dodgy reg/rec??? advice needed

[mirax]

After a recent post i made regarding my head lights playing up. i.e. sometimes my headlights would go suddenly bright for a couple of seconds then back to normal on ocastions this can be like once or twice on a 10 mile journey. today i checked the wires plugging into the reg/rec and they seem fine i also checked the 3 yellow wires from the alternator which seem fine aswell, i checked the voltage on the battery. the results are as follows

bike off 12.63v
bike off lights on 11.43
bike idling 14.43 this was a gradual incress from 12.63v
bike held at a revs of 5000rpm was 14.12v then once it suddenly jumped to 15.64 in a split second

is that sudden jump a sign of it on its way out?

[Bezzer]

Take it it's a Honda?? have you got the manual for it, it will show the expected outputs in there. Strange you should see a higher figure idling figure than at 50000rpm, the 15.63 blip you got is around the max for a lot of Hondas, they usually say max of 15.5 at 5000rpm. I'd take it that the reg/rec is on it's way out, the voltage should rise fairly smoothly when you increase the revs, probably better to get one sooner rather than later, if it does stick open it can cause a lot of expensive electrical damage.
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I used to be indecisive but now I'm not quite so sure.

[NC30UK]

When the reg/recs go they do one of 2 things, they either overcharge the battery and melt all the connections (most common) or they stop charging anything.

Regular inspection or the connections is the only way to tell if it's on the way out.

The newer more reliable ones can be picked up for about £30 if you know where to look

[stinkwheel]

I don't understand why Honda have so many problems with their reg/rec units. Back in the late 70's they made the most reliable and effective reg/rec units on the market, as fitted to the 250 superdream.

They still are among the best ones too, you can stick them on anything with a 12v, magnetic alternator and they just work. I have no idea whatsoever why they stopped using them.

If I had a dodgy reg/rec on any of my bikes, I would fit a superdream one rather than getting an original replacement (except on my Jawa, it has a field coil alternator which works in a different way).
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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.