5th gen r/r issues?

You need to properly test the field wires (yellow) from the stator to determin what your output is from the source. Should be somewhere between 14 and 14.5 volts on each one. The Regulator will dump anything more than 12.5-13.5 volts to ground. If the RR is dumping too much or not enough, you will boil your battery dry or the other side, it will not charge enough and the bike dies on the highway. Hooking up a Volt meter to the battery so you can monitor it while you drive is great, but you should always carry a spare for peace of mind.

Has anyone had a RR fail on them while riding. I only have experience with the 5G model.

 

I've had my 5th gen going on 3 months now and you guys have me thinking I should pick up a spare r/r or maybe order a new Honda one, put it on, and keep my old one as a spare.

What's the web link to order these things?

If the new ones are suppose to better than the original OEM ones, I'd rather just spend the money now and replace the original stock one. If the failure happens it sounds like it could fry some wiring harnesses and ruin my battery which are even more costly.

good post

 

You should check it as it normally doesnt just "go" but will over time cause high amount of heat at the connector causing it to distroy the casing and the connectors.

I ordered my spare RR from these guys and it was delivered in a week. They have fixed the Honda problem (something to do with internal diodes failing) and even say they perform 13% more efficent than the stock ones.

REGULATOR RECTIFIER

 

Instead of buying a spare R/R and crossing your fingers on a road trip just get the VFRness from wiremybike.com That is a permanent solution that addresses the real problem of the R/R, which is the weak wiring that leads to the R/R.

 

Amen, get the VFRness. And if you have questions, PM Tightwad. He gave me good advice and saved me some coin, too. :smile:

 

For all of you that don't carry a spare, let my lesson be guidance to get a spare and keep it under the seat. Does not have to be brand new. Just something to get you going.

My 96, died on me in Jasper, AB of all places. First let me tell you that Jasper in many ways, is in the middle of no where, has no motorcycle mechanic in town, and is pretty expensive place to stay overnight.

I had suspicions the battery was dead, cause the bike was idleing at low rpm's (around 1000). Pulled into a service station to fill up for the days ride, and the bike would not start again. Dash lights were good, just not enough juice to start the bike.

Thats the 2nd one that has died on me in 12,000 miles. In my experience a fully charged battery is going to keep the bike running for about 90 minutes, before there is not enough juice to start the bike anymore.

So rather than be stranded in Jasper for at least a night, running additional funds on rooms, and overnight shipping internationally for the new R/R, I pushed my bike to the local NAPA, confirmed my suspicions with a volt meter, had them charge the battery, threw on the spare R/R, put on the charged battery, volt meter tested good, and was on the road in 1.5 hours.

Oh, and the spare under my seat was an original that first shipped with my bike. Saved me big time!

 

Oh, so it's not the r/r itself causing this problem it's the wires themselves? The wiring harness from wiremybike.com is only $45 bucks compared to $115 or so for a new r/r.

thanks for all the info everyone, time to bust out the charge card.

 

Good example reg71. 30,000 miles and no failure vs failure at low mileage. I hate the inconvenience of breaking down when there is a reasonable upgrade that could have been performed ahead of time. Not only does it ruin your day though the other person(s) that is with you. I don't have a ton of money but I have less time (and patience).
Is the overheating solely the problem of the R/R? Is upgrading the wiring worth cost? Is the problem with the stator caused by the R/R or is it internal? Should the stator be upgraded preventatively?
I just wanna ride!

 

Just to get it straight. Its the wiring to the RR that is the problem and not the RR itself? Is the wiring the problem or the connectors? If I just cut off teh old connectors and put heavier one in place , should that correct teh problem, or do I need to replace the wiring as well. Wouldnt putting a replacement RR on with bad wiring just cause the replacement one to eventually die too?

 

Gill, yes, the wiring that leads to the R/R is the actual problem. The wires are too weak to handle the loads and the R/R ends up overworking itself to make up for the weak flow.

If I were you I'd just buy this VFRNess at Wire My Bike I'm assuming that you have the '98 or '99 model.

It's only $40.00 and a tried and true product. I wouldn't try to save maybe another $20.00 and cross your fingers.

 

Yep, 98 it is. Thanks for the information. It looks like it is pretty much a straight replacement part. You would think that this would be a Honda recall item if it affects this many bikes. This will be my Winter project!

 

r/r

I believe it's called a reg/rec because it regulates the alternator output by controlling the stator field current, it also recifies the a/c voltage put out by the alternator to d/c voltage for your bike. If one of the diodes fails the a/c voltage will cause lots of havoc with guages, etc. If the reg goes south the bike will overcharge the battery. If the connections are clean and tight they should be fine (a little di-electric grease works well, not alot or you risk forcing the terminals apart!)
I have no personal expirience with the repair kit (wiremybike.com), but I have heard it is not a sure thing.
If your r/r is failing it will typically work only until it gets hot -- 10-15mins and then fail to charge. My '92 and 01 did the same thing when they failed.
I pulled the headlight fuse and got 4+ hrs out of a fully charged battery on my '92.
Lots of push-starts!
Happy trails

 

Sorry I don't get on here much, but so far all advice is correct. If your R/R is already failing, the VFRness will not save you. It can however mitigate the impact, and will certainly help with future issues (at least so far, I only have one bike to test with). I have been amazed at how many VFR owners there are, the original plan was to make 20 or so, I am well over 150 now, and still going.

The concept isn't mine, I just made it easy to install. By increasing the Charging/Groun circuits, we help the R/R stay cool. Having to bleed off all of the charging voltage is what kills them (when they get really hot).

Always happy to answer questions, either by PM or Email...I might not see the threads.

Tightwad

 

Not all bikes have RR problems.

My bike will be 10 years old in February 2009. Still on the original battery and RR. 56,000kms.

Always garaged. Never ride on very hot days. Can count the number of times the engine temp has been over 100 C