My 1983 KZ440 LTD will not hold a charge!

My 1983 KZ440 LTD will not hold a charge! I've replaced the Stator and regulator/rectifier, still no joy! The bike starts right up (first push button start) idles properly revs properly but after running/riding for almost 3 hours straight with no problems but when I shutdown and restart, I find that the battery is not charging (no 13-14 volts output) all wires read good and no fuses are blow! What am I missing?

Instead of spending time and money replacing a bunch of parts, I would run the charging system tests described in the Kawasaki Service Manual to diagnose the problem. Also, I would either install a new battery or have the old battery load tested. Ed

Go to www.electrosport.com and find their troubleshooting page, it will show you voltages your bike needs to keep the battery charged.

You have a bad connection somewhere. I had the same problem with my 79 400 Ltd, turns out I had a bad connection in the three point connector between the alternator and the regulator, on the alternator side. Rather than replace the whole connector, I was able to pull out the bad connector and replace it with a generic female spade connector. Now my battery charges, and the lights blinkers horn etc all are strong.

You may have to check every connection on the whole bike, but start with the from the ones from the alternator and the regulator.

Big C, I have a very similar issue with my 82 kz440 ltd D4. I'll be watching this thread closely! Hey where did you get the replacement stator from? I'm developing a bit of a replacement parts locator list for myself to have on hand for the future. Thanks a bunch and keep us posted! I'm off to go check my wiring now lol.

I had a similar issue with my KZ650. Found the ground lead on the battery to not be quite tight enough. Added a bit of dielectric grease, tightened it down and all is good. Please check that BOTH connectors to the battery are tight...