5th gen r/r issues?

Well I have been lurking here for a couple of weeks reading through as many threads as I can to learn about the VFR. I think I have my heart set on a yellow 5th gen VFR. I have only really seen the r/r as the main problem with this bike. My question is if I do get a VFR and replace the wiring harness and r/r with parts from Wire My Ride will that address all the know electrical problems with this bike?

 

Welcome.. Thats looks like a decent up grade kit. But RR issues are not necessarily going to come about to happen, it's just a common enough problem that it's talked about a lot. Some will just need to get a new RR whether it be OEM or after market. Some go the full Monty as other things have happen along the way. Sounds like you have your ducks in a row, I say Buy that baby and go from there,at the least you know all ready what to expect, but who knows you could be one of those that goes thousands of miles with out a glitch or tomorrow it bites the dust, I wouldn't let this bug keep you from getting the one you found.

 

I'm a newbie to the VFR world. I coveted one new in 1999 but passed instead on a Sprint ST. Recently, I ran across a 1999 with 6000 miles and jumped on it.

The first thing I did, being fairly up to speed on 5th gens as I was in the market on and off since 1999, was check the P/N on the R/R.

I figured out mine had the original one so I spent the ~$140 from Service Honda on 31600-MBG-305.

I had no problems with the original one but I suppose it is the best I could do to avert problems.

I went with the Honda one just for my own comfort and sanity even though I think it is more expensive.

I believe the -306 is the one for 2000's and 2001's.

 

Nothing wrong with sticking with the current OEM Honda RR's. They have beafed them up to prevent further failures. Although a common problem, it's really not that bad. You don't have to replace everything as a preemptive strike. And you'll find plenty of people reporting problems with 3rd party "fixes" on here too.

To check if you have a newer built RR, a simple visual inspection can be performed. There's an obvious difference. (same part # as before)


Also beware the part number on Ron Ayers or partsfische, I can't remember for sure, is wrong. Call a Honda dealer to verify. Also shop around. When mine went out, I call a half dozen dealers and had nearly a $100 variance. Had the most reasonable dealer ship it to me.

When you dig around in your bike and look at the wiring bundle, a little fade/discoloring/aging is ok. If the wires are brown/burned/brittle then you need to consider replacing the connectors.

 

I think what makes this particular issue a real pain in the a..... is that it can sneak up on you at any time and leave you stranded. If you are riding at night there are ques that indicate impending failure such as lights dimming and or flickering but during the day you just don't notice anything till the EFI starts to act strange and then blah, she is dead. My last fifth gen was charging great at home but after you rode the bike a while it would stop charging. It had to be heat related.

I've owned one first gen, two third gens, and two fifth gen bikes and have replaced three RR's over approximately 50k of riding. The last one failed on the bike as I rode it back home on the day I bought it. Very inconvenient!

If I plan to head out for more than a day ride I carry a spare, just in case as they are pretty cheap compared to the cost of getting stranded somewhere. I'm paranoid!:whoops:

 

All the above is good advice. I say, buy the VFR you want if it is not close enough to look at. Then check the wiring, check the voltage output, and so on. You can always get a spare r/r to carry with you. The new OEM, or even one from Rick's Motorsports Electrics will work for you, but the Rick's unit may be a little larger than the OEM. I know the one for my 93 was large enough I did not feel comfortable with it in the stock location, so I relocated it to the underside of the sub-frame.

 

The new OEM one I installed came with an aluminum heat sink backing plate and longer bolts as an FYI. I am sure that has been posted about many times but may help you out if you order one and it comes with more parts than anticipated!

 

Thanks for the replies guys. I would like to replace or at least carry an extra one just for piece of mind that I wont get stranded on a trip in the HOT S. Texas heat.

 

I just picked up a 98 . I'm quite excited to give the old girl a run . I've been a CBR owner for a numer of years and had similar issues with the R/R failing. Seems to be a typical Honda problems off the get-go. Any links to places that sell after-market R/R's that I could pick up a spare from ? Glad to be part of a "new" forum!

BTW, what were the colour schemes for the fifth Gen?

 

vfr - r/r

My 94 ate two regs in 38k miles, but I picked up an '01 last year with 50k on the original unit. 66k now and all ok so far! (of course it will fail as I write this!)
I put a voltmeter on the bike and it's been fine so far 14.3v at speed.
Heat and battery condition are key factors, so in Texas I'd prob. carry a spare!
Happy Trails!

 

There are three yellow wires that run from the stator to the R/R, two green ground wires, and two red positive wires.

 

My r/r on my '99 with about 31,000 miles just went south today, or at least let me know that it was unhealthy. It wouldn't start without a push at a gas stop. I got it started, got it home, and checked the voltage: 13.5 at idle, dropping to 13.3 as the rpm's rose to 5,000. Nothing appears to be melted but the yellow connections were a touch discolored, and the r/r was very hot to the touch when I shut the bike down. I think as it got hotter the voltage dropped even more.

I'm going to order the OEM r/r from Service Honda tomorrow. It is fairly close, one state over, so I should be able to get it and get it installed before vacation next week. I also may install a voltmeter too, just to keep an eye on things. At least it didn't strand me somewhere inconvenient.

 

Just a quick update. I installed the new OEM R/R and new battery. It shows 14.4 volts at idle and drops to 13.5 at 5,000 rpm. I think this is okay, but am going to hit all the connections with dielectric grease before buttoning everything all up.

 

Call me crazy, but shouldnt it be charging at 14.3-14.7 volts anywhere over2500 rpm's? This was my understanding. I have a volt meter on my VFR and CBR and it shows a constant 14.7 mostly on crusing speeds.

 

The service manual only says it should be less than 14.5 volts at 5,000 rpm. Which really makes sense, pretty much, since anything over 13.5 volts is going to have to be gotten rid of. It seems that if it is putting out too much voltage you'll overcharge the battery. I'm no electrical engineer so I can't say for sure.

 

I dont have a manual, but I think that that would be more realistic as far as the voltage specs. Anyone have the charging specs handy?

 

R/R issues

My '01 w/digital voltmeter shows 14.3 volts at anything over 2500 while cruising.
11.5 - 12.5 at idle, depending if the fan is on.

 

This is good information since I might be purchasing a 1998 VFR.

RR = I am guessing it is electrical and something to do with the regualtor but what is an RR?

 

Rr

RR - regulator/rectifyer assembly
Mounted on left side of tail section and most likely to fail when far from
home in the middle of night!

 

What is the correct procedure for testing the R/R to determine if it is going south or not? I assume taking a multimeter and connecting that to the neg & pos posts on the battery while the bike is running to determine volts? Is this correct?