1993 VFR 750 - Electrical Problems

here is me and my bike YouTube - ‪'93 Honda VFR 750F Revving at Lake Simcoe‬‏

I just bought this beauty a couple of months ago. The bike runs well enough but I'm having some electrical issues which usually crop up in stop and go traffic - when the fan/radiator is running almost constantly.

Basically, it seems as though the engine sparking and radiator are competing for electricity, and its not being delivered from the battery properly. After prolonged (30 mins or so) running under these conditions, the ignition starts to cut out. I charged and recharged the battery, which according to the seller was about 2 years old. Last week I was left completely stranded with no electrical response at all, not even a single light on the dash. I brought it to a local (toronto) reputed mechanic who got it running again (with the help of 300$), but since then I've experienced the engine quitting 1 time, while commuting home.

The mechanic was sort of vague about what the nature of the problem was, but said he fixed some starter solenoids and there were some problems with the alternator. He also mentioned that it appeared somebody had done some of their own rewiring inside and had "messed it up".

I'm feeling that I was either taken advantage of by the mechanic, or else he just didn't understand the exact nature of the problem and just replaced a few parts. I can't afford for this bike to become a money pit. I'm worried about taking the bike out for anything more than a leisure trip because of getting stranded again.

Does anybody have any advice or can recommend a trustworthy mechanic who specializes in electrical systems in the GTA area? Would really appreciate it.

 

Almost all VFR's prior to 2006 were prone to electrical issues. The R/R (regulator/rectifier) and wiring harness are the most common points of failure and frequently need replacing. There are endless posts if you search under R/R or rectifier. The most basic troubleshooting requires a multimeter. You should have @ 12.5 volts with the bike off and @13.5 at idle. The voltage should increase under engine load and should be somewhere around 14.5 at 5000rpms. If this is not happening you have a charging issue which is very common with 3rd Gens. Remove the right rear tail panel and check the connections between the R/R and the wiring harness. Many times these connections will be melted or burned. Also carefully inspect the wiring that connects the stator plugs to the main harness just behind the right mid panel. If the OEM R/R unit is still on the bike replace it along with the wiring harness. It is very easy to do yourself and shouldn't take more than 30 minutes max. Fellow forum member "Tightwad" runs the site www.wiremybike.com and he sells everything you could need for the repairs and includes simple installation instructions.

Rollin

 

Burned connector between stator and R/R is common, and so are wiring problems on top of starter relay.

No way that $300 repair job should fail again so soon.

Get ahold of a service manual and follow the electrical system testing proceedures.

But first....attach a 1-amp battery charger, and charge until battery reaches full 12.6 voltage.

 

If the charging system tests out fine, and you do a lot stop and go (idling) with the fans on, you should adjust the idle a little higher. The output of the rr can be too low when idling to keep up with the draw. With a meter connected to the battery, adjust the idle until you get a good steady reading around 14v. It shouldn't need to go higher than 1200rpm and will probably just need a tweak above 1k.

 

^ All of the above. If you don't mind doing a little bit of wrenching yourself, check and clean the battery cable connections on both ends, too. A good electrical repair person should be able to tell you exactly what problem(s) they found and what they did to correct it.

 

I can't improve on this question.. looks like the boys covered it all for you.If your in the Toronto area send me a PM and I'll help you.

 

on a lighter note heres how a guy whose never been with a woman in his life revs a Honda...

YouTube - ‪Honda NR750 sound‬‏