Jump to content

New to me, 2002 VFR800


NodakVFR

Recommended Posts

  • Member Contributer

Just bought a used 6th gen, complete with side cases, top box and all mounting hardware, as well as a Sargent seat (and original), and an extra tinted windshield.  The plastics are in decent shape, but I can tell where it has fallen over.  The paint isn't scratched up, so I appears that it was a zero mph tip-over.  Anyway, for the price I paid for it, I think it was a steal.

So now I have a 6th, 7th and 8th gen in the garage sitting with my Gold Wing. :wheel:

 

The bike runs pretty good, but seems to run a little rough the warmer the engine gets.  Also the previous owner mentioned he was having battery/charging issues.  I put a voltmeter on the battery and I'm getting around  13.40 volts at idle.  When I rev to 5000 rpm with the high beams on, I still only get about 13.40 and sometimes lower.  Voltage seems to drop at rev, the closer I get to 220 degrees.  I'm thinking it may be a regulator/rectifier, but would appreciate any input on what may be the issue.

 

 

20180831_165651.jpg

20180831_170142.jpg

20180901_092849.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

Congratulations on the purchase!! Those are great bikes!!

I have a 2003 with almost exactly the same set up.

What is the mileage of yours?

I would replace the stator and R/R if I were you right off the bat. Maybe inspect the old one and keep as spares for emergencies only and only short term if they are still looking and test ok. Charging is an issue on those. While at it, maybe inspect all grounds, fuses and connectors. Some tend to melt...

Good luck and keep us informed of what you find.
C


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

What a great quiver of the fastest color VFRs. Your great taste in mc's is only exceeded by your intelligence and your good looks! :wheel:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer
3 hours ago, Polarbear said:

Congratulations on the purchase!! Those are great bikes!!

I have a 2003 with almost exactly the same set up.

What is the mileage of yours?

I would replace the stator and R/R if I were you right off the bat. Maybe inspect the old one and keep as spares for emergencies only and only short term if they are still looking and test ok. Charging is an issue on those. While at it, maybe inspect all grounds, fuses and connectors. Some tend to melt...

Good luck and keep us informed of what you find.
C


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Mileage on it is 19,500.  I had the right side cowl off and inspected for burnt wires and connectors.  They all looked good to me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer
Mileage on it is 19,500.  I had the right side cowl off and inspected for burnt wires and connectors.  They all looked good to me.


Good god! That poor thing was never ridden!!! If anything, it is giving you low voltage as a response to a lack of love...

I am of the opinion, after I have thought about it most if the day, that completing The Drill would give you a more comprehensive view of the entire charging system. Since you owe other VFRs, you must be familiar with The Drill...

Btw, i do like your stable. All theee bike that we see (and I suspect the ones we don’t...) are groovy...

C


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Link to comment
Share on other sites

With the mileage and voltage reading, I’d just order a stator and r/r. Then you should be good to go for years. Or, ride it to a VFRD meet and drink beer while others do it for you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer
50 minutes ago, Sweeper said:

With the mileage and voltage reading, I’d just order a stator and r/r. Then you should be good to go for years. Or, ride it to a VFRD meet and drink beer while others do it for you. emoji16.png


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Now that's one helluva an idea! :fing02:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

Great find with full luggage - not easy to come by.  If you dive in to the stator you may want to do some initial research.  When 6th gens came out Honda found the stator's output lacking, so in 2003 they increased the size.  The '02 part number has been superseded by the '03 and newer part in the parts fiche.  However, since the newer stator is larger, there have been reports that it will not fit in to the original (smaller) '02 flywheel (also no longer available).  Not a big deal -  in that instance also replace the flywheel, but that's going to require a puller and some additional work.  Not saying you'll encounter that, but you might want to check it out thoroughly before assuming the available stator's a direct bolt in.  If you need a measurement, I have a newer stator on the bench that could be measured if that's any help.  If you do find the flywheel must be changed, I'd go ebay - they don't wear, and you can probably save a couple of Frankin's vs. going new. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

Beautiful set of VFR's lucky you. :wheel::wheel::wheel:

 

Dear American friends.

Can you please advise me as to what your annual Registration fees are. I would love to have multiple bikes but our registration fees are a killer.

I've just paid my bike registration and it was $615 Australian. The ridiculous ripp off is our TAC Charge $505 this is a compulsory insurance paid for accident injury and property damage (separate from any bike damage insurance). The problem is that this TAC charge is not (as it should be IMO) per licence but basically charged on every vehicle you have registered, no matter how many cars or bikes you have, and obviously you can only ride/drive one at a time!

So what's the deal in the States are your similarly ripped per vehicle as we are? Interested to know.

 

CONGRATULATIONS NodakVFR.

Cheers:beer:

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, Grum said:

Beautiful set of VFR's lucky you. :wheel::wheel::wheel:

 

Dear American friends.

Can you please advise me as to what your annual Registration fees are. I would love to have multiple bikes but our registration fees are a killer.

I've just paid my bike registration and it was $615 Australian. The ridiculous ripp off is our TAC Charge $505 this is a compulsory insurance paid for accident injury and property damage (separate from any bike damage insurance). The problem is that this TAC charge is not (as it should be IMO) per licence but basically charged on every vehicle you have registered, no matter how many cars or bikes you have, and obviously you can only ride/drive one at a time!

So what's the deal in the States are your similarly ripped per vehicle as we are? Interested to know.

 

CONGRATULATIONS NodakVFR.

Cheers:beer:

 

Lol you are gonna be jealous. 

 

$50 a year if you go with a state plate, or $90 a year for a custom plate. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer
4 minutes ago, Urbanengineer said:

Lol you are gonna be jealous. 

 

$50 a year if you go with a state plate, or $90 a year for a custom plate. 

 

Ya mean that it's $90 per year fee for each bike !!!! Holy sh@t , "Beam me up Scotty" I'm coming over.:wacko:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

I think the state reg's is about $45 per year where I am.  What they're subjecting you to is outrageous.   It varies among the 50 states.  Some are ridiculously high while others are more reasonable.  Where I am it was just doubled.  I think no matter where in the world one lives, it's more or less universal that politicians have no end to the ways they want to grab our money to use to buy votes for themselves.  :mad:

 

Insurance though is also mandatory but purchased privately (not sure what TAC refers to).  Anyway, it's the same here - you get charged per vehicle, not by the driving license.  I guess the theory is that if your vehicle does damage that's considered a separate incident regardless of who is driving it.  So I have the same issue with it - commuter car, SUV and pickup truck on top of the bike(s) - it all adds up. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer
10 hours ago, NodakVFR said:

Just bought a used 6th gen, complete with side cases, top box and all mounting hardware, as well as a Sargent seat (and original), and an extra tinted windshield.  The plastics are in decent shape, but I can tell where it has fallen over.  The paint isn't scratched up, so I appears that it was a zero mph tip-over.  Anyway, for the price I paid for it, I think it was a steal.

So now I have a 6th, 7th and 8th gen in the garage sitting with my Gold Wing. :wheel:

 

The bike runs pretty good, but seems to run a little rough the warmer the engine gets.  Also the previous owner mentioned he was having battery/charging issues.  I put a voltmeter on the battery and I'm getting around  13.40 volts at idle.  When I rev to 5000 rpm with the high beams on, I still only get about 13.40 and sometimes lower.  Voltage seems to drop at rev, the closer I get to 220 degrees.  I'm thinking it may be a regulator/rectifier, but would appreciate any input on what may be the issue.

 

 

Just curious - when you ride the 1200 and either of the 800's back to back - do the 800's seem like riding lawnmowers in comparison?  I'm sure the torque / HP of the 1200 is addicting . . .

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

I’m curious if in 2003 Honda increased the size of the stator as a mistaken response to the poor Reg/Rec? 

 

The staror puts out about 60k volts at high revs - I’m struggling to understand how that output would be too low? The Reg/Rec takes those volts and “regulates” them to 12v whilst “rectifying” them AC/DC. 

 

There are lots of threads about Reg/Rec upgrades (I’m using one off a late model Suzuki TL1000) which is rock solid and probably overkill. Cheap ones off R1/6 are very good and miles better than the one you’ve got. 

 

I’d start there and look at the stator second. 

 

Your collection of bikes is awesome! 

 

Stray

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer
30 minutes ago, Stray said:

I’m curious if in 2003 Honda increased the size of the stator as a mistaken response to the poor Reg/Rec? 

 

The staror puts out about 60k volts at high revs - I’m struggling to understand how that output would be too low? The Reg/Rec takes those volts and “regulates” them to 12v whilst “rectifying” them AC/DC. 

 

There are lots of threads about Reg/Rec upgrades (I’m using one off a late model Suzuki TL1000) which is rock solid and probably overkill. Cheap ones off R1/6 are very good and miles better than the one you’ve got. 

 

I’d start there and look at the stator second. 

 

Your collection of bikes is awesome! 

 

Stray

Hi Stray.

I'm impressed if your stator is outputting 60kv (60,000v) at high revs - man that would really light up your life! :laughing6-hehe:Just joking, typo error.

Specs on the alternator for both 5 and 6 gen is 470watts at 5000 rpm. Mostly Stator failures not Regulator failures, stators seem to fail through lack of oil around them which is known to dissipate heat. For info, 8gen now has forced oil cooling for the stator.

Cheers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

I'm not an electrical expert, but I believe that for a given magnetic field, the voltage of the rotor / stator assembly is proportional to the speed of the rotor, and the amperage is proportional to the number of turns in the windings.  Increase the revs and voltage goes up.  Increase the turns and amperage goes up.  Since Volts * Amps = Watts, increasing either or both will up the power output of the alternator.  IIRC the '02 was lacking in power output for cruising around at lower rpm's, especially if running high beams, and maybe accessories such as a heated vest, etc.    Note for example that bulb's power consumption is rated in watts - I believe the H4's for headlights are 55w for the low beams.  So to get more power capacity from the alternator at lower rpm's, the stator was enlarged to get the number of wire turns on the windings increased in '03 as increasing rpm's was not desireable.  We did see a new stator go in to an '02 at Custer - so not saying it's always an issue - just have seen owners report it as such previously so maybe research it in advance. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

You are probably right there Cogswell, whilst 5 and 6gen are rated with the same specs 470w, there are different part numbers for the stators. With all four headlights burning in Hi beam mode, there's 220watts alone!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer
9 hours ago, Cogswell said:

 

Just curious - when you ride the 1200 and either of the 800's back to back - do the 800's seem like riding lawnmowers in comparison?  I'm sure the torque / HP of the 1200 is addicting . . .

 

The 1200 certainly has a lot more "get up and go" than the 800's, but the 800's still have plenty of power and torque for my riding style.  The 8th gen seems to handle a little better and has quite a bit lighter feel to it than the 6th and 7th gens.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

Here in Minnesota annual registration is $16. Heck of a deal if you ask me. MC's here get free use of HOV lanes on our urban freeways. Once upgrades and farkles are taken care of (often significant $), they are truly a poor-man's vehicle. Mine gets 50+ mpg.  YMMV

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer
On 9/2/2018 at 5:09 AM, Grum said:

Hi Stray.

I'm impressed if your stator is outputting 60kv (60,000v) at high revs - man that would really light up your life! :laughing6-hehe:Just joking, typo error.

Specs on the alternator for both 5 and 6 gen is 470watts at 5000 rpm. Mostly Stator failures not Regulator failures, stators seem to fail through lack of oil around them which is known to dissipate heat. For info, 8gen now has forced oil cooling for the stator.

Cheers.

Thanks for the correction, Grum.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

I believe I found the problem to charging system.  Just a guess, but it looks a little "crispy" to me.  :blink:

I've changed the R/R already, and now I'm trying that "pull-a-plug" from one side to the other technique I saw at SumSum '18!

Never a Carver around when ya need one!  :wink:

 

 

20180908_125953.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy.