Engine dies after riding an hour.

I am fortunate to have a 93 that I purchased new. The last couple years I have the same problem. When I take my first Spring ride, after riding a hour or so, if I stop the motor, it will not restart. It usually does the clicking sound like its not getting enough juice from the battery. I have to bump start it get it home, then put it back on the battery tender.
I had the mechanic check the battery last year after this happened and they said it was OK, and it was showing the bike was charging the battery. I took it out for another rider and the same thing happened! So, I went ahead and replaced the battery and the bike ran fine thru the rest of the season.
Anyway, I would think a good quality battery should last more than a year. I keep it charged all winter with a battery tender.
Any ideas on what the problem might be? I have not replaced any electrical parts the whole time I have owned the bike.
Thanks!

 

If your R/R unit is bad it can fry your battery causing it lose it's ability to hold a charge. Did you ever replace the R/R? This is a well known issue for older VFR's.

Rollin

 

Engine dies after riding an hour

Hi Rollin. No, I have not replaced any electrical part on this bike in the 17 years and 25,000 miles I have owned it.
Is the R/R the regulator/rectifier?
Do you guys have a trusted source for parts?

A few times I have also had problems starting it if the bike gets really HOT. Once it cools down it will start again. Would a bad R/R be symptomatic of that too?

I see a lot of threads about pulse generators..is that something I should also replace?

Sorry for all the questions....

Thanks,
Brent

 

Start by having the battery tested. As far as the entire bike getting hot this could be attributed to multiple causes (faulty thermostat, air in the cooling system, radiator fan not functioning properly. Do you hear the fan kick in when the bike gets hot? As far as I know the engine temp shouldn't have an effect on whether or not the bike turns over and starts but keep in mind that when the bike's electrical components get hot they build up resistance then stop working. It might be a coil, stator, CDI unit etc. The first step in troubleshooting the individual electrical components is to find out if your plugs are getting spark when it dies. You can do this by pulling a plug wire off and attaching a good plug and hold it close to the engine block while someone cranks the engine over. Obviously you should not be touching anything metal on the bike when you do this and should hold the plug cap by the rubber. If the components are working correctly and you should see spark between the spark plug gap. After you determine if you have a spark or not when hot then you can start checking parts to see what's wrong. If you are able to bump start the bike when it doesn't start normally I would be inclined to think the issue is not related to the plugs themselves.

And to answer your previous question, yes the R/R is the regulator/rectifier. A good source of elecrical parts is http://www.wiremybike.com/ which is owned and operated by a fellow Viffer owner.

Rollin

 

Thanks for your detailed instructions!
Love your 93, it's just like mine.
Do you know how hard it is to find a seat cowl? 7 years ago, while making repairs on my bike, the dealer 'lost' mine. Been searching ever since for a replacement!
Brent

 

here's your cowl. HONDA VFR750 1990-93, VFR 750 fairings, bodywork, fairing, upper, lower, mid, seat side, race, street, fender, tail, undertail, tank
$82.99

 

Rollin, is there an easy way to test my R/R to verify it's bad before I buy a new one? I have a digital multimeter.
Brent

 

First and foremost check the plug in connector on the R/R to make sure there is no melted or burnt plastic. The next step would be to measure the voltage at the battery both when the bike is off and when the engine is running. You should repeat the test while reving the engine above 5000 rpm to check for fluctuations in voltage. My advice to you is to just go ahead and replace the R/R because it is a known problem with these bikes. You don't want to be riding in the middle of nowhere and find out the hard way that it should have been replaced. Voltage should be in the range 13.5V to 14.5 V range. If it is higher than that you should definately replace the R/R.

Betarace has already provided you with a source for a new unpainted seat cowl. I can't speak of the quality but a cheap cowl is better than no cowl right??

Regards,
Rollin

 

Thanks Rollin. I guess I just have to decide if I want to replace if with an OEM R/R to keep it original, or buy an upgraded one.
It has been an amazingly reliable motorcycle thru all these years!
Thanks again,
Brent

 

I've owned two 3rd Gens (both 93 models) and they both had R/R issues with the factory units. Upgrade to a better unit and you'll save yourself alot of worry and potential problems. I'm glad you have enjoyed your bike. I hope to get many more years out of my newest 3rd Gen since it only has just over 10,000 miles on it :biggrin:

One more thing, please post your location in your profile so we can harass you into going on some group rides.

Rollin

 

I've experienced this exact scenario and it was indeed the voltage regulator rectifier. The darn thing worked just fine in the garage but after about one hour on the road it would fail and there was no indication that the battery was draining till I stopped at an intersection and she would die as the charging system didn't make sufficient power to run the EFI. By that point the battery was too dead to start the bike. I was able to bump start it a few times and it kept going as long as the revs were up. In your case with carbs, the bike wouldn't quit unless you shut it off. I have replaced an RR unit on every VFR I have ever had and that is now up to 4 bikes with number 5 hopefully coming soon.

Bottom line, change it and buy a good one. Problem solved!

 

Battery ignition Honda's like this one with carbs WILL die if the battery becomes discharged enough. The battery powers the ignition, the charging system keeps the battery up. You can unplug the stator or R/R completely and the bike won't even know it 'til the battery voltage drops to a certain point. Try that with the battery and bet it won't even run.

 

In that case it would behave just like an EFI machine when the RR failed mid ride. Makes sense.
Nothing gets more bad press that these RR units but they sure deserve it. Honda should supply a spare in every VFR tool kit.

 

get the latest RR...25000 miles is about time..if it didnt give you trouble...it definitely will ..
A sealed battery would last you a long time if properly taken care of...