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Welcome - Getting started & FAQs - Read Here First... => Introduce Yourself & Your Bike => Topic started by: mlmmike on September 14, 2024, 10:04:34 PM

Title: MLMMIKE New Member Question, re alternator.
Post by: mlmmike on September 14, 2024, 10:04:34 PM
Hi everyone. Melbourne here. Recently bought a 1993 ST1100, did all the normal stuff, new tires, full service, including plugs. Updated to bi zeon headlights.

I was wondering about advice on alternator. Although mine has only 48000klm and I do not think has ever been in the rain. 1 owner since new (came with original purchase receipt and owners manual). Interestingly he paid exactly $15,000 for it from Peter Steven’s in Melbourne.  It has always been garaged, I know the alternators are prone to failure. Just because I found 1, I bought the adaptor plate, spline and new alternator, just to have for the future. I do not intend to install, unless it fails.  I don’t ride much (perhaps out to restaurants 4 times a year on a lovely day). Am I over killing ? Or are these definitely going to fail sooner or later ? And if that is the case 2 or 3 years down the track, unlike now, they will probably be just impossible to find.

Not sure if I have done the right thing.

Also in my modifications, put a neat charging bolt, hard to see at bottom of fairing, protected by a circuit breaker . Nice and easy to trickle charge battery.
Title: Re: MLMMIKE New Member Question, re alternator.
Post by: Brock on September 14, 2024, 10:34:42 PM
I'm not so sure about the prone to failure alternator.. If its the oil cooled alternator, then they leaked occasionally. The major problem was that they were a light duty alternator. The beast on the police bikes was a common upgrade, along with the regulator. I fitted an Anderson plug under my seat to proveide a jump start connection, along with a connection for charging.
Title: Re: MLMMIKE New Member Question, re alternator.
Post by: mlmmike on September 14, 2024, 10:48:04 PM
Thanks for the info. Well maybe money wasted. Yes 1993 so oil cooled 28 amp. No leaks anywhere to date. Sure it will actually go up in value over a few years, because as I understand I got 1 of the last adaptor plates from a guy in the US. He made 100 and had 2 left.
Title: Re: MLMMIKE New Member Question, re alternator.
Post by: Brock on September 14, 2024, 11:38:43 PM
Not wasted, a precaution taken.  Its not uncommon for the alternator to be replaced, so that more power for mods is available. With a bit of searching, the method for replacing the alternator can be found. Its a bit fiddly I believe, and the regulator needs replacing as well as some wiring upgrades..
Title: Re: MLMMIKE New Member Question, re alternator.
Post by: DaleAP on October 13, 2024, 05:34:42 PM
The 40-amp air cooled alternator has its own regulator attached to it, so you don't really upgrade the bikes existing regulator, but delete it.
Title: Re: MLMMIKE New Member Question, re alternator.
Post by: mlmmike on October 13, 2024, 05:37:11 PM
Thanks for that received everything from U.S. Just waiting on the gear which says this week.
Title: Re: MLMMIKE New Member Question, re alternator.
Post by: Wild Rose on October 13, 2024, 09:33:11 PM
Welcome mimmike to OzSTOC from Toowoomba in Queensland  :hatwave
Enjoy your ST1100  :thumbs Enjoy the FORUM  :thumbsup
 :beer
Title: Re: MLMMIKE New Member Question, re alternator.
Post by: Biggles on October 14, 2024, 11:09:27 AM
Hi MLMMIKE. You've done well getting an ST11 with those kms.  I'm sure you'll ride it more than 4 times a year, but if it's been bought primarily as an investment I can understand your wanting to make it a garage queen.  And in that case you might as well sell the spare alternator and adapters for a profit since the OEMs last a lot longer than those kms.