Member Contributer jstanwood Posted September 20, 2021 Member Contributer Share Posted September 20, 2021 Long time, no post! This is a bit of a ride report, along with some unplanned adventure and workarounds that might help others. I went on a memorial/charity ride this past Saturday, and had the joy of an RR failure along the way. I am so glad I installed a voltmeter years ago! Some background: 1997 VFR with ~46k MI that I've replaced the stator (once) and RR (twice). The last replacement was in 2013, so I can't complain. I also installed a VFRness in 2013. This Summer, my bike has been on the Battery Tender less than usual, and I only get to ride every two weeks or so. The battery is about a year old, so it's strong. I left for the ride, and all was well with a normal start and voltage. When the group of 100+ bikes was staging, it was over 82F outside, so the bike was plenty warm. As we passed the location where the rider we memorialized had died, we all did a big rev. I don't know if that did it, but shortly after that, I noticed voltage was dropping. 12.1...11.8...11.4...10.8...10.4 uh-oh. 😟 I kept revs as low as possible for heat reasons and because it was misfiring above 8k, anyway. I unplugged headlights at 45 mph to save what I could, and thankfully made it to the end point. I was about 30 miles from home via backroads. I was concerned that 1) I wouldn't be able to start 2) get stuck somewhere along the way 3) get harassed by the Harley riders that made up 95% of the group 😏 I hung out for a couple of hours, and the battery recovered to 11.4V. Not bad! I went straight to the nearest O'Reilly for a battery test. I hoped it was a bad battery for an easy fix, but no. On the way home, the charging system looked to be OK. 13.4...14.1...yay! WTH?, buy, yay, anyway! Then, it went to 15V and more. So, the RR flipped and began to overcharge. I pulled over and plugged in the headlights, used high beams, and anything else I could think of to shed some power. I made it home after some time at 16.1V. I hope the battery is OK. When I went to Rick's Motorsport Electrics, I noticed that "Hot Shot" series, and went for it. Fingers crossed this is the one. Side note: I recently got a fitness tracker that measures stress, and the trend was definitely higher while I was trying to get home. 😅 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Captain 80s Posted September 20, 2021 Member Contributer Share Posted September 20, 2021 Whew! That can be stressful, and you just wanna get home! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer ducnut Posted September 20, 2021 Member Contributer Share Posted September 20, 2021 You really want the Roadstercycle SH847 Kit, as it includes the latest in Series R/R technology, removes the charging circuit from the main harness, and adds another layer of protection with its breaker. The Rick’s R/R you’ve purchased is of poor quality and, also, as outdated as the VFRness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer jstanwood Posted September 20, 2021 Author Member Contributer Share Posted September 20, 2021 45 minutes ago, ducnut said: You really want the Roadstercycle SH847 Kit, as it includes the latest in Series R/R technology, removes the charging circuit from the main harness, and adds another layer of protection with its breaker. The Rick’s R/R you’ve purchased is of poor quality and, also, as outdated as the VFRness. Darn! Thanks for letting me know. For next time....I'll check out the SH847 kit more thoroughly. I'm currently in a temporary situation where I have limited tools and space to work, so plug & play is most appealing at this time. I also wonder what 2021 stuff would do to 1997 stuff, LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer BusyLittleShop Posted September 20, 2021 Member Contributer Share Posted September 20, 2021 Manufactures don't make their own Rec/Reg units but a so called "Yamaha Rectifier" worked better than my so called "Honda Rectifier" to establish a constant 14.2 volts no matter the RPMs... I went through 2 stock RC45 R/Rs at $227 each and 1 $300 stator and still I suffered the problem of low volts to the point where the engine would hesitate and quit... only after I give up on Honda's stuff and tried Yamaha's stuff did I have the joy of finishing my ride... There's not a lot of extra space on the RC45 for extra stuff... I had to mill off 1/2 inch off the fins and then design and machine a custom aluminum hanger... but now I show a constant 13.7 to 14.2 volts no matter the RPMS... I've completed this mod for other RC45 owners suffering from charging and running problems... 2003 to 2006 Yamaha R1 Rec/Reg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer ducnut Posted September 20, 2021 Member Contributer Share Posted September 20, 2021 5 hours ago, jstanwood said: Darn! Thanks for letting me know. For next time....I'll check out the SH847 kit more thoroughly. I'm currently in a temporary situation where I have limited tools and space to work, so plug & play is most appealing at this time. I also wonder what 2021 stuff would do to 1997 stuff, LOL. You want to be rid of the connector at the stator wires, no matter what. Simple crimp connectors and heatshrink will suffice. This is the Roadstercycle diagram. It simply runs the R/R output to the battery, via circuit breaker. It’s pretty simple to replicate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer St. Stephen Posted September 20, 2021 Member Contributer Share Posted September 20, 2021 You are way too concerned about regulator/rectifier/stator issues. If you just follow a few steps it's easy to solve: https://www.vfrdiscussion.com/index.php?/forums/topic/97039-new-member/&tab=comments#comment-1121138 😎 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer JZH Posted September 21, 2021 Member Contributer Share Posted September 21, 2021 BTDT... I should add that there's nothing like being stranded on the side of a motorway in a foreign country to bring out one's philosophical side. Ciao, JZH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Dutchy Posted September 21, 2021 Member Contributer Share Posted September 21, 2021 57 minutes ago, JZH said: BTDT... I should add that there's nothing like being stranded on the side of a motorway in a foreign country to bring out one's philosophical side. Ciao, JZH Or run out of fuel.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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