87 KZ1000 stator/rotor question

Bought my 87 KZ a couple months ago and noticed after about a week that it has low charging issues. I've been charging the battery on the weekends but need to solve the problem.
I'm only getting about 20V AC between any of the three yellow leads off the Stator so I know the problem is either stator or rotor. The resistance between each of the stator leads checks out at about .7 ohms. I did buy a new stator from Electrosport but have not installed it yet. The new stator leads check the same at .7 ohms.
My Clymer manual says to check resistance to ground on each of the yellow leads with the meter set to its highest scale and the resistance should be infinite. On the highest setting It shows some continuity. setting it down to its lowest setting I see .4 ohms resistance to ground for each of the leads.
Is this normal or should I have absolutely zero continuity to ground?
Before I install the new stator, I'm wondering how I can have good resistance between leads but also show some continuity to ground. Is the stator good and the rotor bad or does the .4 ohms to ground on each lead mean the stator is bad?

If the resistance between each stator wire and ground is .4 ohms, then the stator is bad because it's shorted to ground.

When you checked each leg of the stator did you unplug it first, if it's still plug in it will ground out in the retifier, the 20vac is normal, plug your new regulator in and try it.

each of the 3 legs need to be at 25ACV or more at idle

and peak over 75 ACV when bike is revved up. the ac is double that of D.C.

seeing an evenness is the point all 3 at the same/close readings is the point to an UNLOADED AC Voltage test

the reading of continunity from yellow lead to the steel inner ring is called insulation break down.

any of the three yellow wires need to be isolated from the steel ring. that is why you have a weak charging system

rotors rarely go bad unless they are driven into the ground. that is what kills a rotor. crashing

Yes it was the stator. I replaced it this weekend and all is good. Thanks for the input guys.

Stators can go for years with no problem and the next day fail for no good reason. My theory is vibration and the quality of the build are what cause them to fail.

A friend has a '79 1000ST. Same charging problem as badr0bot. He had 19 volts AC, unloaded at 3K. We found a system on EBay and when it arrived, the rotor contained no permanent magnets. There was a coil inside the rotor. I hadn't seen this setup before (not a pro by any means). So, from the outside-in you have the stator, rotor, coil. Seems like a trick setup, if I understand what I'm looking at. The field is generated by the inner coil and interrupted by the steel rotor, inducing voltage in the stator? This set up might be as common as an old shoe and I just don't know it. Ride safe, Steve

The two Kawasaki's I've owned (77 KZ1000 and 82 GPZ1100) both had permanate magnet rotors for the charging system.

What came from E-bay may be something from a Yamaha,or Suzuki that may not be compatable with your friends bike.

MFolks; Yep, it was Kawasaki for sure. It had the horizontal accent lines like the '79's and might have even said Kawasaki (don't remember for sure). Classic shape and had two pigtails coming out of it. I'm now wondering if the police version used it. Oh Well, just curious. Kip has got rid of it anyway. Thanks for the response, Steve

shighley wrote:

There was a coil inside the rotor. I hadn't seen this setup before (not a pro by any means). So, from the outside-in you have the stator, rotor, coil. Seems like a trick setup, if I understand what I'm looking at. The field is generated by the inner coil and interrupted by the steel rotor, inducing voltage in the stator?

What your friend had was an excited field alternator setup from a 77 KZ 650, as far as I know the only KZs to use that setup.

Early KZ400's also used the excited field alternators. On the 400's and 650's you can tell by the three philips head screws in a triangle formation on the alternator cover. However, the KZ200 also has those 3 screws and does not have the excited field type alternator.