Gather round my friends and hear my tale of woe...
April 2019 while returning from Circuit of the Americus after attending the Moto GP races with my son who was riding a British Triumph Daytona Triple and I on my always trusty (up to this point) 1991 ST1100 came to a unscheduled halt in Wichita Falls, Tx. My 25 Amp Alternator finally came to end of its useful life but it took 89,000 miles of everything I asked of it before it failed. Long story short my son on a British Bike road the final 400 miles home and I rented a truck big enough to haul the ST and myself home for the final leg...talk about insult to injury a Brit Bike besting my Silver 2-wheel Westinghouse.
So let me get to the point of this post now that you know the back story, after doing the mandatory 40 Amp upgrade 13 months and maybe 4,000 miles ago (better record keeping needed) the new 40 Amp Alternator Failed but this time I was within range of my AAA towing card. After going thru all the normal diagnosis and double checking all the electrical mods that are part of the upgrade the almost new 40 Amp Alternator was given its last rights and then it passed on to that great alternator graveyard in the sky.
After a Gin and Tonic and coming to the realization of what I must do and will do I ordered another Alternator...NOW FOR THE GOOD NEWS! The second time around as we all know is always easier and it was. The helical gears stay in place so there's no need to drain the oil, stick a pin with a cable attached thru the sump to recock the gears etc. etc. I had the fuel tank and the swing arm off in record time, unbolted the three Alternator retainer bolts, held my tongue on the right side and had the old alternator out Easy Peezy and the new one back in faster than you can say Beefeater Gin! So after a 30 mile test run today and another voltage check all is well again in ST1100 land.
The End
April 2019 while returning from Circuit of the Americus after attending the Moto GP races with my son who was riding a British Triumph Daytona Triple and I on my always trusty (up to this point) 1991 ST1100 came to a unscheduled halt in Wichita Falls, Tx. My 25 Amp Alternator finally came to end of its useful life but it took 89,000 miles of everything I asked of it before it failed. Long story short my son on a British Bike road the final 400 miles home and I rented a truck big enough to haul the ST and myself home for the final leg...talk about insult to injury a Brit Bike besting my Silver 2-wheel Westinghouse.
So let me get to the point of this post now that you know the back story, after doing the mandatory 40 Amp upgrade 13 months and maybe 4,000 miles ago (better record keeping needed) the new 40 Amp Alternator Failed but this time I was within range of my AAA towing card. After going thru all the normal diagnosis and double checking all the electrical mods that are part of the upgrade the almost new 40 Amp Alternator was given its last rights and then it passed on to that great alternator graveyard in the sky.
After a Gin and Tonic and coming to the realization of what I must do and will do I ordered another Alternator...NOW FOR THE GOOD NEWS! The second time around as we all know is always easier and it was. The helical gears stay in place so there's no need to drain the oil, stick a pin with a cable attached thru the sump to recock the gears etc. etc. I had the fuel tank and the swing arm off in record time, unbolted the three Alternator retainer bolts, held my tongue on the right side and had the old alternator out Easy Peezy and the new one back in faster than you can say Beefeater Gin! So after a 30 mile test run today and another voltage check all is well again in ST1100 land.
The End
