1987 VFR 700; battery or r/r, or both ?

Hi!

Bought my bike 4 months ago. Got my permit a month ago, so it hasn't been used all that much.
Have racked up a few miles the last 14 days, though.

Yesterday I parked the bike in my garage after a 40 mile ride.
Today the starter would hardly turn over, and eventually it would die.
The battery is dead. I have had no indication that the battery was low.
Put a charger to the battery for 30 mins; just enough to get the bike started.

With the bike idling I'm getting 14.2 volts between the post of the battery.
Rev it slightly and I get 13.6 volts.

I'll let the battery charge for a few hours and see if it holds the charge.

Searching the forums will turn up quite a few nasty stories about batteries and r/rs.
I will try to figure out if it's the battery or the r/r.
I'll appreciate any help and tips along the way.

Is this the r/r?

 

Yes that looks like an aftermarket version of an RR. Check the input connector, there should be 5 wires, 3 yellow, a red wire and a green.

Most likely the battery is weak or worn out, your voltage measurement appears okay. Check the tightness of all spade lug terminals.

 

Thanks! So it looks like the rr has been replaced?
I guess I'll try with a new battery.

 

Charged the battery yesterday for ~10hrs and went for a ride.
Battery showed 13.5 volts this morning, so it looked like it held the charge......but that went downhill quickly when I tried to start.
I'll get a new battery and cross my fingers that the r/r did not kill the one I have now.

 

Search for doing the "RR drill" on checking the battery voltage-- measure while off, then at idle and at 5000 rpm?

What kind of battery is it? Can you read the date stamp to determine its age.

 

Thanks for the tip. I'll search for that.
Anyways, I replaced the battery with an identical one. It's a no-name (branded by a large chain over here) $100 gel battery.
Of course the bike started immediately.
The old battery can hardly turn the starter, even though the charger says it's fully charged.
When I took out the old battery, it was slightly deformed. Is that normal for a gel battery?
The question is if it died because of the r/r.

 

That's what can be determined by measuring battery voltage while the engine is running at 5000 rpm. If that voltage exceeds 15 volts then it may be overcharging the battery, which will shorten it's life. Chances are that your system is okay and the culprit was just the old weak battery.

Gel cells don't like or tolerate much overcharging; when they swell up they are toasted.

p.s. great looking motorsickle you have there.

 

Here's "The Drill" thread.

http://vfrworld.com/forums/5th-gene...how-fix-common-regulator-stator-failures.html

 

How does the r/r fail? Intermittently? Could it be working ok now and then or fail completely?

 

Different results for different folks. Mine was giving me "warnings" by sending all sorts of FI Codes. Probably went on like this for months before I was smart enough to actually check the R/R.

Others have noted driving down the highway and kaput.

I have yet to install a volt meter on my bike (which needs to be done), so now part of my pre ride, and some times post ride inspections is to check my voltage. Just to be sure...

 

Is there a replacement r/r that will not fail?
I mean, I bought this bike because I read it was more or less bulletproof.
Now I find that it is highly unreliable and can leave you stranded anytime.
I'd rather just replace the r/r if there is a reliable unit available, than to wait for it to stop working.
I was hoping to take this bike on longer trips than within walking distance of my home.

 

Loose spade lug terminal connections are the primary culprit leading to failure of these devices. The loose terminal creates a gap that sparks and arcs and causes lots of heat to build up and burn up the wires. So Inspect the connections for looseness and indications of thermal damage and discoloration of the plastic connector housing. The best fix is to solder the wires directly to the male terminals, then you don't have to worry about it arcing.

Your RR has heatsink fins on it that the OEM unit doesn't have, and that should help it run cooler.

 

Look for overheating/melting/burning on plugs to and from r/r like that........ Also, check the plug on the starter relay for similar damage.

 

Just a follow up. Went for a 150 miles drive with my wife today.
Noticed a bad smell on a couple of stops (like rotten eggs).
Smelled really bad when we got home. My new battery is deformed again. :frown:
I did the voltage check when the last battery went out. Everything checked out nicely.
Have been riding for 5 months now with no problems.
So I guess there is a new r/r in my future.

Is there a replacement r/r that is a direct fit and that wil NOT crap out on me?