R/R: I think my number is up...

So I had the afternoon off. And it was 80 degrees out today. So off on the VFR I went! I was having a great ride, heading north into PA and basically getting lost on back roads.

At one point, I get stuck behind a school bus. No big deal, I'm relaxed, I'll just put along untill the next turn. So I'm following this school bus for 3 or 4 miles at about 30 mph, stopping here and there to let the kids out. At one stop, I accidentally stall (I'm a VFR newbie... still in my first 500 miles on it). I pull the clutch, hit the starter, and I'm greeted by that sad, pathetic sound of a starter motor with not enough juice. Great. And to top it off, I left my cell phone at my house back in Baltimore, and no one in the world knows I'm up in PA.

I gotta say, people in rural PA are nice. The kid asked me if I needed help, his mom let me come into his house, make a few phone calls, etc. Turns out, her neighbor is a Harley mechanic. He comes over, gives me a hot-shot, and the VFR starts right back up. From here, my plan was to just stay "on the pipe" from there back to Baltimore and pray that the electrical system didn't crap out all together. Fortunately, I made it back. For a while there I didn't know what the hell I was going to do!

It sure looks like I've been bit by the regulator/rectifier bug. Does this sound generally consistent with other peoples' experience? Prior to getting stuck behind the bus, I was getting on it, keeping the motor reving. I guess putting along at 30mph for a few miles was enough to weaken the battery. From what I've gathered, these R/R issues start off "intermittent" like this... the charging system still works, but just barely, untill the R/R fully burns itself out.

So I guess I need a new R/R... is true that the replacement unit from Honda is the most reliable replacement?

I'm also going to go out on a limb and say that I shouldn't go taking my VFR into other states untill I get this cleared up...

Thanks,

Rob

 

Hey. Mine went out on monday, so im hoping friday at the latest ill have it in my bike. It was 85 degrees today, and instead of riding, i had to follow my friend on his 996 all day at the beach in my car. Im really bummed out. But yes the Honda replacement unit is pretty much the best you can get. Honda parts are the best replacement parts you can get, because they put very strict guidelines on the manufacturing processes. For instance a Yuasa battery from someone like Parts Unlimited is inferior in quality to a Yuasa with a honda part because honda wont buy something that isnt up to their par, so the manufacturer loses a lot of money, therefore being forced to put out the best possible product. The R/R is the same story. BTW i also heard its best to hard wire the new unit into the harness, because the connectors get old and help the R/R deteriorate quicker. A small computer fan placed on the unit is also helpful, because that is the main reason why they go bad. They simply dont have enough cooling from the fins and burn themselves out.

 

So a question. Has anyone had this problem on a Gen 6? I know the Gen 6 RR has bigger fins but I am not sure if that has solved the problem.

 

You can find a bunch of info on this topic by doing a search on here and VFRD. I about freaked out right after I bought my VFR because of the charging system. I finally got it all figured out. BTW, buy the Honda RR because the Electrosport ones suck! I also did the PC fan mod because I vive en Tucson, Arizona! 105-115 in the summer. I actually even bought one thinking the new one burned out again and it was just a piece of crap battery. Now I have an extra for when or if it ever goes out again! Good luck.

 

Ck your charging system B-4 you buy a new R/R, because your battery could of been weak, & your RPM's were not high enough to charge.
Gen 6 systems are a huge improvement over the previous Gen's.
Also if you add the fan (good idea by the way) it will not keep you battery charged on low RPM at a long length of time or if your battery is dead or shot.
By adding a small fan & low RPM will drain a battery even faster.
I often get in a bad long distant traffic situation will run a lower gear to keep the R's up for charging & a ready to accellerate quickly to safety if a situation comes up verses bogging a gear & getting nailed (never know what pops out of a driveway or a cage turning into you).

 

Seems to me that the bike's charging system should be able to keep the battery charged, regardless of motor speed...

The battery on this bike is a mystery to me... I bought the bike back in January. It did die (but not completely) during a cold snap in February, but I recharged it with a trickle charger.

I'm wondering if the guy who sold it to me knew about this. I asked him specifically if there were any electrical problems, or charging system problems associated with the reg/rec. So if he knew something, he lied to my face about it. Oh well. I'll probably end up replacing the R/R and the battery together. Grr.

 

anyone had one go out on a 500 I think I need to replace mine before I start riding this year It crapped out on me a few times late last season. I thought it was a fuel problem so I replaced just about everything fuel related when I put it up for the winter but I am having second thoughts.