Tightwad

There's no davantage to turning a fan on earlier than it would be turned on by the stock temp. switch, and there's absolutely no advantage to turning it off before the temp. switch would. It does not use any more power than the bike can easily supply. Cooling fans on every vehicle, moto or auto, have been controlled by thermal switches with near 100% reliability.

Self powered makes no sense, the bike battery is perfectly capable of operating the fan under all circumstances. If your battery is incapable of operating the fan then it's likely the bike is not running, or is about to stop running.

This would seem to be a verry complicated way of doing something that is already done with perfect simplicity.

This guy has never driven a vfr,

Fan on early in traffic is the only thing I'm after but too lazy to sort it at the moment...

On the power draw - the VFR uses a shunt reg, the alternator runs full tilt all the time and excess power is drawn off by the RR as heat - running more farkles is beneficial to the system as it reduces the load on the RR...

this guy knows what he's talking about. thumbs up buddy.

I did this as a DIY mod last year, but not for power draw issues. I used a single pole, double throw switch and wired it in with the thermo switch. I use it to get ahead of the temperature curve and keep the engine from building as much heat when I know I'm going to be idling or riding very slowly. Then when I get going I can switch it off a while and then when things stabilize switch it back to normal mode. If I do get in to the 230+ degree range, as soon as I get moving at 30 to 35 mph I switch the fan off and the temp comes down more rapidly without the fan fighting the airflow. I had purchased a VTR fan blade to make that swap, but having installed this switch I'm not sure I will - this works very well - better than I expected. Since I installed this I've had no temperature issues at all.

What was suggested in the OP, an indicator light, would be very helpful. I tried to source a waterproof rocker switch that was illuminated, but couldn't fine one small enough to fit on my 6th gen where I wanted it. I'm accustomed to keeping up on switch configs, but on one occasion I forgot what "mode" it was in, and some sort of indicator, maybe a red and green LED (red = "no fan" and green = "fan operating" or similar) on the cockpit panel or something would be quite helpful. I positioned the switch on the left inner upper cowl panel next to the tank - though that's where the front ABS pump resides on a 6th gen, and getting a switch in there was tight. For non-ABS bikes there would be plenty of room in that location.

You are good where you are at. I tried the vtr fan blade and while it works great if you are moving at 25 mph or more, it is incappable of cooling the bike off while stuck in traffic. blowing hot, stagnant, engine compartment air across the radiator will not drop temps.

I did this as a DIY mod last year, but not for power draw issues. I used a single pole, double throw switch and wired it in with the thermo switch. I use it to get ahead of the temperature curve and keep the engine from building as much heat when I know I'm going to be idling or riding very slowly. Then when I get going I can switch it off a while and then when things stabilize switch it back to normal mode. If I do get in to the 230+ degree range, as soon as I get moving at 30 to 35 mph I switch the fan off and the temp comes down more rapidly without the fan fighting the airflow. I had purchased a VTR fan blade to make that swap, but having installed this switch I'm not sure I will - this works very well - better than I expected. Since I installed this I've had no temperature issues at all.

What was suggested in the OP, an indicator light, would be very helpful. I tried to source a waterproof rocker switch that was illuminated, but couldn't fine one small enough to fit on my 6th gen where I wanted it. I'm accustomed to keeping up on switch configs, but on one occasion I forgot what "mode" it was in, and some sort of indicator, maybe a red and green LED (red = "no fan" and green = "fan operating" or similar) on the cockpit panel or something would be quite helpful. I positioned the switch on the left inner upper cowl panel next to the tank - though that's where the front ABS pump resides on a 6th gen, and getting a switch in there was tight. For non-ABS bikes there would be plenty of room in that location.

I did a similar if not the same mod to mine so I can turn it on early sitting in traffic. The hotter she gets the hotter everything else gets (frame etc) and makes it take waaaaaaaay longer to cool back down. I don't really see the point in being able to turn it off, that sounds like a recipie for over cooking engines when you inevitable forget you turned it off or bumped the switch without knowing. An indicator of some sort would be nice to know when you have the switch turned on but I didn't see the need and just used a simple switch I had laying around that would handle 30A (maybe 20A, don't remember now, I figured if it got hot I needed a better switch, no issues so far).

To shorten up this statement a bit, I think a Tightwad fan override kit would be a good addition to your current arsenal of VFR farkles and sell well as much as VFR's run hotter than the sun!

You need to be able to cut the fan off for when you pull on the highway. If your fan is running and you're moving at 70 mph, your bike will heat up, as the fan is fighting the incoming forward airflow.

My "mental failure mode" with this wasn't by leaving it off, but rather by leaving it on. I was running along at 70 mph and the temp kept hanging around 220 and wouldn't come down. Climbing hills it headed toward 230 and I was thinking 'WTF is going wrong . . . am I having a thermostat failure?? I'm going more than fast enough to cool this thing off." Then it suddenly hit me - I had left the fan running. No need to call me an idiot - I spent the next few hours doing that over and over. It just took once though to teach me my lesson.

+1 I would have to have a idiot light to remind me its ON ...

I usually just reach down an feel if its sucking or blowing. Easy with summer gloves, but with winter gloves on I have to rely on my voltage gauge.

At highway speeds I will be running 14.1 volts fan off and 14.0 volts fan on. The fan barely draws any power once its running, but you can see a decent voltage drop as it spools up, thats usually how I check whether its on or off if I am stumped.

Really?

Leaving the fan on will block airflow that much?

Find that hard to believe.

Yes its true

Tightwad can we get a switch to reverse the fan direction for when we're moving 25 mph and up, and normal direction below 25 mph.

I will be the first to buy that.

As noted reversing the motor has limited effect and can be a bit odd if you do it while the fan is running. I wasn't even sure the motor COULD run backwards...never tried it.

There are plenty of purely hardware ways to do most of this. For those that don't need/want it there is no reason. People who have heat related issues have and will try anything...and eventually they figure out the right combo.

I considered mine working fine if voltage is above 14.2 and below 15.

I have been approached about the idea of a manual fan control that would allow you to:

• Turn the fan on early
• turn the fan off (to reduce power draw)
• allow normal mode

Another feature requested would be indicator lights that would show:

• What status is selected
• If the fan is turned off but the bike wants it on (blinking LED etc)...could even be audible alarm

What I am trying to determine is if there is interest in this on a wider scale. I have never felt the need to change how my fan operates but i spend little time in heavy traffic and I don't do track days or other cases that are different. My bike rarely runs hot although I have considered a manual "on" switch for the summer in the past.

Another outstanding question is....self powered or bike powered. I could personally go either way...the default operaton (even with the unit off) would be for the fan to operate as normal....so no harm if the battery dies on a self powered unit.

Feedback?

If your Stator or R/R are bad no amount of wiring will fix them. If however they are good then the VFRness is a great addition and can (usually will) improve things. As far as which R/R....I prefer the OEM fit to an aftermarket (makes buying one if needed on the road much less of a hassle). I like the Ricks unit....it has the MOSFET technology. I sell that one because I have personally used it and have had great feedback from others as well...plus Ricks is super helpful and personable.

Did you use my HID wiring kit with the projectors to get the Latch and Delay functionality? I don't recall sending any to Romania but I have mailed them all over. I am not keen on the LED strip...the rest looks good and the camera makes the light look more purple than it probably is given the color temperatures you went with.

Sounds like your stator is working ok...unless when it gets hot the wires short internally...sometimes that happens because the lacquer they are coated with fails at high temps and comes off.

The Ricks Stator is wound differently from the OEM stator. The OEM stators are Delta wound while many of the aftermarket stators are Wye wound. Delta winding results in higher amps but lower voltage. WYE winding results in higher voltage and lower amps. The lower amperage generally aids in longevity.

The correct Ricks number should be 21-121. You can order it from my site (www.wiremybike,com) for a discounted price and free shipping in the US.

Generally the gasket is ok but if needed I can ship you one or you can pick it up from the dealer. The advice on the alignment studs is good and worth a couple $ for the bolts.

I am betting on the battery as well. Since you can get it to start, check the voltages with the bike running...most likely you will have voltages in the 13.x range.

I'm still a little bummed as well... but another member bought it and restored it, so that's good.

I still have like 40 cells I'm going to make a nice big 12V 100Ah battery that I can hook up to an inverter and have as a portable power unit (can use in emergencies, or to charge 10 miles into my motorcycle, take camping, charge with solar, etc.)

I do love the bike, and it meets and exceeds what I wanted in a motorcycle.... and much sexier than my VFR, IMHO.

I wish it wasn't so expensive to play with those cells...I used 4 in a Seadoo and they worked great...then they got submerged and were flooded for a long time, killed 3 of the 4. Amazing how much rust you can get from Stainless steel...

I wanted to build a 4s2p pack for another watercraft but now I don't have the cells to do it with and since it was just for grins it's not worth $23+ per cell.

Thanks, I updated the product title. As many can tell I am not a web designer or e-commerce site builder....

Yeah, that's what I think too. Just annoying because it's another thing to replace. Anyway, just placed an order this morning for a bunch of goodies. Do you have the stator gasket for a '95 VFR? Didn't see it listed. But if you do, let me know so I can add it to the order.

Gasket is here:

http://www.wiremybike.com/vfr-specific-parts-1990-1997-vfr-parts-3rd-gen-honda-vfr-stator-gasket-p-797.html

Hard to believe your battery took your charger out....most likely it was just it's time to go.

The Yamaha and the Ricks R/Rs are of the Shunt variety...that is they unload excess charging capacity to ground. They are both MOSFET driven giving better switching than the OEM style. Series R/Rs like the Compufire disconnect the stator from the R/R and then reconnect it (all internally etc). From reports I am seeing this hasn't been a long lasting method nor would I expect it to be...

Order the kit above to save some $$ or buy the Ricks version to retain the OEM connectors and make future changes easier.

How was the product from McMaster?

The R/R is way too easy to do to pay someone else. The Stator is only marginally more difficult. I would encourage you to do it yourself! If you aren't up for it you can bring the bike up to my place in Little Elm and we can knock it out.

The R/R you get from the dealer will be the same that was on it initially...for the same money (or less) you can get a good MOSFET R/R.

All beautiful stuff Timmy! Don't worry about the discount (not even sure what you mean actually)....my site is not advertised and is geared for the VFRD crowd specifically...all my business comes from word of mouth and reputation so there isn't a specific discount code.

The R/R I sell (that Ricks makes) is a MOSFET style R/R. This is the same technology the R1 R/R uses (fh020aa, fh011). The oem is a shunt style using a less efficient method than the MOSFETs and thus they tend to generate more heat. The Series styles claim to be able to actually disconnect from the stator which effectively would turn it off.

That is the braided stuff...pretty neat as it expands quite a bit like chinese finger cuffs. I like to use it with a bright color underneath to get a dual-color look when building headphone cables etc.

If you want a direct replacement (plugs in no muss no fuss) but you want an upgraded unit, buy the Ricks Motorsports High Output R/R. This is available on their site directly at www.ricksmotorsports.com or you can purchase through my site at www.wiremybike.com and get a discount + free shipping.

Congrats on the new toy! I am bummed to see your other project stop, I loved the engineering going into it. It was due to your contacts that I bought the Headway cells I used on my VFR and my Seadoo as replacement batteries....novelty item surely but a fun DIY project for me.

The braided stuff won't give the same oil/abrasion resistance although I love the braid for some applications. Be sure to post back when you get the stuff from McMaster Carr...I have been lightly looking for a source as well.

You can purchase repair kits for these plugs if you don't want to splice them...makes it easier to replace components in the future if needed. Don't use WD-40 on connections please!

I still love my classic Datel meter. I tried a couple other options but waterproof was a rather subjective term it seems. Never had an issue with the Datel except the cost...but it was worth it to me.

I was wondering how long it would be until one of these units failed. I really don't think they are specced to switch the current the VFR can produce. At high RPM there is a lot of power being generated that a 3 phase Harley motor will never see.

I bought a MOTY on a group buy deal a year or so go. Worked fine for a few weeks, then one day it was just dead. Would not recharge. Now it's an expensive paper weight. Never again.

I had one cell in my battery go bad. This gives a nice flat battery but since mine is modular I just swapped out the bad cell.

I have abused my battery...it runs dead due to a parasitic drain on the bike. I only rode 1 tank of gas in the last year. Battery was dead, put the charger on it and it came right back to life. The MOTYs are smaller and don't like the cold it seems...mine didn't have that issue but I still think it should have some monitoring per cell...gotta do something about that.