Oops I did it again!  I couldn't help myself and got this 2006 barn find with 6,500 miles on it for $600.  Spent most of yesterday cleaning it up and going through everything.  It polished up quite nicely.  I like that it's unmolested (stock exhaust, carb, etc) and gives me a clean slate to start with.

It's main issue right now is the stator.  The guy I got it from replaced the stator with an aftermarket stator because the guy he bought the bike from said it was bad.  I highly doubt it was bad at this mileage, but that's the path that was taken to try to get it running again.  So, that's where I'm picking up.

I showed the guy my pictures of where the washer goes on the starter gear.  He quickly admitted he put the washer on the wrong gear and also thinks be may have installed the gear backwards.  So, I'll be going in there to check/correct things.  An interesting thing is that he used RTV sealant instead of a gasket on the case and it doesn't leak.  I was impressed because I fought Woody 3 times using a gasket to finally get Woody leak free.  Also severely hindered by the fact that the stator wires coming through the case grommet weren't sealed properly.  Apparently the aftermarket stator on this bike is okay.

Here's my issue/question.  The aftermarket stator that is installed doesn't have long enough wires to reach the clip near the regulator/rectifier.  So....photos of where the guy cut the stock stator wires and kept the stock clip connection near the regulator/rectifier.  And another photo of the clip coming off the new aftermarket stator.  Even if the wires/clip on the new stator would reach the regulator.rectifier clip, the orientation of the clips don't match up.

1) Should I just buy a new stator with longer wires and correctly oriented clip?  Or...

2) Can I makes this work with some spade connector terminals/connector?  Which wire goes to which slot?  Does it matter?  Can a multimeter help me in any way?  I'm thinking it matters....  FYI -the connector clip for the pick-up sensor and ground matched up and was long enough.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Aftermarket stator connector with wires from the original stator.  Can I play eenie, meenie, minnie, moe and connect?  

Here's the thing... the stator is a 3 phase generator that 3 sine waves 120° apart.

And the rectifier is a 3 phase bridge rectifier.  Bridge rectifiers just flip negative voltages to positive, it's a very basic technology.

So, it doesn't matter which wire is connected to which post, they all do the same thing.  And it doesn't matter what color they are (electrons don't care) just match the gauge of the wire, solder, don't crimp, seal well.  Corrosion is not your friend and you'd do well to clean and protect the spade terminals.

Thanks Verslagen!  I kinda thought that was the case, but I wanted to be 100% sure.  Really appreciate it, and the advice to solder and not crimp the wires.  I was already considering getting a different new stator with the correct clip orientation and longer wires so I don’t have an extra wire splice/connection in the line.  That seems to be asking for trouble down the road on this important electrical source.

Yeah Mike - I was a bit shocked the guy accepted my $600 offer, but he was fed up with trying to fix it.  He got the bike as part of a trade for a truck he sold to the bike’s prior owner.  He just wanted to cash out and move on.  He fixes/flips cars and trucks and got a little bumfuzzled with the little thumper!

Thanks Savard 05.  I think I'm going to like it once I get it running!