Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 998 / 996 / 916 / 748 > Aarrgghhhh - Alternator/Rectifier AGAIN!!!!!!

[NickH]

Broken down again tonight - for the second time it's the plastic plug between alternator & rectifier, only a bit worse . When I stopped at West Meon Hut (after a good blast up to Winchester & along A272 ) smoke was coming out from the fairing cutout above the battery.

Unbolted battery tray and found the plastic plug melted again, one wire broken on the alternator side, insulation on nearby wiring has melted and the bike frame was almost too HOT to touch.

Q: As Ducati were not bright enough to make the 3 wire alternator retrofit the 2 wire bikes, has anyone completely replaced the wiring on the alternator i.e. right from the windings? if so what size cross section wire should be used? Is it an easy job to remove the alternator? I guess it should be an easy job for an electrical workshop to solder new wires onto the winding - where are you Shazam?

PS - could be worse on the way back home, the recovery driver's 20 year old son rang up from Spain to say he'd lost his passport, what should he do!!