Aftermarket regulator/rectifier source?
 

Hi Folks
Infrequent poster here....I hope you'll help me out anyway :)
I've just run into the infamous rr problem, I believe (new battery dead after about a month). So I could simply got to Ron Ayers and buy the OEM part, but I'm always looking for better buys. I did a search for Electrex and their price for the rr is even more than Ayers OEM part. Are there any other sources?

Thanks for the help.

Yamaha R1 and GSXR (5 wire units) do a great job too and are super cheap on ebay. Downside: connectors don't match.

A few years ago, electrotex had a bad rep on the vfr mail list but they were very responsive with a replacement FWIW. The 4th gen VFR has the same r/r as the VTR and it too now comes as a finned unit if you order a new one.

Ronayers and service honda are the two lowest in the country for OEM that I know of.

Thanks, Doug
Man, you are always on top of it. So there are few plug-n-play aftermarket rr's? Just order the Honda item for '01 and later?

If you don't want to mod, yup. I'd also suggest a voltage meter for the peace of mind. Here's a link on installing a Datel unit (excellent rep):
http://www.fjr1300.info/howto/datel.html

http://www.ricksmotorsportelectrics.com -I just bought one last month. $95 with free shipping. It's a transpo unit with a one year warranty. My old one was wavering all over the place, the new one sits right at 14 volts even at idle.
Doug O.

Transpo?
 

Sorry, I'm ignorant.

here
 

5 Wires?!?! ahhhhh, So will a CBR 954 R/R not work? (I dont know how many wires are on it just yet because I havent recieved it yet) Anybody know? All I knew was that it had 2 different hookups...

I have a few extra ones here in the garage, OEM but still probably cheaper than aftermarket. PM me if you want one.

lets be clear
 

I just did the R1 regulator mod.

You have to use a Yamaha regulator from a yamaha bike that is NOT fuel injected. They have 5 wires which correspond to the 5 wire units on the VTR.

There should be 3 wires that are the same color (Honda they are yellow), those wires are from the stator and they can be in any order. The other 2 wires are hot and ground. On the Hondas thay are red(hot) and green(ground) I think?

Someone will have to confirm this but I am pretty sure about my facts. That is how I hooked up my R1 regulator. I have yet to install my new stator and confirm all this but I am pretty sure about the colors.

The Yamaha conversion is better than aftermarket? I hope I don't need a new stator. Stator = alternator?

Motorcycles do not have alternators, what they have is more like a generator. We have rotors, stators and regulator/rectifiers. It might seem like semantics, and effectively it is. If you want to be very precise you would not say anything about an alternator. Even if you do, we'll still understand what you mean!

On a side note - You guys should start asking your local dealerships for discounts. Service Honda, Ron Ayers, Bike Bandit, etc are still making a good mark-up on the OEM parts. I've found that I can beat any online source, even before you include the inflated shipping/handling charges they tack on. If your dealerships won't work with you let me know, I'll be happy to order parts and only charge the *actual* shipping.

I had one of the sales guys at Service Honda admit just that! Nice guy but was unapologetic about their profits and exclaimed, "but the dealers are outa sight - even ours!"

I'll be making a parts list for the rest of my rebuild and fw via pm. Now I'm sorry I got my new fairings from them. :banghead:

That sounds good, let me know what I can do to help.

Thanks for the clarification
 

I think I've been through this explanation before but....you don't use it.....

I just so happen to go into my local stealership (Honda/Suzuki) yesterday. It's been about a year since my last visit. Just wanted to see what was on the floor.

Anyway, they had a 180 dunlop 207 rear tire on the rack for (drum roll please)....................... $397.00! Yes, for a 207 (not a typo). Even if they "gave" you a 50% discount, they'd still be raping you a new one.

East Coast vs West Coast
 

I grew up in PA but now live in CA for the past 20+ years. A couple of years ago I rode across the country and I had to get a new set of tires in Maine. Oh man, what a difference! In CA, I pay nothing for tire mounting if I buy them at the shop, $25 if I bring 'em in. In Maine, not only did the charge list for the tires, like 30% more, but they also charged me hourly for tire changing. For them it appeared to be such a big deal to change tires. By the time I drove away, it cost me a little over $400 for tires!

I've got a rectifier/regulator from 04 RC51, good working order, if you're still looking. With bolts and backing plate.
$55 shipped.

Damn, sorry I didn't get to you earlier. I needed to have it in a rush cause I'm in a transportation jam. Too bad. Thanks for the offer, though.

Glad you got her fixed!

Is the RC51 until a direct replacement? (Plug and play?)

yes I'd like to know too.

I don't know for sure but FI bikes typically have additional wires.

Looking at the parts fische, they look the same, but have slightly different part numbers 31600-MCF-004 (RC51) and 31600-MV4-010 (VTR), so it may or may not be interchangeable...

when I switched mine out my old one had no fins but the new one came in with fins. I just bought the OEM since everything else at the time was on backorder.