Rectifier/regulator KZ400 - 5 wires vs 4 wires

Dear all,

I've been searching high and low for a few weeks in order to find an answer to my dilemma.
I own a KZ400G3 (I believe it's a G3 1981 model from the pictures and the front brake caliper) that I've been able to restore completely and it runs fine (well Keihin carburetors are not really reliable...).
However, while testing the electrical circuit I found a sort of incongruence between the data sheet of service manual (that claims Shindengen sh 221-12 rectifier/regulator installed) and the electrical scheme provided in the same manual.
The SH221-12 should have a three pin connector (yellow, yellow, black) from the stator and a hot - to the battery positive - this is what I found in my bike.
By the same coin, the electrical scheme describes a 5 wires rectifier/regulator with the brown wire connected to the turn signal.

The question is:  can i install a 5 wires rectifier regulator on my bike even if the standard does not comply and use the brown wire connected as stated in the electrical scheme Kawasaki itself provided in the manual? Any ideas on how to use a 5 wires rect/reg on a 4 wires circuit?

Thanks in advance for your ideas.

Regards

Giovanni (Florence - IT)

wrote:

Dear all,

I've been searching high and low for a few weeks in order to find an answer to my dilemma.
I own a KZ400G3 (I believe it's a G3 1981 model from the pictures and the front brake caliper) that I've been able to restore completely and it runs fine (well Keihin carburetors are not really reliable...).
However, while testing the electrical circuit I found a sort of incongruence between the data sheet of service manual (that claims Shindengen sh 221-12 rectifier/regulator installed) and the electrical scheme provided in the same manual.
The SH221-12 should have a three pin connector (yellow, yellow, black) from the stator and a hot - to the battery positive - this is what I found in my bike.
By the same coin, the electrical scheme describes a 5 wires rectifier/regulator with the brown wire connected to the turn signal.

The question is:  can i install a 5 wires rectifier regulator on my bike even if the standard does not comply and use the brown wire connected as stated in the electrical scheme Kawasaki itself provided in the manual? Any ideas on how to use a 5 wires rect/reg on a 4 wires circuit?

Thanks in advance for your ideas.

Regards

Giovanni (Florence - IT)

The three pin connector is two stator windings (yellow) and a ground (black) the "hot wire" to the battery positive is what charges the battery (white/red in the diagram) The brown wire is an ignition live which "excites" the stator to start the charging process. A four wire R/R takes care of this internally from the "hotwire". You would need to check with the supplier of the 5 wire R/R if it is suitable for a "single phase" charging system (2 yellow wires) and if it is ok to add the ignition live "exciter" wire as per the diagram. To be honest there is no benefit in changing away from what you have if it is working, can you not source a direct replacement 4 wire R/R ?

Dear Wookie,I got the point.My intention was to understand why the incongruence and if the 5th wire (a hot wire intended as an output - the three pin connector is exactly the same as in the 4 wire reg/rect version) can give a benefit to the circuit (eg..less consumption of battery or something else).

Attached the picture of reg/rect, 5 wires version.
By the way, it seems that Kawasaki moved back to 4 wires versions on the same models after a couple of years of 5 wires...don't know if it's true or not but makes sense.

Thanks

Giovanni

The brown wire is a voltage sense signal.  Some Shindengen R/R's used that scheme, and others didn't.  It's not critical, nor even important, as evidenced that it was used on some bikes, some years, and not on others.  If your bike is charging correctly, I wouldn't worry about it.  If your R/R fails, you can use either.  If using a sense signal unit you will just have to tap into the tail light power signal, or similar, OR, take the sense wire from the R/R and run it to the battery + terminal.  Lots of guys have done this, and it, in effect, functions just like a 4 wire R/R then.  

Dear Nessims,

Many thanks for the clarification!
Now it makes more sense the entire dilemma!

Truly appreciated!

Regards

Giovanni