Couple of thoughts about my VFR (boring)

[stinkwheel]

I was having as think about a couple of things. No real point to this post other than thinking out loud.

You know how more modrn Hondas, and particularly VFRs have a reputation for eating reg/rec units? Well, I have a 1997 VFR750 and one of the guys in my club has a 1998 VFR800. Both bikes have done over 30k miles, both bikes are on their original reg/rec and their original battery. I was musing about why this should be.

Couple of things spring to mind. One is that these must be two of the only VFRs in the country without heated grips fitted.

The other thing is they are almost exclusively used for long runs at weekends. If they go out, it would be rare for them to do anything less than 150 miles at a time. Both bikes are used in this way all year round.

Makes me wonder if it's simply a case of the battery never really running down much, it always stays well topped up so there is minimal current passing through the charging system.

My other thought was an idea I had to save some money on tyres. I regularly run about 150 miles between here and my girlfriends house in York. Mostly dual carriageway, 'tis not doing my 021s much good in terms of squaring off the rear. It occurrs to me that I have a single sided swingarm and high level exhaust, as such it takes all of 30 seconds to change the back wheel.

I'm keeping my eye out for a spare wheel, I can stick a touring bridgestone on this then I can have the 021s for touring on twisties and a much harder one for straight line work. I can just put more air in the front for long-haul stuff.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[veeeffarr]

Interesting about the reg rec. I have the 00 model which has loads of upgrades from the 98 99 model including a revised reg rec. Good idea about the wheels. Although I use pilot road 2's and they've not squared off at all in 5000 miles. Awesome tyres.

[veeeffarr]

I don't have heated grips either. Although I replaced the battery at the start of winter

[mr.z]

Out of interest, how hot do they get these reg/recs?
I know some get very toasty.. What is it in them that fails?
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>RidingSkills<->Tech Tips<->MyBikes<

[gmanxiii]

Weird my first VFR400 had done about 21k miles (that was written off in accident) and had an original honda rec that i poached after the modded one from god knows what bike went on my 2nd vfr. Covered another 8k miles since and its been fine.
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I kills hondas

VFR400NC30 > ZZR600 > CBR600FX > CBR1000rr

[V2]

Ive got a vfr and friends have had vfrs/rvfs none of our reg/recs have blown but when it was running i only used it on longer trips, maybe you are on to something here.

[tatters]

I had the same VFR as you stinkwheel and before it was destroyed by a mini last year it had 70,000 miles on the clocks and was still on its first reg/rec.


Most reg/rec normally blow on the 400,s such as my NC24 due to its posion near the rear cylinders and that it does,nt have any form of heatsink on the unit so they overheat very quickly.
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Past:NRG50,AF1125(x2),NSR125RR,ZZR250,CX500,VFR400,KR1S,ZZR600(x2),CB400N,YZF1000(x2),KH125,Z200,FX400R,CBR954RR(x2)GPZ500S,GT550,VFR750F(x2),RD350N,XR650R,CBR600F,CB250,KDX250,YZF750R,CRM250,400EXC,KLR650,TTR600RE,DR350S,R100GSPD,RGV250,VMAX1200,DL650,KZ750 Present:G650XC,C12,CRF450X,1190ADV

[EuropeanNC30R...]

The 400 reg/recs themselves aren't that bad, it's more the positioning of where they are (close to the rear cylinders where the frame gets egg-frying hot).

If a VFR400 hasn't eaten one already then it's about to.

[veeeffarr]

https://www.bikersoracle.com/vfr/forum/showthread.php?t=41313

Wonder how accurate that is...

[doggone]

[EuropeanNC30R...]

I would have thought running heated grips could extend the life of the reg/rec as it has less excess current to dissapate?

[angryjonny]

I replaced the reg/rec on my VFR on Sunday - it's at least the 3rd one that this bike has had.

I don't think the reg/rec problem is directly to do with the current being used or the amount they're ridden. They just get hot hot hot. Indirectly, longer trips mean open roads and higher speeds so the airflow keeps the unit cool. Commuting, particularly around London as I do means sitting in traffic watching your voltage regulator melting.

Time to invest in a 12v CPU fan I reckon - can't be too hard to hook up to the reg/rec unit.

[veeeffarr]

[angryjonny]

This is the first one I've personally replaced. Hopefully it's up to the job.

[veeeffarr]

[angryjonny]

Couldn't tell you from memory, and I'm not taking all the fairing off again to check. When the battery stops charging I'll know it's a duffer.

[veeeffarr]