I thought they fixed this crap. '07 electrical crap

I specifically wanted a later model 6th gen for two reasons. Tweaked VTEC engagement and electrical gremlins to be worked out. I was getting ready to go for a ride with my favorite group of hooligans tonight. I told them I would meet them, I just wanted to run home to change into a warmer jacket since my mesh is too light for the 64 degree July we are having. I also decided to get gas. After I fill up and go to start the bike, it sloooooowwwwwly turns over.

Clock is reset.

Tripometer is reset.

Lights are dim.

Goddamn it.

So I meet the guys and let them know that I am not going to risk it (they were literally a mile away from where I was) and I come home to park the bike. Beyond pissed at Honda at the moment. I know, I know... calm down. I'll do "The Drill" tomorrow, but tonight I want to piss and moan about it.

 

You should have a drink as well. Sit and stare at the bike for awhile, too.

Oh, and I got an '07 for the same reasons. That's not good that these are still having some problems.

It's funny to note that my 4th gen has never left me stranded.

 

I've heard that about the 4th gens. How did they magically become immune to the shitty Honda charging systems?! Your 4th gen is pretty sweet. Can't believe you selling it!

 

Damn. Sorry to hear. I just told my wife this week that I may pre-emptively buy an R/R. Be sure to post what the culprit is when you find it.

 

Yeah, sad day when that thing goes. It's my first bike as well.

Hopefully it's just a bad battery or something easy.

 

crappy to hear about the charging issues. definitely post your findings. I pre-emptively did the RR "update" on my 3rd, 4th and 6th gen before I get stuck anywhere. Left the harness accessible and have added an LED voltimeter on the bikes, carry a spare RR so I can do a quick swap if need be while on one of my long trips. I believe the clinical term for this is OCD.

 

Sounds like the battery crapped out..fingers crossed. As others have said let us know what you find.

 

My bet is on the starter relay/30 amp fuse.

 

Battery tested fine, but the R/R tested bad. I tested the stator, but was having trouble reving the bike and keeping the probes in the plug while reving the bike. I was pretty sure I tested everything well enough and came to the conclusion that it was the rectifier. I had a friend come over and we replaced it, and thank goodness I did. He is smart enough to test everything before making it final. We discover that the plug I was having trouble with actually turned out to be a bad leg.

So I order the new one on monday and it came yesterday. My friend came over again, and man I am glad he did! The stator plug has to run under the air box and throttle body in the V of the engine. Not much room! Was definitely a 2 man operation. Anyway, here is what I found when I pulled the alternator cover off:

 

that thing got some heat in it

 

That's one problem the '07 isn't immune to. I wonder if Honda tried to fix that on the 8th gen. The Candy Red looks great with the 8-spoke wheel, btw.

How many miles does the the VFR have?

 

See, now this is the real pisser... I just broke 14K on it on when this happened. When I bought it, it turned over 12K on the ride home. So from Sept '07 when the PO bought it new until April '14 it only averaged about 2K a year. I did that in 2 months. So I am guessing this was an issue for a long time and it was masked by the fact that it was always on a battery tender.

This whole thing could have been avoided if I had just brought my multimeter with me when I went to look at the bike. :frusty:

 

This is an all motorcycles that use this style of charging system problem, not just the vfr.

This isn't a big deal. Here's what to do. Cut out the plug and direct solder the wires together from the stator to the R/R. Wire in some sort of real time voltmeter so you can see voltage output while you ride, and hopefully notice voltage dropping on the road before your battery drains out and pull over before hand. Buy a spare R/R and throw it in your tank bag, hard case, back pocket etc... Along with a small roll of electrical tape and some sort of compact pliers to strip and cut wires. Go ride

 

+++1 :sad:

 

So the stator never tested bad, but you just replaced it for good measure? I know it looks like hell, but then so has every stator I have seen after many miles.

I wonder if the 2014's have electrical gremlins too.

 

Can't see any reason why the 2014 would not have these problems, after all they have been using alternators on bikes for over 50 years now and the problems still exist

 

Sorry - I should have been a little more verbose in my post. After the battery and R/R were replaced, we tested the stator and it was 55, 30, 55. So it had a bad leg. Then I ordered the stator... yada yada yada.

So now the bike is rocking 13.8 at idle and 14.4 at 5000 rpm. Right where it should be.

 

Although that falls within spec and is close to what my '02 had when I got it, I think the VFR should have almost exactly the same voltage regardless of rpm (+/-0.1V). After cleaning connectors, my VFR idles at about 14.2 and at 5k is at 14.3. I've read of similar on this board.

While it's pretty clear that the stator was toast on your bike, you might want to clean/Oxgard some of the connectors. Specifically, the R/R to battery connector (3P natural) on the right side of the bike.

 

I guess it's my turn to have electrical issues. Pulled into the garage tonight after work and my wife came in asking if something was burning. I already had my helmet off and was trying to isolate the location from which the burning smell was coming from. Very concerning that it was strong enough that from inside the house (with the screen door open) she was able to smell it and thought something was on fire. Guess I'll be driving to work until I have time to pull my fairings off and check all the connectors. I, too, have an '07 and was hoping I was immune to these problems. With as many people as have complained about the electrical problems in '07 VFRs, it seems like Honda should extend the model years covered by the recall. Hopefully, the issue will be apparent when I can take a closer look. If not, I imagine it might be something less obvious, like the stator. I'll then have to decide whether to tackle it myself or take it in. The bike has just under 6K miles. Frustrating.