Stator, Battery, and Front Tire

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Well, it happened.  The stator in the alternator failed, as they tend to do in Ninja 650Rs.  Mine got me almost to 66,000 miles, so I am pretty happy.  It also didn't just let me down in the middle of nowhere, fortunately.

The stator is wired in a three phase pattern, and one of the phases was not producing an output voltage. 

I think the failure is right where the burned place is in the photograph below.

That failure made the stator produce less power to recharge the battery and run lights, ignition, fuel injection, and accessories.  I noticed that occasionally the horn was not very loud and the trip odometers and clock would sometimes reset to zero when starting the engine.  I tested the stator according to the Kawasaki manual and found the problem.

The stator OEM part number is 21003-0042 for my 2006 and others.  I bought a new stator from grimcycles on ebay, and it got here in about a week.  It looks good and fit fine.  More importantly, it now produces the full power that it should.  That cost me $144.95 for the part, shipped.  My labor, as usual, is free.

I changed the oil and filter as long as I was in there.  You lose most of the oil when opening the stator cover if you do it with the side stand instead of a rear stand.  If you use the latter, you only lose about a quart.  It needed changing anyway, so that was fine.  I use Mobil 1 and a Kawasaki-brand filter. 

The procedure to change the stator is well documented here.  I reused the stator cover gasket.  It is not metal, but it is sufficiently sturdy if you are careful handling it.  Use silicone sealant only around the wire passthrough, not on the entire gasket. 


I buttoned up the engine, filled it will oil, started it up and found that the charging voltage at 4000 RPM was correct at 14.6 volts.


I went for a ride, and the symptoms of the weak horn and disappearing odometer reading persisted!

Now what?

Well, I tested the battery after it had been on trickle charge overnight and found its voltage to be lower than it should be.

That is an indication of a bad battery.  I last replaced the battery in late 2012, almost 30,000 miles ago.  That time, I replaced it with the same as OEM, a Yuasa YTX12-BS.  I did the same this time, and found it only a few dollars higher than six years ago at $59.88, shipped from Amazon seller Avid Cycles.  It got here in a few days, I filled it, charged it, and everything works fine now.


Oh, wait a minute.  What about the tire I mentioned?   Well my front tire was about worn out so I sent away to Sportbike Track Gear for a fresh Michelin Pilot Road 4.  They had the lowest price of $146, shipped when I used an $8 rebate from previous purchases there.  I took it to the local Foothills Powersports dealer to be mounted and balanced for $37.  The worn out tire had 10,500 miles on it and the resulting cost per mile was $0.018 over its life.  Even at as long a life as I get because I ride sedately, tires are a significant expense of owning a motorcycle. 


So I have two good tires, and an electrical system that works properly now.  The whole escapade cost about $390.  This motorcycling isn't cheap!


I might say, though, that this bike has been very reliable over its life.  I never abuse it, so that probably contributes to its longevity.

The other major issues -- besides routine service -- have been the fuel pump failure, the loose kickstand, and the water pump seal failure at 41,000 miles.  I have done all of the maintenance and repair myself, so the costs were much lower than if I had to take it into a mechanic each time. 

Not too bad for an elderly ride like mine.

Hope to see you on the road!
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Unused Tread Width -- aka Chicken Strips!

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Before we get to the topic at hand, remember that today is Flag Day, a commemoration of that symbol of the greatness of these United States.

Those of us who live here have the distinct honor and privilege of doing so.  Nowhere else on God's green earth is there as much freedom and opportunity as here.

Salute the Stars and Stripes today -- and every day -- while you are out on the scooter. 

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Last Saturday, I rode up US-178, NC-215, and onto the Blue Ridge Parkway, riding all the way to its south end at Cherokee, then returned by the same route.

I am fortunate that I am so near such good roads to ride, the Parkway being just a little over fifty miles from where I live -- and the roads to get there and back are mostly challenging, too.

It was a great day to ride, with the clouds high, white and billowy.   I stopped on the way to Cherokee at Waterrock Knob, which is not the highest elevation on the Parkway, but provides a good view of the surrounding countryside, the road in and out, and of the town of Cherokee. 

Amongst the roads I traveled were US-178 and NC-215.  178 includes a series of curves near where the photographer Patrick Welch has stationed himself on occasion to snap the passing traffic.

I took those curves at a substantial speed, it felt like.  (Though I don't pay too much attention to the speedo when I am watching the road in a curve, especially a tight one.)  I also took one curve on the Parkway a little hotter than I felt comfortable with, but I held the throttle constant and there was no drama, except a little higher heart rate.

When you get into a situation where you are outside your comfort zone, the innate response is to chop the throttle and get on the binders.  Bad, bad, bad.  Somebody once said that motorcycle cycle riding is not intuitively understood -- you are not born knowing how to ride.  You have to learn it.  I believe that.

...and this advice helps a lot, too:

That's another thing you have to learn that isn't intuitive. 

Anyway, when I got home, I backed the bike into the garage and happened to notice the scuffed-up tread on my tires. 

I had not seen that before, at least not on my tires.  Only on other people's. 

Hmmmmm.

I decided to look over the remaining unused tread width on my tires -- my chicken strips -- and wondered whether they are any narrower than the last time I measured.

Burger King

No, no, not that kind. 

If you don't know, motorcycle chicken strips are here defined by Basem Wasef on About.com: 

Definition: The unworn edges of a motorcycle tire, usually used in a derogatory tone referring to the rider's unwillingness to lean a bike over.

Pronunciation: chik-uhn strips

Examples: Billy was ostracized by his riding buddies because his bike's chicken strips were so wide.

Now that we have that understood, I go to get my scale out of my shop drawer and get to measuring.  We have to be accurate in such things, you know. 

I find the following: 

Front -- Michelin Pilot Road 3, 0.45" width
on both sides of the tire. 

Rear -- Michelin Pilot Road 2, 0.5" width
on both sides of the tire

OK.  Now what do I compare them with?  

If it is other people's sportbike tires, there is no contest.  Some of these riders are aggressive enough that they have no chicken strips at all.  Their tires are worn all the way to the edge of the tread.

Now, I have heard that some squids take a sander to their tires to make it look like their chicken strips are narrow.  See below:

Chicken strip removal
can be Fun and Easy!!!

Posted 06-22-2007 11:41 AM  by Craigman on the PA Sportbikes forum.

Tools required...Belt sander, propane torch, and Nike gloves! 

Ashamed of your chicken strips? I can help!! DIY!  

First step..Sand chicken strips off!

 

Second step..Heat your tires so they appear to have been heat cycled..A faint blue strip will appear. DO NOT IGNITE THE TIRE!! this adds a touch of authenticity!

Put on your Nike gloves and [go to] the local hangout and impress your Squid friends with your new found..SKILLZ!

But that's cheating, don't you think?  

Back to real chicken strips.... 

The poor little Michelin Man (circled below) that is perfectly formed in the sides of my tire is scrubbed completely off of some of the tires of very aggressive riders.  

My Michelin Man is still intact, though his upraised hand is a little bit in jeopardy. 

Bibendum, commonly referred to as the Michelin Man, is the symbol of the
Michelin tire company. Introduced at the Lyon Exhibition of 1894 where the
Michelin brothers had a stand, Bibendum is one of the world's oldest trademarks. 

Here's what that rear tire looked like when it was nice and shiny.  Hadn't touched the road yet. 

That was 6100 miles ago.

I looked back on some previous measurements I took in February of 2009.  The chicken strips on my then-new Michelin Pilot Road 2s were:

Front -- Michelin Pilot Road 2, 1/2" width.  That is a tenth of an inch wider than now. 

Rear -- Michelin Pilot Road 2,  7/8" width.  That is a whopping 3/8" wider than now. 

Those strips were measured just after a 260-mile ride into Georgia, through Clayton and over Blood Mountain.  Back then, I had only ridden about 9500 miles on the Ninja 650R, my first real motorcycle. 

Well, I can see that I have been a little more aggressive lately.

Funny thing:  I don't feel myself tightening up on the bars as much as I once did.  Sometimes, but much less often.  ...and my chicken strips are narrower now.  That seems like progress to me. 

It amazes me how sticky a set of road tires can be on a road that is clean of sand and other debris.  I don't consciously try to erase my chicken strips, but I do try to control my turns.  I now see that those turns must be a little more aggressive than before.


Hmmmm.  Maybe a track school is in order -- the beginner class, of course.

How about you?  Are your chicken strips getting narrower?
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