[jmorin]

I have a 95 900SS CR with about 12K miles. A while back I bought a new RR from CA Cycleworks but never got around to installing it. Now that I am doing some projects on the bike I was planning on putting it in. With some further research here, it sounds as though these regulators aren't much better than the stock ones (but cheaper) and still fail from time to time. My original OEM RR is still working. I have not replaced the stator wires either.

So, my question is do I go ahead and change the regulator as a preventative measure (since I have the bike torn down to the intakes), or do I just wait for it to fail? Do they all fail eventually? My bike only gets wet when I wash it, so wiring corrosion is not really a concern.

Thanks.

 

[470four]

I would swap it out now, TBH? Or carry the new one around with you under the seat until the old one dies?

** Check the yellow connectors on the lefthand frame tube, on/around the triangular carb breather box? These have got a habit of going crusty & overheating... I chopped mine out and crimped two yellow bullet connectors in there.

 

[standswithabeer]

r & r

the reg/rect connections on my bike are in a location that invites corrosion, if not addressed. i removed the rec/rect from the frame, cleaned all connections and added some dieletric grease to protect them. i check 'em every other year - they still look great.

i check charging system performance every so often, zero issues. if you'd like to check this more often, you can splice in a small digital DC voltmeter to your battery tender leads. the voltmeter could be hidden under your seat and checked after you turn on the fuel tap and the bke is warming up. if you want to check it more often, you could mount the small meter near the fuse holder or on the opposite side.

by splicing into the battery tender leads, you won't be messing with the bike's harness.

 

[bigbadbass]

3 seasons ago...the original RR was still working, but running hot....I no longer trusted it at 14 years old.

Furthermore, careful examination revealed heat-cracked insulation on the stator output wires (near the case exit). This prompted me to upgrade with a mosfet RR from a ZX10 Kaw, at the same time replacing the stator output wires *direct*, no connector.

The stator rewiring is tricky, requiring stator removal, a powerful soldering gun and a steady hand. No mistakes allowed here.

3 seasons on....zero issues, the RR runs cool to the touch delivering a stable 14.XX volts.

I'd suggest to check the case exit wiring and act accordingly if faulty. If your RR runs hot....consider sooner than later. The old shunt type RR's literally cook their internal components.

 

[Shazaam]

The nice thing about the 900 SS/CR smaller fairing is it provides lots of cooling air to the regulator. The major reason why regulators fail is that full fairing bikes don't provide enough cooling air, particularly when stopped. The solution for full fairing bikes is to relocate the regulator to a better air-cooled location outside the fairing.

The main issue to be concerned with is the in-line connectors between the regulator harness and the stator wires. They corrode and loosen causing a high electrical resistance to develop a local hot spot. The resulting heat damages the wire's insulation, the wires short together, and this causes the regulator internal circuits to be damaged. It's best to eliminate the connector entirely by soldering the wires directly.

There's no reason to replace your functioning regulator.

 

[bigbadbass]

There's no reason to replace your functioning regulator.

IMHO there certainly WAS....by updating the 15 year old wiring and original regulator to a MOSFET , I've regained confidence in my charging system's reliability. Reason enough right there, IMHO of course.

 

[clydesride]

Hey all,

I just ordered a Shindengen Fh020AA from motoelectrix and I hope it was the correct part number!!

I was reading on the paul smart forum about what mofset's they prefer and that part number came up... I figured as long as it rectifies and regulates I will be good to go but figured I should ask?

I will post some pics of the new to me baby when I can....

 

[tempest411]

Hey all,

I just ordered a Shindengen Fh020AA from motoelectrix and I hope it was the correct part number!!

I was reading on the paul smart forum about what mofset's they prefer and that part number came up... I figured as long as it rectifies and regulates I will be good to go but figured I should ask?

I will post some pics of the new to me baby when I can....

I have that specific part # on my '95 and it works fine, so no worries.

 

[clydesride]

Oh that's great news... thanks tempest! I will try my hand at pics and all when I get to it.

 

[clydesride]

Of course now that I have read more about this... if I have a single phase stator, I wonder if the new mofset will work? I can always get a 3 phase stator as the ultimate up-grade but, wondered?

 

[Drdds]

Of course now that I have read more about this... if I have a single phase stator, I wonder if the new mofset will work? I can always get a 3 phase stator as the ultimate up-grade but, wondered?

No worries about that. I have a kawi zx-10 MOSFET reg on mine. It is designed for a three phase system and works great on my single phase 1994 900ss. I should add that I also replaced the stator wires with heavier gauge wire. Rather than running them straight to the R/R unit, I like the idea of some connection there. To avoid a local hotspot and cook that connection again though, I replaced stock connectors there with some metripack 3 connectors from eastern beaver, which are not only superior for connectivity, they are weatherproof also.

When you wire it up, how ever you end up doing it, just pick any two of the three yellow input wires from the R/R unit to connect your stator wires to, it doesn't matter which ones. Good luck!

I'll make an effort to get a post up here of my install with a few pics in the next few days, but with two little kids around, somehow things have a way of getting delayed ;-)


Sent from my Motorcycle iPad app

 

[Bezza900]

I recently lost all my battery power. Thought that it's most probably the regulator as on previously owned ducati's, long periods of storage and jump starting from other car batteries, they are known to fail. I was at the Ducati shop here and asked them to run the volt meter over the regulator, it was showing nothing, but they suggested it could be the generator also.

They also said it's impossible to tell if it's either the reg or gen with a volt meter, is this true?

As the reg is a cheaper fix and good practice to change on an old bike (new to me) I have done that. I don't have a volt meter here, so will visit the shop tomorrow, but is this right, you can't check either item and it's a trial and error?

thanks again,

Bez