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Hi everyone,I have a 1983 shadow 750 and for the last 2 yrs something has been kiling my battery.I just replaced it 2 months ago and now its acting up again.i think its my rectifier or stater.I have replaced the ignition also so its not that.the other day it started to spit and spudder.Then i shut it off but wouldnt start right away.i waited 15 minutes then it started.I drove it for 5 miles got home shut if off same thing it would even turn over.
Then i jump started it then turned on the choke to almost 3000 rpm and then after a couple minutes it just died almost like it was starving for fuel but i had 3/4 of a tank.Now if my rectifier is gone would that cause my bike to just die like that.Also if my rectifier is gone can it run too many volts through my battery and cook it?Please help.Thanks

I'm no mechanic, but here's my take.

Sounds like a charging system problem. I'm having one myself.

Get yourself a cheap multimeter and measure the voltage across the battery with the bike off. It should be 12+ volts. Chances are it's not. Then turn the bike on, if you can, and rev the engine a bit while still measuring the voltage across the battery. In a properly functioning system, it will jump up to 13-14 volts. In your case, it probably isn't changing at all.

Here is how it generally works. An alternator connected to the engine generates electricity. It generates AC current, so a rectifier turns that into DC current. This DC current, at ~13-14 volts, charges the battery while the engine is on as well as provides the electricity to run all the electronics on the bike (lights, spark plugs, etc). If there is a problem with the alternator or rectifier, then all the electricity to run the bike is taken straight from the battery.

Service manuals have procedures for testing the alternator (may be a callde a generator or stator/flywheel assembly or something like that) and perhaps the rectifier. Mine says basically to test the stator and if that's OK then replace the rectifier.