New R/R HOT to touch!

I am not sure how hot a regulator should get but I just installed a new one I ordered from http://www.regulatorrectifier.com. I was not impressed with the fit or finish of the R/R they sent me. And now the thing is HOTTT after sitting at idle for about 25 min. So thats my question just how warm do these things get?

If anyone else ordered one from these guys how did you feel about the r/r they sent ya?

 

First question is why is it idling for 25 minutes? Thats kinda rough for her. I would guess that all regulators would be pretty hot of left like that. They only have a heat cooling fins on them so they rely on air flow for cooling.... I have seen someone that installed a computer cooling fan on theres to aide cooling.

 

The reason I just let the bike sit and idle, I was not convinced that they even sent me the right regulator. I would have rathered let it idle in my driveway and something go wrong versus head down the road and something go wrong.

 

im curious to know why you would buy something from a company you are not comfortable with

 

Huh? I did not realize I was uncomfortable prior to buying the r/r thanks for letting me know how I was feeling hehe.

It was actually my first purchase from these guys and it was a link I found on this site after doing searches for regulators. So at the time I was comfortable thank you! :wink:

 

These things do get hot. That is typically why the OEM ones fail.

I am not sure the idling is a very good test of the loads etc. one would see while riding. Did you try a multimeter to see if it is charging correctly?

I replaced mine with the "new" OEM R/R. I seem to remember it being about $200 from bikebandit.com and have no problems since. I think this is one of those parts that you are better off with the Honda part. IMO.

 

I bought one of these for my '98 and put on about 1,000 miles without any
problem. When I mounted it I put spacers with longer bolts between the frame and the unit
to allow additional airflow around it. I didn't have a problem with the OEM unit
but thought this "heavy duty" model might be more reliable. So far no complaints. I think mounting a fan on top of this would be a good idea, and
I might do that in the future. I like over-kill.

 

Keep in mind too that at idle, some bikes do not put out enough juice to charge anything rather they run at a loss until they get above a certain point on the tach. Not sure of the specifics of the VFR stock charging system.

and yes they build heat, lots of heat, hence the cooling fins to try to get rid of some of it

 

I burned up my stock one and got a new OEM from Service Honda. The revised Honda unit has larger cooling fins that are supposed to fix the problem with r/r's burning out. If I remember right, it costs about $130 from Service Honda- they seem to be the cheapest on most OEM parts.

 

By chance I just stumbled upon this...

 

I just replaced mine in my 99 and I noticed that the new R/R was pumping out between 13-14 volts over the battery at idle. The voltage remains the same up to about 6500 rpm, which as far as I took it in the garage. This means that the system is charging the whole time. After discussion with my mechanic, I am happy with this, as over 14.5 volts would indicate an alternator problem. I checked all of this fairly carefully as it was a aftermarket heavy duty one that blew originally. Although I will try to repair the old one when I have time. I will let people know if I am successful.

Rob

 

Talked to a few mechanics (honda and non honda) before replacing mine, they all urged me to stick with OEM. Yah they initially failed, but the current OEM stuff is beafy as hell and is supposed to last.

Check out the difference between stock and the newly upgraded OEM.

 

Yep, the new OEM one has been changed...

As far as spacing it up, I don't think that is a good idea...the unit is designed to cool by heat disapation...if you attach it to the frame with the aluminum plate, put silicone heat grease on all points (both sides of the aluminum plate basically so it makes a good thermal contact to the regulator and the frame) you should get the best heat dissapation. (the frame will absorb heat from the reg as well).

I also drilled four 1/2" holes in the cowl right in front of the reg (in the scoop area) to help with air circulation...

we'll see - I just did all of this and only time will tell.

 

They should get pretty hot, but they are very efficient at dissipating heat which is the key to a long lasting rectifier. Our regulator rectifier have larger heat sinks then Honda OEM products, and noticeably thicker gauge wires. Our VFR 800 regulator rectifier can handle
up to a 40 amp load, which will allow you to add other electrical components onto your bike.

VFR 800 regulator rectifier (1998/ 1999) model

http://www.regulatorrectifier.com/c...vfr800-vfr-800-regulator-rectifier-p-236.html


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-Scott Pearsons
www.regulatorrectifier.com