This is a question about an Alternator on an old 1960's motorcycle. The alternator has a permanent 6 pole magnet that rotates within a stator which has 6 coils equally spaced around the circumference, wound on an armature. The alternator is used to provide AC voltage to the spark plug coil for kick starting and running the bike.

When the kick starter is applied, the rotor induces a sine wave voltage of anywhere from 3 - 11 volts AC which is applied through the spark plug coil of the cycle.

When I measure the voltage from the alternator, coil disconnected, I get the 3 - 10 VAC to ground. When I connect the coil, I get no voltage and no measurable current flow through the coil.

I think I may have a weak permanent magnet.

My questions are;

Is the current capacity out of the alternator a function of the rotor magnetic field strength?

Is the voltage is a function of the coils and how they are wound in the stator and the speed at which the rotor turns?

Thanks

Tom Dadian