My chicken laid an egg
 

I was out riding today and about 6 hours in the ride we pulled over to look at the map. I shut my bike off for maybe 5 seconds and went to start it and nothing happened. At first I thought it was the battery because we were able to push start the bike. I decided to play it safe and head for home since I was about 70 miles away and almost had a full tank of gas.
On the way home I look down and notice my tah needle sitting a zero. About another 5 miles down the road I see my odometer start blinking in and out, and finally about another 10 miles past that the speedo quit working.
I believe it to be one of two things either A) the battery or B) the rectifier. I had planned on trickle charging the battery tonight but the unpleasant look on my wifes face and her piercing voice meant I'll do it tommorrow while she's at work.
Any possibilities as to what may have happened?

garunteed it's the r/r

13.5-15.5V at 5K rpm at the battery is good.

Your bike is old enough for it to be the battery if it's original but your symptoms are classic R/R.

Most likely.

It's your R/R..... I'd replace it and you might wanna think of a new battery if yours is pretty old... Exact same senario happened to me as you decribed.... I put in a new R/R and battery and bike's been great since.

J.

+5 Same thing happened to mine.

Definitely check the battery first, you can take it to autozone or advance auto and have them check it with their machine. It will tell if it's internally shorted or won't take a charge. I had similar symptoms to yours and it was only my battery. I did the R/R diode check and everything was fine.

That exact thing happened to me. Now I do not have a operatable tachometer, and My bateery was boiling over then dying and I was burning out light bulbs and bike would sometimes run like crap. It turned out to be my voltage regulator after tons of battery changes and bull fro bike shops.

looks like I'll go ahead and change them both out. I'll pick up a new R/R and the battery is probably due for a change anyways. Unfortunately It'll have to wait until I get back from Mexico.

Hmmm, wonder if it's any cheaper down there?

Yep, that happened to a mate of mine on his VFR. It was the r/r.

If that is your problem, make sure you get a later model version with the built in heat sink. This stops them overheating and frying their little electronic brains out.

My vote is for the battery, FWIW.

I vote R/R. Don't use another Honda unit. The Yamaha one is bulletproof. I've heard the gix one will work too, but haven't seen the wiring.

I see that too much

Ya the Rectifier (voltage regulator) has to be it. exact thing happend to me 99.9% sure. and ya your probably going to notice when you get home you'll find out your battery is fried. It fixed my problem and Im sure it will fix yours too. because of that misshap I alson had to replace my tach in reason of that gettting fried too.

well you described symptoms I had, but mine where after I laid her down. During my rebuild I replaced the rectifier with an aftermarket with larger cooling fins and I even jb welded on a good size PC fan, replaced the battery. My problem still continued, untill I traced it down to the starter solenoid which was cutting in and out hence killing the guage cluster lights but the bike kept running off the battery.

I didn't those parts were interchangable. Is there any specific Yamaha or Suzuki one I sould get?

I bought one from these guys (About 90-100 dollars).... it came with cooling fins and was a direct fit including the wiring clip.....

http://www.ricksmotorsportelectrics.com/index.php

Make sure to ask for one with fins, when I called there was some questions on finned non-finned units... they said they'd make sure to send one with the fins, and they did.

Here's a link with pics for the one installed on my bike....

https://www.superhawkforum.com/forum...read.php?t=102

J.

Yep, I think the r/r suddenly crapping out has happened to nearly 1/2 of Superchicken owners I know, usually about 80-100 miles outside of town :evil: Damn those Honda r/r's! Thank goodness for HRCA towing!

How much does a Yamaha R/R run? Where do you guys usually pick them up?

The R1 RR used in the below article runs about $65 new. Just like the SH RR this earlier R1 model used a 5 wire hookup, the later R1's used a different RR with a 6 wire hookup I think.
http://www.vlc.com.au/~justin/about/...g_replace.html

I just got back to town and after two weeks of sitting in the garage I was curious if the SH would start right up. Bike started with no problem. Tomorrow I'll start taking a look at the battery and the R/R

check your stator wires where it meets the regulator. I had that same issue and replaced the regulator and dident need to. Check the free stuff first then start buying stuff. Ill learn eventually.

Prob new guages. New voltage regulator for sure.

me too
 

had my superhawk for about 6 months and R/R went bad. mine just repetitively blew the main fuse over and over. replaced with the newer honda one with the fins - no problems since.