Prudent pre-emptive RR/stator/charging care....

So, I had a 1999 VFR 10 years ago..... and have another one now. The RR did go on the previous bike (battery was discharging, voltmeter verified), and I replaced it with a Honda OEM. No burnt wires or anything on that bike. Looks like a lot more options/knowledge available today..... (Rick's, R1, soldering connectors, etc.)

This bike has 29,000 kms (20,000 miles on it). RR looks stock, previous owner had the bike 10 years with no electrical issues.

What pre-emptive action would most of you take, knowing what you know? Eliminate the connection(s), beef up the stator output wires, replace the RR? I have ordered a voltmeter which I will install. Money's always a factor, just looking for prudent action here on a bike that currently has no issues ....

I'm gonna do the "Drill" tomorrow regardless, just to check everything (I just got this bike). Battery on charge tonight.

Thanks!

 

Me, I'd keep an eye on it and ride it like you stole it. That said use a volt meter to get some numbers, some preemptive maintenance in checking is always good. but unless there' obvious trouble, like the RR stator connection showing some sort of corrosion, then hell yes get it all nice and cleaned up. other than that I wouldn't go asking for trouble when there isn't any. Some of our VFRs are pretty bullet proof still today. One can always buy an RR a head of time, gods knows it will be used at some point.

 

I bought my 99 with just shy of 28K on the odometer. I immediately replaced the R/R with a MOSFET one from rick's. I removed the high voltage connector between the stator and regulator and soldered the yellow wires. I left the DC connector from the R/R to the bike intact. Just cleaned up the contacts and applied a bit of anti-oxidant to the terminals. Now at 68K without issue.

 

I would not proactively change hardware, I think that is a waste of resources.

Open all of the switches, remove the old fried dielectric grease and spray it clean with electrical cleaner like DeoxIt.

Check the ground terminal blocks. Check that all wires in are secure and none are brown. Check that the output is secure. Clean the connection to the frame.

Pull all fuses and inspect for bad coloring or looseness. Anything off-color or with any corrosion replace it.

Clean and inspect the the headlight connections.

Inspect / replace the spark plug wires.

Clean and inspect the safety switches, neutral, side stand, clutch, tip-over sensor. Make sure these are tight/secure.

You are doing the right thing by going through it. Why? One can ride this bike for all these years, do no proactive maintenance, and then, from general use, many of these items can be on the fritz, just waiting for you to ride on the freeway at night for all of your lights to go out. Ironically, that happened on my last ride in the fall LOL. I suspect this is the starter switch but previously I had read that it has a lot of parts, and so that item I was afraid to proactively take apart myself.

 

The old toaster shunt R/R that Honda used are basically garbage. They'll start stressing out your stator coil as they start failing. The sooner you replace it the better. Unless of course you want it to fail on a ride far away from home, not fun.

 

Don't forget to give the original poster all of the applicable information. There are plenty of stories of people's "Rick's" parts burning up on the first trip after install, leaving the rider stranded. Unfortunately there were 10 things wrong with that electrical system that everyone here blamed on Honda's rectifier, and essentially misled the owner about a magic cure.

Batteries, stators, rectifiers, almost exclusively do not die natural deaths. As the saying goes, "They are murdered." Over-taxing the system with accessories, riding on a dead battery, and not discovering a short circuit. Show me data: How many bikes never went through any of these events, but their charging systems burned up early? How many of the failures had consistent preventive maintenance throughout their life? If you know the vehicle owning public, you know this number is downright tiny.

Test the ground, voltage, and leakage on a monthly basis. You'll eventually see the voltage dropping, and can make an informed decision on when to replace the components. If one makes anychanges to the bike, perform these tests again because it is common to pinch wires, for example.

Because if you don't do this, no matter what brand of rectifier you have, it will eventually leave you stranded and demonstrate your point to be moot.

 

Does anyone wonder if Knight has actually done any of this to his bike? Next thing ya know he'll be the original author of the drill and all that stuff the old Chinese guys say.

Worked with a Chemical Engineer for some time. Smart guy.. We were headed home one dark and stormy night and he had this little pencil soldering iron. Great for tinning lamp cord for speakers . I asked him about his stereo gear..Oh no Mr. Bill, this is to solder a hole in my radiator in my car. I figured it would take aboot three months to get that radiator hot enough to melt the solder.

I will consult the site where all that stuff that the old Chinese guys say about thermodynamics, and BRB.

 

No there isn't "ten things wrong" with the charging system. what are you rambling about?

Connectors that produce resistance then heat especially on the high voltage AC side, and super toasty R/Rs that are of an older design that run super hot. Electrical components do not like heat, period. All* JP motorcycles run the same f00king setup. MOSFET R/R's run cooler, and by design should last longer cause they aren't reaching temperatures of the sun.

I don't care if he buys a Rick's, the shindengen from roadstercycle. or a modern R1 regulator. any are better than the OEM one that you can grill tiny steaks on, who some VFR owners have been mounting computer fans on (LMFAO).

My data? How about I've wrenched on plenty of honda's and have been through this nonsense. Sure, keep the OEM. Then you can play electrician with your voltmeter along the way when you decide to go on a long ride. Sounds like a great idea. :crazy:

 

If you want to bullet proof your system - look at my Electrical Loads thread on here.

 

There is a tenancy of bikers to issue "magic bolt on cures." The recommendation of the aftermarket rectifier is one of them, for every single person who comes on these forums and iterates "my bike has an electrical problem", or "I just bought this bike what do I do to it?" The magic cure is a distraction from thorough maintenance on everything else in the system. This should be obvious to you from being here long enough, but sorry if my words did not convey this well.

And heat increases in the entire system as it corrodes over time and requires maintenance. The resulting excess heat is not a "stock" feature. The same with the constant vibration, murder on any electrical system. This demands preventive maintenance.

I would never question your expertise. I am saying show us data on 1,000 different bikes with these problems. Show me hundreds of bikes that never went though the abuses I posted, but the charging system burned out far too early anyway (doubt it). Given that everyone who posts a problem ADMITS to the abuse, or knows it from the prior owner, the story pretty much speaks for itself. Charging systems burn out from neglect, in an overwhelming number of cases. Where do I get this? From reading everyone's personal sagas in these forums, direct from the horse's mouth.

As for the aftermarket is "better" that is reasonable. Your original statement that the OEM is "garbage" is incorrect. People travel 30k miles on a "junk" rectifier? That doesn't make any sense. Some owners here state they have never had a charging issue on their VFR. Did they get a different version of the bike from the rest of us?

And my final point still stands against your retort: If your aftermarket R/R goes 80K, but the stock goes 40K, you are still stranded when it goes. There is no fundamental difference. So why you put the little crazy emoticon to refer to me makes no sense.

Almost all of the input from the community points to neglect and lack of preventive maintenance. The aftermarket R/R, is an opinion. It's an okay opinion. It is not gospel, it is not a necessity like you claim.

 

Important 8th generation R/R difference:

Note the new logic added, not the same as previous R/R's on previous generations.
Also, Honda has done away with parallel output wires (grounds and hots) and gone to 2 wire connection.

Abbreviations:
DLC Data Link Connector
DTC Diagnostic Trouble Code
MCS Motorcycle Communications System

 

LOL ok this is pretty simple, yes Knight your right but a bit over the top IMO, spark plug wires? really, ok, what ever. From my experience somewhat like what V4to says, I thought about the solider up them joints, it's a known weak point for sure, but IMO until I see a problem as in yes it actually is causing an issue I leave well enough alone, I'm one that doesn't overly fiddle. With over 60k on both 4th and 5th gens with not much in the way of a hic up, Knock on wood when I say that. I do take a peek on the numbers with a volt meter and look for trouble, call it my pre flight back ground. making no worries here. But as cool as the VFR is, for some reason Honda didn't think it was necessary to water proof it better, the electrical system just doesn't like water, go figure huh.

 

The OEM R/R's are an older design. They run HOTTER. Heat kills electrical stuff. Why is this so complicated? :cower:

 

Interesting, but OP bought a REAL VFR. Not an 8th gen otstir:

 

I think any electrical device I buy in my life, I'm gonna call you and show you a picture, and ask you where to mod it. :director:

 

Haha. I'm just happy no more issues so far on AMs bike - knock on wood. Wish I had the stuff to bullet proof it on the trip though. Next time ....

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

 

sccrching, cuts, corrosion on the connectors...

I am surprised as you're a perfectionist for some things Jay like the suspension, but accept the mediocre wires, that are now several generations behind the latest wire technology? This may be something you never thought about, but don't discount it completely.

 

That's the thing here, the good looking I did with knowing what electrical issues can bite ya, doesn't show them to be mediocre, other wise hell yea they'd be replaced, fixed, gone in a heart beat just saying. don't fiddle with it just keep an eye on it, preventive maintenance on some things just isn't necessary. but then it's all about how one feels about it too. some do, some don't, I'm in between. Now on the brakes LOL thats a whole other subject, they work, but know they can work better.

 

Each to their own, I don't knock other peoples choices in machinery. My 8th gen is miles above the 03 6th gen in handling, craftsmanship, style, performance and design sophistication. If I want to fiddle with an old school VF, I work on my '83, which has the same basic charging system as all the other VFRs up to, but not including the 8th gen. I was merely pointing the differences in the new model so that others don't try and replace the R/R with the wrong type.

 

I see RRs, etc. are still a hot topic. Lol.

For now at least, I'm going to inspect my wiring/connectors and do the drill. Battery is perfect, so I'll at least check voltage when running, and stator output. And when my onboard Voltmeter arrives (Ebay waterproof mini), I'll install it.

If I was to proactively change my RR, what is the better unit..... Rick's, or the Yamaha?
Also, how did the Yamaha RR come into play?