I got an e-mail from the OP concerning the problem he is encountering on his '09 AE. I'm taking the liberty posting my answer here for posterity sake...
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Hi Jeff
Congratulations on the purchase and trip home on your "new"
Advanced
Edition FJR. Yamaha made a solid platform back in 2003, and I think the AE is the best model, I'm enjoying the heck out of mine.
Judging from your messages, I think the stator on your bike is just fine. Since it puts out 14.2 volts at the voltage regulator output you need to look elsewhere for the losses. You have stumbled upon the week link in this bike. The voltage regulator is 6.5 feet away from the battery terminals. There are several breaks in the copper wire going to (red) and from (black) the battery. Any one of these crimped connections can cause resistance over time. To make matters worse, the wire size is small, in my opinion, for the load it is intended to carry. I have the harness from my wrecked bike (88744 miles old) and have opened it up. What struck me was the color of the copper on this main circuit… it looks dark, like the wire got warm. Any time a wire gets warm from the electrical load, its because of resistance.
My thoughts are that the manufactures build these production bikes with a delicate balance of compromises built in. In this case, if the wires are sized just big enough, there will be a savings on the cost of copper wire over the many thousands of units built. When new it works just fine. However, when bikes age these issues crop up. I found that to be true when I built and installed both my Grounding Harness, and Ignition Relay Harness on several bikes of various ages and upkeep. The neat thing about making these aftermarket wiring harness, I can size the wires big to carry the extra load with much lower voltage drop for the lengths involved.
Good news, there is a kit that you can buy that will bypass the aging wire run providing a much lower voltage drop at the battery terminals. Several of us have installed it with good results. Your bike seems to be a good candidate for this kit. More good news, this kit is a lot cheaper than a new stator.
This is all you need to see 14 volts at your battery terminals.
Super harness with 30 amp circuit breaker.
This kit can be purchased at
Roadstercycle.com. You don't need a new voltage regulator, nor do you need to hook up the grey 3 wire connector. The alternator lead on your bike is performing well, leave it alone. You need the custom Yamaha FJR version for the extra wire length.
As for the other harnesses that I have made in the past, Yamaha has a redesigned ignition switch that your bike has been fitted with. Yamaha also came out with a recall for the grounding junction block issue. Make sure your bike has all it's recalls done - check with your dealer service department and have them do a vin number search.
Good luck, and enjoy your bike. Perhaps our paths may cross here in the San Jose Bay Area.
Brodie
Many thanks to Don Carver and his
thread which documented the situation.