Sports: Re: [DucatiST] 2002 ST2 regulator/rectifier

The common issue is the single-phase charging systems on '98 and some '99 ST2s. To aggravate the issue, the regulator in the '98 is inside an aluminum tunnel in the nose, eliminating any airflow unless you are at speed. Beginning sometime in '99, the charging system is the same 3-phase (reliable in my experience; I have 6) system that comes with most are all Ducs through 2006 or so and the regulator is on the side, by the battery. It can get convection flow there with sitting still. I won't bore the list with details, but I fixed my '98 and it has been working fine for 5 years now. After '99, it's all good.

Jack in NC

On 6/23/2013 9:50 PM, David Gooch wrote:

I was just reading about an 1999 ST2 on a 2 week long group tour that failed
to make its way home under its own power. I asked the owner about the
failure and he said regulator.

Ok, I tend to ride alone and go several thousand miles from home, so I
thought, maybe I should just go and see what regulator is installed in my
bike. (2002 ST2 73,000 km)

The regulator is installed on the air intake in the front of the fairing,
which is exactly where the parts manual shows it. Unfortunately, you can't
tell if it is OEM or not because of space restrictions. So, I thought, let's
just pull it and see. (The fairing is already off the bike, still working on
winter modifications - yes, I know it is July) Only 2 bolts to remove and
plenty of slack in the wiring and the darned thing will not come out of the
mouth of the aluminium air intake. It seems that the mouth of the intake is
narrower than the area where the regulator is mounted and it can't be
removed without splitting the intake casting.

I was going to ask if this seems right, but on thinking about it, it does
seem like something Ducati would do.

So, now I am paranoid. Changing an R/R is not a simple road side fix. It is
likely to take several hours and that assumes that you have a spare R/R on
hand.

Questions:

1. Does the OEM regulator really require that the intake shroud has to be
split to remove the regulator? (IE could I already have an after market
regulator in the bike.)

2. Am I being paranoid about a regulator failure?

3. Should I pre-emptively change the R/R?

4. What R/R would you recommend?

5. How many of you have voltage monitors or some other early warning system
for R/R installed?

I should add that I have no indication of any trouble with the R/R on the
bike. The wiring looks good and the connectors are all fine, with no
indication of overheating. So, maybe I am worried for nothing.

Thoughts, comments, suggestions?

Thanks

Dave G.
aka The Goochman