Honda reg/rect upgrade

[daverwheeler]

Just a quick thread for anyone like me, who's fed up with older Honda rectifiers.

Anyone who owns a Honda of a certain age, will probably be aware of the problem with crap regulator/rectifiers.

I used to own an early CBR600 that went through a couple of them, and my current 95 Fireblade has just destroyed it's second one.
The last one to go was supposed to be a more reliable upgraded version, obviously not!

These Regulators use old diode technology, which is unreliable, so after doing some research, I found the best one to fit is a MOSFET type, fitted to most modern kit.

These are available second hand from various bikes, with model numbers FH012, FH016 etc.

I bought mine as a kit, new on ebay from a company in the states, https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/380705241034?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I paid the extra for a new unit, the latest FH20AAA and the proper plugs and terminals as I wanted this to be the last time I fit one!!

Be aware though, I had to pay £3.96 customs charge, not a problem, but the good old Post Office whacked on a £8 handling charge AND I had to go pick it up!

So, the bits arrived, with a good set of instructions:

https://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg640/daverwheeler/P2267547.jpg

This is the old unit, situated under the right hand side panel.

https://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg640/daverwheeler/P2267549.jpg

The 2 units together

https://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg640/daverwheeler/P2267552.jpg

Here's the old socket

https://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg640/daverwheeler/P2267553.jpg

Wires stripped and ready

https://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg640/daverwheeler/P2267555.jpg

Quite simple to wire up, the 3 yellow wires from the alternator can go in any order in the grey plug, and just a live and earth in the black plug.

One plug on,

https://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg640/daverwheeler/P2267556.jpg

I crimped and soldered the terminals, and glad I got the correct weather proof plugs, makes it a proper job.
You could just crimp on terminals and plug straight into the unit.

https://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg640/daverwheeler/P2267557.jpg

All fitted, just need to wrap the loom. I did remember to trial fit the side panel for clearance before I drilled the new holes!

https://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg640/daverwheeler/P2267559.jpg

Fired up, a nice 14 volts at 1500 revs. stays at 14.3 max.

[400bandit]

I did a similar thing with my Firestorm but I used either an R6 or R1 reg/rec.

Joe
____________________
Current Bikes 650 Honda Bros, VTR1000 Firestorm // Past Bikes: Sachs Madass 50/110cc - Bandit 400 - FZR750
(+ a XS650 in lots of pieces in my garage and other places...)

[kramdra]

You crimped with pliers, shit. I could pull those off with my fingers. Your original, old, +/- wires also look far too skinny for the job - wrong size for the crimps.

A decent ratchet crimper is only 7 quid. If you chose to do it properly

Most bikes use regs from the same company, its not a Honda part that fails. Most of the time the wiring is also bad, and probably part of the cause.

Your regulator is still a shunt type, mosfets are more likely to kill stator on bikes where the stator runs very hot as standard. They make switching regulators, which in theory are much better. No load on stator also means more powar.

[daverwheeler]