Dampening my spirit

Tbh, felt the wires baton both sides and they felt a bit crispy so better safe than sorry


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Skip to the end and resolve this for good. Get a regulator and harness from Roadster Cycle to get by all the bike's wiring. Also check your starter relay connector for overheating/corrosion as well.
While you have the rear cowl off, check the ground spider connector that is taped into the harness, clean/repair as necessary. Also check the chassis ground on the right side of the frame.

 

The wiring within the first 1-2" of the connector will be crispy. Trim it further back (3"+) and you should find fresh wire. The stator may be perfectly healthy with many thousands of miles left to give. If you can get to fresh wire, another AC output test may show a perfectly good stator.

 

Reg/rec and stator replaced, all looking good,
Take bike out for a ride and suddenly everything dies, nothing on the dash not even the clock. Bike relayed game and battery immediately put on charge (12.9v when it went on charge 13.8v when it came off) once charged put back on bike (clock on) As soon as key is turned everything goes dead, key off clock back on. No signs of overheating on reg/rec or stator connections and when checked immediately after coming to a stop the reg/rec was only warm

Knowing the battery is fully charged, any guesses on the first places to look


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But did you check the ground spider / orange connector as suggested by Ray? To me, sounds like it's symptoms. Circled in green on attached pic.

 

First job tomorrow


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I installed a new Yuasa battery as my clock kept resetting and I figured the old battery which was near 20 years old was at the end of it's life!
Anyway I also have a voltmeter wired direct to the battery,
the readings I'm getting are, 12,7 volts resting battery, 13,9 volts at idle, and when running at high revs with lights on it's showing a steady 13.3 volts.
The bike has the upgraded Honda reg/rec SH698DA fitted around 20 years ago far as I know.
Question is at the 13,3 volts at normal riding speed it's showing is my charging system ok?

 

its important to check main wiring plug for signs of distress, since problems there will cause problems just like yours. pull the plug off to inspect/clean contacts, and remove any greenish corrosion.



in some cases the main fuse holder can melt down

 

Thanks SM, where is this main wiring plug? from the RR to the Stator? I'll check as many connections as I can when I get time to remove the rear cowling, Givi rack has to come off as well.
So I take it that the 13.3 volts I'm getting at high revs is not good enough?
I know I read it should be 14 0r maybe even 14,5 volts at high revs.

 

lower end of charging voltage. have you checked AC output from the 3 stator wires ? expect about 50 AC volts @ 5000

if thats ok, replace the r/r

red plug is on starter solenoid with red battery cable




its all in the manual

 

Thanks SM, I'll have have my mechanic mate check the stator for me when he comes back from holidays, meantime I'll check the connections that I can find to see if there's any obvious issues.

 

Merely a point of reference here: my 5th Gen with a MOSFET reg/rec that’s solidly wired (no plastic connector) is giving me a constant 14.2 V at 5k rpm.

The original connector was burnt/fried so it was eliminated in the upgrade.

As noted by Squirrelman your bikes 13 V is at the low end of the spectrum. As a hobbyist with old Honda’s in the garage I’d also recommend (as I was told very early on) to check and recheck Honda’s ground wires and connections. I’m a believer a good ground helps to make the entire system happier.

 

I'm not sure where to look to check the ground connection? follow the battery neutral I suppose?
My battery is now showing 12.3 volts after the bike not being ridden for a few days, I suspect the reg/rec is the problem,

I have seen this aftermarket reg/rec
VFR800FIW 1998 Regulator / Rectifier - Parts For Honda Motorcycles - David Silver Spares
Type
OEM replacement
Part No
DBGAAMBG305P
DBGAA-MBG-305P
Not sure if this DBGAA-MBG-305P a good idea, handy thing is it just fits into the existing connectors,

or else I go for the Mosfet type I have read about, It's a bit more expensive but that's not an issue I just want to fit the best item I can and solve the problem once.
I can get a mosfet type but I see it has to be hardwired into the stator wires and connects direct to the battery then. Not really in favour of cutting into the existing wiring.
any advice? think I know what the answer will be...

 

I know the thought of cutting the factory harness at such a crucial junction is daunting. I went through those feelings myself. My personal angst followed a road trip which revealed wild fluctuations in voltage which I attributed to the heat I was riding in - over 40C. Getting home I checked the wiring, discovering a fried and melted connector between the stator and reg/rectifier. If yours get that bad, you’ll be cutting and splicing a new connector anyway.

My friend, a professional working mechanic, advised the MosFet works better by switching more quickly and running cooler.

The internet has many, many good video and written instructions come with any kit you buy. Eliminating a so-called weak link in the VFR’s electrical system is so satisfying to see your volt meter at a constant 14.2 volts.

If a concern is one of those “aw crap,” moments and the concern you’ve clipped the wires too short, fear not. The quality kits come with enough wire to eliminate that concern. There are thousands of ham fisted folks like myself that took the leap - you won’t regret this upgrade.

 

I'm sure you are correct and the hardwired FH020A Regulator Rectifier upgrade is the way to go, I can get one from ( Kevs Shed - see youtube) in the UK for not much more than the SH689DA copy available from Davidsilverspares.
The thing is I don't use my Vfr for touring, mostly for local rides longest day maybe 150 miles,
I have read that with the upgraded SH689DA reg rec I have fitted that it regulates at 13.8 volts and I would never see the 14.5 volts Honda advises in the manual anyway.
I'm getting 14.volts at idle after a run, 13.8 volts at 5000rpm without lights on dips and 13.3 volts with high beams on at 5000rpm.
I may just wait and see and get some advise from a mechanic buddy sometime on it.

 

^^^ your average mechanic buddy doesnt have more than a fraction of the vfr electrickal info we have here. meanwhile, keep riding it.

 

That's true, but he does have 40 years experience and is a bit of a genius so I'm not concerned taking his advice, he is far from average. Not many like him coming up through the ranks nowadays.
I was reading about the upgraded SH689DA reg rec over in vfrd, an old thread but very interesting, vast knowledge as you say on these forums of the Vfr's.
How to figure out if problem is R/R or Battery or something else? - Fifth Generation VFR's - VFRDiscussion

 

Your low battery voltage after sitting a few days may have nothing to do with the charging system but may be indicative just of the age/health of the battery. Failure to hold charge is one of the symptoms of the battery on it's last legs. You may also be seeing some current leakage through the RR if that is failing; a current check with multimeter from the battery positive to the disconnected cable end would show that. 1.2mA is the maximum specified (presumably what the clock needs) and any more suggests an issue (unless you have another device like an alarm in the circuit).

 

I just replaced the battery Terry with a new Yuasa, I'll most likely buy the FH020A upgrade reg rec fairly soon, hopefully that will leave her right once and for all. I tend to kick an idea around for a while!