Everything fails at some time
Failure can and do happen on both alternator types -
excited rotors fail open circuit on airheads (happens to a lesser extent on other vehicles too)
Permantat magnet rotors have failures of the rectifire/regulator (all one box). Keep these cool and they last longer.
As for the power requirements .. an airhead G/S or GS in standard condition outputs around 240 watts .. max total .. for get the oilheads 700 watts .. Various people have come up with ways of increasing the electircal power on an airhead .. the most secessfull replace the alternator in total. 450 watts on an airhead is total luxury in terms of electrical power!
--- On my airhead - replaced 2 or 3 rotors .. now carry on bolted to the left crash bar. The old grey ingition coil still works ... and they are supposed to fail .. carry a sapre for that too, but it is considerably smaller and weights much less.
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Regards Frank Warner
motorcycles BMW R80 G/S 1981, BMW K11LT 1993, BMW K75 G/S
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