Sometimes our motorcycle batteries are dead, but after riding, it charges completely. Have you ever wondered how does a motorcycle’s battery charges?

The motorcycle battery charges with the help of a stator device that charges the battery while you ride your motorcycle. While charging, the charge from the stator has to flow through from the rectifier which converts the AC to DC. Without a rectifier and stator, your motorbike battery can’t be charged.   

But what is the stator, and how does this work? And what if the stator is malfunctioning, and how you can detect the problem in the stator.  

How Does a Motorcycle Battery Charge?

As mentioned above, the motorcycle battery charges while riding, but it’s not an easy process.

Worry not. Here I’m going to explain the whole process more thoroughly. 

Generally, new motorbikes come with a stator fitted in the motorcycle engine because of less space in the motorcycle.

The stator works the same as the alternator in the car. 

The stator generates the AC by converting the mechanical energy to magnetic energy, which further converts it into electrical energy.

There are magnets attached to the stator, which play an essential role in producing electrical power. 

When you ride your motorcycle, the spin wheel, which also contains magnets, rotates around the stator due to mechanical energy converted into magnetic energy.

The magnetic energy is further converted into electrical energy stored in the motorcycle battery in the DC form. 

The mechanical energy produced when you ride your motorcycle → is magnetic energy produced by the influence of mechanical energy → electrical energy produced. 

It is how your motorcycle battery charges when you ride your motorcycle. 

What’s the Role of Rectifiers? 

Undoubtedly stator is the crucial motorbike part as it produces electric charges then have you wonder what’s the role of the rectifier?

The motorcycle rectifier or regulator is the most crucial part which is needed to charge the battery. The stator produces AC electrical current, but the battery can only store DC electrical current. So to convert the AC electrical current to DC electrical energy, we need a rectifier. 

The manufacturer usually sets the rectifier as a standalone part (separate from the stator).

But now, to save space and provide as much cooling, the manufacturers fit rectifiers near the alternator. 

What’s the Difference Between Alternator And Stator? 

If you generally drive the car, then you must know about the part called an alternator. 

The alternator and stator do the same thing, but the only difference is that the alternator in the car is a much more complex system than a stator. To save space in the motorcycle, the manufacturers made the stator so that it doesn’t take much space. 

Like the motorcycle, the alternator is also easily accessible so that anyone can change the car alternator if something goes wrong! 

What’s the Role of Battery? 

You must be wondering what the battery’s role is when the alternator/ stator is the main component that generates charges. Then why do you need a battery for your motorcycle? 

Try to understand one thing: 

Your motorcycle alternator only works when your motorcycle is in motion. But to bring the motorbike into motion, you need a battery. Battery stores charge, which you need to ignite the motorbike engine. Without a battery, your motorbike wouldn’t generate enough power to ignite the engine. 

So to run your motorcycle effectively, you need a good battery as well as a good stator. 

Is Stator Can Malfunction? 

The stator is an integral part of your motorcycle so that it can malfunction anytime.

Generally, the stator that comes with your motorbike has less life. 

And that’s why I recommend buying a third-party alternator which isn’t cheap and must come with a significant warranty period. 

Some Signs of Stator Malfunctioning? 

Generally, the stator doesn’t cause any signs if it’s malfunctioned but causes some silent symptoms through which you can predict whether the stator has malfunctioned or not.

Signs of Stator Malfunctioning:

Sluggish Light.

High RPM problems.

Whining sound.

Sluggish Light: 

Sluggish light is one of the most prominent signs that can be caused when your stator malfunctions.

Your motorbike battery starts draining if you ride your motorcycle regularly; even sometimes, you’re going to find difficulty in starting the motorbike. 

You can’t rely only on this sign as it is also caused when your battery malfunctions.

It would be best to take your motorbike to a technician if you find this sign. 

High RPM Problem: 

Stator not only causes your battery to discharge but also interfaces the common working mechanism of your motorbike. 

There’s a need for more energy at high RPM, which a malfunctioning stator can’t produce, so you’re likely to face some challenges when taking your motorbike at high RPM. 

Whining Sound: 

The third silent sign of a malfunctioned stator is the whining sound you keep hearing while starting your motorcycle. You may especially hear this sound if you aren’t turning your throttle. 

How Long Would it Take to Charge the Battery? 

Your motorbike needs a stator to produce electric charges but for how long should you ride your motorbike to charge the battery?

Generally, the motorcycle battery charges best at 13.5-14.5 V, which means you need to ride your motorcycle for at least 3 hours to charge the battery completely. As stator converts mechanical energy to electrical energy and in this sense, the charging capacity will increase as you increase the motorbike speed. 

You can further decrease the charging time by switching off the additional accessories you installed on your motorbike.

Additionally, the smaller the battery size, the faster it would charge. 

Can You Ride a Motorbike Without a Stator? 

So far you understand the working of the stator, now the question arises, can you ride a motorbike without a stator. 

Stator helps to generate an electric charge when riding. In simpler words, it helps to convert mechanical into electrical energy. Without a stator, your motorbike won’t get any electrical charge and you’ll need to carry tens of motorbike batteries with you. In simpler words, you can’t ride a motorbike with a stator.  

You can ride your motorbike without a stator. But the only thing you need is extra batteries which you need to replace after some time in your riding journey.  

And if your motorbikes have some extra accessories installed, it would be better for you to carry more than ten motorbike batteries. 

Yes, this is how your life would happen if you ride your motorbike without an alternator.

And to tackle these challenges, you must have to ride a motorbike with an installed stator.

How to Test if Your Stator Malfunctions? 

You can’t rely on the signs mentioned above and to reach any conclusion you need solid proof.

To check if the stator has malfunctioned or not, I recommend removing bodywork and seeing if there’s any burn sign.

Check if there’s any melted wired or copper part. You can take your motorbike to a technician if you find some burn signs. 

You can also check the stator status by using a multimeter. Connect the multimeter one end to the one end of the stator and start the motorcycle.

Reset the multimeter value and carefully see the multimeter reading. 

Check whether the stator value is the same or not when connecting to both terminals; if it’s not the same, then it’s likely that your stator has malfunctioned. 

Also, read my previous post about when and why your motorbike rectifier gets heat. Click here to read.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Final Verdict:

How does a motorcycle battery charge? The motorcycle battery charges with the help of a stator device that charges the battery while riding your motorcycle. 

The stator generates the AC by converting the mechanical energy to magnetic energy, which further converts it into electrical energy. There are magnets attached to the stator, which play an essential role in producing electrical energy. 

It would be best if you pay attention to some signs such as sluggish light, high RPM problems, and whining sound as it’s caused when your stator has malfunctioned. 

Here are Some of My Favorite Riding Gears: 

Thank you for reading this article. I hope you found it helpful as you build your riding journey successfully. 

Here are some riding gears I use as a rider that I hope you’ll also find helpful.

These are affiliate links, so I’ll earn a commission if you decide to use any of them. But in all honesty, these are the same riding gears that I use and recommend to everyone, even my own family.

Motorbike Riding Pants:

For getting started, I like Scorpion EXO Covert Jeans for men (check the latest price on Amazon.com) and Indigo Protective Riding Jeans for women (check the latest price on Tobacco Motorwear).

These riding pants are comfortable so you can use these pants in summer, and these pants have a lot of space for using knee guards. 

Motorbike Riding Helmet:

Throughout my riding life, I used several helmets, and almost all helmets protect your head well. Still, I personally prefer YM- 929 Yema helmets as it comes with Bluetooth and aerodynamic ABS shells (check the latest price on Amazon.com).

And suppose you want an eye-appealing and yet effective helmet. In that case, you can go with Icon Airform Sacrosanct Helmet (check the latest price on Revzilla). 

Motorbike Riding Jacket:

Jackets are crucial to protect your upper body. Honestly, every rider has a dream to have an affordable yet best riding jacket. And that’s why I personally recommend the Alpinestars T faster motorbike jacket because of the protection and comfort it offers (check the latest price on Amazon.com). 

Motorbike Riding Gloves:

Almost all riding gloves perform well by protecting your hands from sunburn and cool nights. And if you’re a serious rider, then you should go with Alpinestars SMX-1 Air v2 Glove, which is lightweight and offers you excellent protection. (check the latest price on Revzilla).