charging problems

hey gang, my dad and i are having some charging woes. maybe someone can shed some light on the matter. so the bike is a kz750h3 with a dyna s electronic ignition wired in and also a wired george relay mod also put into place. i don't know whether this would cause any problems, but i figure it's better to state it than leave what could be a major detail out. from what my dad is telling me (the electrical guru between the two of us) the bike is putting out plenty of alternating current, but is getting little direct current. so if i'm up on my electrical lingo, i think that means that's why the battery isn't charging. he said the little dc it was putting off is 12.3v at idle and 12.67v at around 4k rpm. he thought the rectifier was bad but after doing some tests with his meters, it passed the factory manuals guidelines. is there something else that is being overlooked? i'm wondering if the way the dyna s or the wired george relay mod were hooked up affected something. anyone have any good guesses or suggestions on what to try next?

Hi CC, what you describe seems to be a common problem with Dyna systems. The Dyna dwell is very long. You could switch back to points and see if that is the problem or install a stock Kawasaki electronic ignition system shorter dwell time. hope this helps.

is there anyway to fix this? id hate to scrap the dyna after laying money down for it with hopes that it would be a trouble free system. would advancing or retarding the ignition do anything for me? it'd just seem like a shame after all the cutting up of the wiring harness. surely someone has a fix for this? does the dyna not really have any advantage over the stock kawasaki electronic ignition that came with my bike?

i found this in my search for an answer. i dont know how itd use more power but if anyone can confirm or deny this id be very grateful. still a shame if its true. that dyna s wasnt cheap.

kzrider.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&...ew&catid=4&id=221830

The dyna is not your problem if wired correctly. I would think with the AC being fine that the regulator rectifier is bad. That is if you have no bad grounds or corroded wires

so dont rip it out? should the rectifier be checked with an analog gauge?

Leave the dyna alone. If all connections are good replace the reg/rec. You can test it but thats on the bench and not real world with heat and all. If it were my bike I would get a new reg and be done with it.

Here's websites for regulators/rectifiers and stators:

www.rmstator.com
www.electrosport.com
www.customrewind.com
www.regulatorrectifier.com
www.ricksmotorsportselectrics.com
www.oregonmotorcycleparts.com

The folks at Dyna told me to put a 1.5 ohm ballast resistor inline with each coil, said it would help take some of the load off of the charging system. kzrider.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&...d=4&id=359246#359294

If not already done, and before adding resistors or buying a new reg/rec, would:

1-- Assure integrity of ground where negative battery cable attaches to rear of engine.

2-- Assure battery fluid levels are okay; charge battery over-night; have battery load-tested at local Auto-Zone or other place where batteries are sold.

If the battery checks out okay, and the negative ground is good, and the problem persists, I would leave the Dyna in place, and would obtain a new combo reg/rec from Z1E.

Oem Kaw elec ignition uses lower ohm coils than coils required by Dyna-S ignition.
Dyna-S should have Dyna green 3 ohm coils, or maybe 4 ohm coils.

If still using the low ohm oem coils with Dyna-S, the resistors are added to boost the ohms, so the oem coils will act more like 3 ohm coils.

The ignition coils and any added resistors really don't matter much to the charging system (alternator and reg/rec), as the charging system serves only to keep the battery charged.

Without any charging system components at all, the bike should perform just fine in all respects, until the battery runs down.

Good Fortune!

Voltage measured across battery terminals at 4000 rpm is supposed to be 14+ volts.

Where the alternator is properly functioning, insufficient charging voltage is one classic sign of a faulty rectifier.

Excessive charging voltage at 4000 rpm is one classic sign of a faulty regulator.

The ignition system depends on a charged battery, and couldn't care less about what keeps the battery charged.

The Dyna-S consumes more electrical energy than does the oem Kaw electronic ignition, especially at lower rpm. But the extra consumption from the battery should be easily handled by the bike's charging system.

Good Fortune!

alright so i want to get back on the road today. can i purchase any old 12v rectifier, or does it have to be model specific. j&p cycles in anamosa about 30 mins away from me here in iowa. i was wondering if i could zip up there in the pickup and grab one?