How To: Gsxr Regulator Rectifier Mod 3 & 4 Gen

I've posted this before but damn if I can find it. Here's copy/paste of my gsxr r/r mod from 2004 on my former superhawk. It uses the exact same lame oem r/r as the 3/4 gens VFR's. It was still running strong 3 years later when I sold the bike. Best $9.99 plus shipping (used on ebay) I think I've ever spent. :warranty:

HTH

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Having suffered R/R failures on both a cbr and a vfr, I'm no stranger to the achilles heel of 90's era hondas.

So when my used 98 VTR SuperHawk started having electrical "issues" (does anyone else smell rotten eggs?), I knew the first place to look. Sure enough, the r/r was hotter than hell and the connector was burnt/fused. 18V at the battery at idle!!! Crap. What to do, shell out another $135+ for the "new/improved" version or find a cheaper used original one?

I then found out that some guys have had real good luck with an (ahemm) Suzuki GSXR model. I picked up a used 5 wire unite on on ebay real cheap. Its heavily finned, bigger, and works like a champ: 14.2V after start up and then settles to 13.8-14.0V after topping off the battery. The connectors are, of course, different so you will have to bypass the honda connector. Mine was burned out anyway and some people say the plug is part of the problem since the connections can corrode and build up resistance. It's such a problem that Honda even began selling a new connector kit. I don't know if they are still available but, again, it won't fit the gixxer r/r anyhow.

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Here it is mounted up. I had to trim the upper fin(s) to clear the superhawk rear cowl and could only use one bolt in the stock locations. You can drill/tap two if you want. The three yellow honda wires go to the the three gsxr black wires. It doesn't matter which goes to which just that the three yellows go to the three black. The honda red wire goes to the gsxr black with red stripe wire and the honda green wire goes to the gsxr black with white stripe wire. Done.

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I added a voltmeter to monitor it. It's been a year and about 8,000 miles of everything from stop/go city to interstate droning to rippin' it up the twisties and it has performed admirably.
YMMV!

Other guys have posted positive results using Yamaha R1 units too.