This is AC, there really is no ground.

Be sure your meter is set for AC voltage, and on a scale that will handle 150 volts, if your meter is not auto-ranging.

Use alligator clips to connect one of the yellow wires to either probe on your meter (This is AC, so polarity is irrelevant) and connect the other probe to one of the other yellow wires.

I highly recommend the use of alligator clips since a revved-up stator can crank out over 100 volts, or the equivalent of sticking your finger in the wall outlet! Safety, safety!

At idle, you should get around 20 VAC, and revved up, you should see over 50, more likely around 70. The exact number isn't too important.

Do this for all of the yellow wire combinations, three tests total.

Then shut the engine off and set your meter for ohms and put one of your meter probes to something on the bike that's well grounded. Touch the other probe to something else on the bike that's grounded, just to be sure your meter reads less than a few ohms.

Now touch one probe to each of the three yellow wires in turn. If you read anything besides infinite ohms, your stator has in internal grounding, and it's toast.

--Justin

 

The meter test on a Harley is the same, but on a Harley, there is also the sniff test. The stator is in the primary drive compartment that has its own oil, not engine oil like Hondas. If the stator is fried, the primary oil will have a very strong odor of burned electrical insulation.

So my question is... Has anyone who has lost the stator in a Honda smelled the insulation burning? Can you smell it when you remover the cover? When you drain the engine oil?

 

I had a stator fry on my Shadow 1100 and when I took the cover off, it really did stink. I didn't think of it at the time but I'll bet I could have smelled it in the oil filler hole.

 

I've lost a few stators on Hondas and Suzukis and have never smelled anything that was a warning or evidence of a problem.

I think the primary case on a Harley is sealed, right? That will keep the burned smell in. On a Honda, the crankcase is vented allowing the smell to quickly escape as the pistons and blow-by gasses quickly vent the crankcase.

--Justin

 

Yes, the Harley primary is sealed.
I sorta thought all the smoke and odor from a Honda stator must go out the exhaust because I don’t recall anyone here mentioning it. As bad as the burned insulation smell is, I’m surprised some of the stink doesn’t stay with the oil.

 

Where exactly do these wires come out of? (I think i may have this issue) i have a 92 vt1100c and when you say your testing them are you stripping the wires back or what exactly to get to them? I have a basic understanding of motorcycles but far far from an expert. This is my first bike ive actually owned.

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Where exactly do these wires come out of? (I think i may have this issue) i have a 92 vt1100c and when you say your testing them are you stripping the wires back or what exactly to get to them? I have a basic understanding of motorcycles but far far from an expert. This is my first bike ive actually owned.

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The three yellow wires come out of the alternater housing and they have a plug socket that can overheat..as far as I can remember they are the only three yellow wires anywhere on the bike..you don't have to strip any wires back just pull the connectors apart...(unless the previous owner removed the plug and socket because it was overheating and soldered the wires together and maybe shrinkwrapped them)

John.