Kawasaki Ninja 650R (ER-6F) & ER-6N Resource

Charging System Troubleshooting Guide

By: Kiwi

A number of owners have reported that their Regulator/Rectifier (R/R) have

failed, often this was preceded by a headlight failure and a flat battery leading to
starting issues. Troubleshooting found that not only had the R/R failed but in
some cases the R/R electrical connector had melted with some pins showing signs
of corrosion. The headlight issue was later traced to the headlight relay.

Troubleshooting Index

1. System Overview
2. Components and Locations
3. Circuit Diagram
4. Common Problems and Remedies
5. Battery Checks
6. Rotor/Stator Checks
7. Regulator/Rectifier Checks
8. Regulator/Rectifier Connector

Tools Required

• Digital Multimeter and test leads with a male & female spade fittings
• Tools required for access (spanners, allen keys, sockets and screwdrivers)

Charging System Overview

In simplified terms the Ninja 650R (ER-6F) and ER-6N uses a stationary Stator
Coil mounted to the left hand crankcase cover, it sits inside the flywheel Rotor.
The Rotor has magnets so that when the engine is running these rotate around
the Stator producing alternating current (AC). The Stator is wired in such a way
that there are actually 3 circuits which produce a 3 phase AC output voltage.

This Alternator (Rotor/Stator) setup is connected to a Regulator/Rectifier (R/R) by

3 wires. The R/R rectifies the AC current by using 6 diodes (2 per phase) and
converting it to a useable direct current (DC). The more complex part of the R/R
is the regulator section, it regulates the higher DC current down to provide a
steady 12-14 volts DC. The process in simplest terms monitors the output
voltage and "shunts" (partially diverts) the excess portion to ground through a
“load”.

The R/R has a lot of current constantly flowing through it and the excess voltage
is being diverted to ground through the “load” so the R/R gets very hot in the
process. The construction of the R/R is all about dissipating this heat through the
heat fins on its exterior.
 Kawasaki Ninja 650R (ER-6F) & ER-6N Resource

Components and Locations

Stator – removed

Stator – mounted in left hand crankcase cover

Rotor – left hand crankcase cover removed

Kawasaki Ninja 650R (ER-6F) & ER-6N Resource

Regulator/Rectifier – below seat left hand side

Relay Box – under fuel tank

Relay Box
 Kawasaki Ninja 650R (ER-6F) & ER-6N Resource

Battery – underseat (black terminal –ve) (red terminal +ve)

Circuit Diagram

1. Ignition Switch
2. Alternator
3. Rectifier / Regulator
4. Water-proof Joint
5. Main Fuse 30 A
6. Battery 12 V 10 Ah
7. Load

Wiring Colour Code

BK Black BR Brown GY Gray
BL Blue G Green LB Light Blue
LG Light Green O Orange P Pink
PU Purple R Red W White
Y Yellow
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Common Problems and Remedies

Failure of the Regulator/Rectifier (R/R) is often first evidenced by a flat battery

and starting issues. Troubleshooting should always start with the battery.

Make sure you have a good battery. A bad, old or dead battery will load down
the charging circuit until it overheats and dies. You know when you put a dead
battery on charge and it pegs the battery charger ammeter? Well that is what a
bad battery is doing to charging components on your bike.

Having said that. Numerous posts on internet forums with this fault have
indicated that most often a failed R/R is the culprit. This is often in association
with corroded or damaged pins on R/R electrical connector or loom plug pins. It
may be that these are just the weakest link in the chain.

Damaged Regulator/Rectifier Loom Plug

 Kawasaki Ninja 650R (ER-6F) & ER-6N Resource

Damaged Regulator/Rectifier connector pins

Those who have experienced headlight issues also find that the headlight relay is
at fault. The headlight relay is part of the Relay Box and also contains 3 diodes.
Posts to date do not indicate whether it is the diodes or the actual headlight relay
at fault. Unfortunately the individual relays and diodes cannot be replaced and
the relay box is sold as a complete unit.

The Service Manual has a complete series of tests for both the headlight relay and
diodes, as the Relay Box is not a cheap item it would be advisable to confirm
serviceability before making an expensive purchase.

The Battery

The following is taken from the Ninja 650R (ER-6F) & ER-6N Battery FAQ.

Is it the battery, or the charging system, or something in-between? The best way
to know for sure is to use a Multimeter selected to DC Volts (20 volt range)
attached directly to the battery positive and negative terminals, and observe the
following:

1. With the engine and all electrical accessories switched off, the battery should
read a minimum of 12.7 volts DC. If not, the battery is either not fully charged,
or it is bad (it is incapable of holding a full charge).

Charge the battery fully with a battery charger and check again. Remember
however that you must wait at least one hour after charging the battery to
conduct this test. Then if the reading is less than 12.7 volts DC, the battery is
bad and should be replaced.
 Kawasaki Ninja 650R (ER-6F) & ER-6N Resource

State of Charge Digital Voltmeter

100% 12.7 volts DC
75% 12.4 volts DC
50% 12.1 volts DC
25% 11.9 volts DC
0% 11.8 volts DC

2. If the first test above passes, leave the Multimeter hooked up to the battery
terminals, and press the starter button. While the starter is engaged (but before
the bike starts) the battery voltage should be 9.5 volts DC or greater. If not,
then this signals either a bad battery, very dirty or weak electrical connections, or
it could be a problematic starter motor (not likely it's probably the battery).

3. The charging system output voltage should be checked, again with the
multimeter at the battery terminals and this time with the engine is running.

Start the engine and operate at various RPM with the headlight on and off (to
turn off the headlight, disconnect the headlight connector).

The readings may show nearly battery voltage when the engine speed is low,
and, as the engine speed rises, the readings should also rise. But they must be
kept under the specified voltage.

According to the Kawasaki Service Manual the measured voltage should be 14.2 -
15.2 volts DC at about 2000-3000 rpm. In reality it is more likely to be in the
range of 13.5 – 15.0 volts DC.

NOTE: If the alternator is outputting more than 15.2 volts DC to the battery, the
Regulator/Rectifier (R/R) unit is bad and should be replaced. Over-charging a
battery will quickly ruin it and may cause severe damage or failure of other
electrical components such as the ECU.

If the charging voltages are too low and do not rise as engine speed increases,
suspect the alternator or R/R.

If the charging voltages are too high, suspect the R/R unit firstly, then perhaps
dirty or corroded electrical terminals. The procedure for checking all of these is
too detailed to describe here so consult the Service Manual for additional details.

4. Although is not related to charging system, another issue such as wiring or an

accessory may be causing battery discharge. To check this carry out a current
leakage check as follows:

Ensure the battery is fully charged and check that the battery voltage measures
above 12.7 volts DC (test 1 above). Disconnect the negative (black –ve) lead
from the battery terminal (stud). Measure the Leakage Current of the bike by
setting the multimeter to DC Amps, connect one multimeter probe to the battery
negative terminal and connect the other multimeter probe to the negative lead.
The current should be no higher than about 5.0 mA (milliamps) with the ignition
switched OFF. In reality you should expect to see around 1.0 to 2.0 mA.

If Current Leakage exceeds 5.0 mA, there is a fault with wiring harness an
accessory such as an alarm or the R/R draining the battery. Try pulling fuses or
disconnect the R/R to locate the problem.
 Kawasaki Ninja 650R (ER-6F) & ER-6N Resource

The Rotor/Stator

To check the integrity of the stator there are a number of tests that can be
carried out. The integrity of the Rotor is more difficult to test and in reality can
only be confirmed serviceable by swapping with a known good part. As the only
thing likely to go wrong with a Rotor is a loss of magnetism (and that is very
unlikely) then this should only be considered when there is no alternator output
voltage and all the other tests have checked out OK.

1. To carry out a resistance check of the Stator windings use a Multimeter

selected to Ohms (Ω range). Connect the multimeter leads and measure the
resistance between each “pair” of windings. Black wire to black wire pins, 1-2, 2-
3 & 1-3.

There are two points where this can be done easily, the connector at the
Regulator/Rectifier R/R) or you can follow the 3 wires out of the left hand
crankcase cover up to an Alternator Lead connector.

Alternator Lead connector

The resistance between each pair of wires should be in the 0.18 - 0.27 ohms
range.

A very low winding resistance could be a shorted winding although that is not that
common, what normally happens is they burn through and go open circuit with
infinite resistance (multimeter displays dashed lines or the abbreviation "OL"
which stands for "open loop"). In either case the Stator will require replacement.

A “cooked” Stator is usually obviously when removed with a burnt look to the
windings and insulation.
 Kawasaki Ninja 650R (ER-6F) & ER-6N Resource

2. The next test is a check of the stator windings to ensure that there is not a
short circuit to earth (the engine casing). For this test again use the multimeter
selected to Ohms (Ω range), connect one of the multimeter leads to the engine
casing and the other lead to each of the black wires pins 1, 2 & 3 separately.

There should be an open circuit with infinite resistance (multimeter displays

dashed lines or the abbreviation "OL" which stands for "open loop").

If the multimeter displays a low resistance then it is likely that the windings
insulation has burnt through and is shorting to earth through the Stator
mountings. In this case the Stator will require replacement.

3. The final check is the Alternator output. Again either unplug the connector to
the R/R or the Alternator Lead connector from the Stator windings LHS. Run the
engine and with the multimeter selected to AC Volts (250 volt range) measure
the AC voltage across each 3 pairs of Stator wires. Black wire to black wire pins,
1-2, 2-3 & 1-3.

Caution – All the Alternator wires are live, use test leads with appropriate male or
female spade connectors to avoid an electrical short circuit and damage.

The output voltage should be about 42 volts AC or more at 4000 RPM. A faulty
winding will show as a much lower reading than a good one and the Stator will
require replacement.

The Regulator/Rectifier

As mentioned previously the Regulator/Rectifier (R/R) performs two functions,

firstly the Rectifier section uses diodes to rectify AC voltage from the Alternator
converting it to a useable DC voltage. Then the Regulator section regulates the
high DC voltage down to provide a steady 12-14 volts DC for system services and
charging the battery.

1. To check the diodes in the R/R use the multimeter selected to Ohms (Ω range)
and measure the resistance of pins W/BL to BK1 then swap the leads of the
multimeter over and repeat the test. If the R/R is OK then there will be a low
resistance in one direction and high resistance in the other.

Repeat the test for pins W/BL to BK2 & BK3 and then for pins BK/Y to BK1, BK2 &
BK3. Again if the R/R is OK then there will be a low resistance in one direction
and high resistance in the other.

Regulator/Rectifier electrical connector

 Kawasaki Ninja 650R (ER-6F) & ER-6N Resource

Rectifier Circuit Diagram

The resistance should be low in one direction and more than ten times as much in
the other direction. If any two leads are low or high in both directions, the diode
is defective and the R/R should be replaced.

Regulator/Rectifier

Regulator/Rectifier
 Kawasaki Ninja 650R (ER-6F) & ER-6N Resource

Other information that may assist:

 Kawasaki Ninja 650R (ER-6F) & ER-6N Resource

2. The Service Manual also details another series of tests that can be carried out
on the R/R to confirm serviceability. These tests confirm the serviceability of the
Regulator section using three 12 volt batteries and a test lamp. Due to the
complexity of these tests and the equipment requirements it is often quicker and
easier to swap with a known serviceable R/R if the Regulator section is suspect.

The Service Manual procedure is repeated below for completeness.

To test the regulator out of circuit, use three 12 Volt batteries and a test light (12
Volt, 3~6 Watt bulb in a socket with leads).

CAUTION - The test light works as an indicator and also a current limiter
to protect the regulator/rectifier from excessive current. Do not use an
ammeter instead of a test light.

Check to be sure the rectifier circuit is normal before continuing. See test (1.),
above.
 Kawasaki Ninja 650R (ER-6F) & ER-6N Resource

• Do the 1st step regulator circuit test.

Connect the test light and the 12 Volt battery to the R/R as shown.

Check the BK1, BK2 and BK3 terminal respectively.

If the test light turns on, the R/R is defective. Replace it. If the test light does
not turn on, continue the test.

• Do the 2nd step regulator circuit test.

Connect the test light and the 12 Volt battery in the same manner as specified in
the “Regulator Circuit Test-1st Step”.

Apply 12 Volt to the voltage BR terminal. Check the BK1, BK2 and BK3 terminal
respectively.

If the test light turns on, the R/R is defective. Replace it. If the test light does
not turn on, continue the test.

• Do the 3rd step regulator circuit test.

Connect the test light and the 12 Volt battery in the same manner as specified in
the “Regulator Circuit Test-1st Step”.
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Momentarily apply 24 Volt to the voltage BR terminal by adding a 12 Volt battery.

Check the BK1, BK2 and BK3 terminals respectively.

CAUTION - Do not apply more than 24 Volts. If more than 24 Volts is

applied, the Regulator/Rectifier may be damaged. Do not apply 24 Volts
more than a few seconds. If 24 Volts is applied for more than a few
seconds, the Regulator/Rectifier may be damaged.

If the test light did not light when the 24 Volt was applied momentarily to the
voltage monitoring terminal, the R/R is defective. Replace it.

If the R/R passes all of the tests described, it may still be defective. If the
charging system still does not work properly after checking all of the components
and the battery, test the R/R by replacing it with a known good unit.

The Regulator/Rectifier Connector

A number of posts on internet forums suggest that the fault with this connector is
due to water ingress. Certainly its location is not ideal due to its proximity to the
rear wheel. Supposedly Kawasaki made improvements from 2007 and later
models as the harness was re-routed to prevent water pooling in the connector.
Given that a number of owners with post 07 models who have suffered the same
fault I wouldn’t bet on this being the complete solution.
 Kawasaki Ninja 650R (ER-6F) & ER-6N Resource

Regulator/Rectifier Connector

Regulator/Rectifier Connector

The electrical connector website Eastern Beaver has advised that the logo on the
Regulator/Rectifier connector is a Japanese company called Furukawa Electric Co.

Eastern Beaver stock a range of Furukawa connectors and should be able to

supply a complete replacement connector or an individual pin.

http://www.easternbeaver.com/Main/Elec__Products/Connectors/Sealed/FKWH/fk
wh.html
 Kawasaki Ninja 650R (ER-6F) & ER-6N Resource

Replacement parts - Furukawa Electric Co.

Disclaimer: This information is presented with no liability or guarantees

expressed or implied, work at your own risk.