks. Don't know if he's installed them yet.

Uncle Phil said:

I did the Evitek LEDs on all three of my ST1100s and I have been really pleased with them. IIRC, I got them on Amazon. I do recommend pulling the headlight assembly because you have to fuss with the wire bails to get the unit to seat right (the bail presses against the fan and wants to tilt the bulb). You could do it in place, but for all the time you would spend fiddling with it, you can pull the headlight assembly out, put it on a bench, and do what you need to do and put it back. You will need the h4 adapter rings which means you have to cut the side tabs off the Eviteks.

Click to expand...

Hey, Uncle Phil !! Since it sounds like you are happy with and you are having good luck with those Evitek's , I got a pair for my bike.

I've been testing them ( burning them in using my +12 volt power supply ) on both Low & then High beam. The small rectangular metal box ( LED driver ? ) between the 3-Pin connector and lamp gets fairly warm ( too warm to hold onto for any length of time ) on both of them, so I think that's normal.

Question : Did you place the small box somewhere special so the heat doesn't melt any wire insulation around the headlamp ?

Also, these guys draw about 1.5 Amps vs. about 5.0 Amps that a set of 55/60 watt halogen lamps draw ( each ), so it looks like we are saving about 7 Amps/ 90 watts/ 0.12 HP. Not too bad !! That should help with gas mileage and longevity of the alternator.

Jim Van said:

Hey, Uncle Phil !! Since it sounds like you are happy with and you are having good luck with those Evitek's , I got a pair for my bike.

Question : Did you place the small box somewhere special so the heat doesn't melt any wire insulation around the headlamp ?

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IIRC, I sort of 'hung' the small black box with zips ties out in the air flow but away from the radiator. I think I hung them from the metal arms that the headlight hangs on - one on each side. But then I've slept several times since then ...

Uncle Phil :

OK Thanks. Since you replied, I have another question. What about the protective rubber covers that slip over the back of the OEM and H4 lamps ? What did you do with those ? I would think the purpose is to keep water out of the lamps. Have you ridden your bikes much in the rain since you installed the Evitek's ?

I put the rubber covers back on when I installed the Eviteks (another reason to do the install with the headlight assembly on the bench). And yes, I have ridden a lot in the rain with them and no trouble so far.

That's good news. So you were able to stretch them over the plug, driver box and cooling fans ? Or did you slip them over the lamp end before you installed the Evitek's ?