Regulators

[donnybach]

Anyone have experience /an opinion on the different regulators available. Tourmax is £108. Chinese is about £15. Unbranded ones through usual suppliers about £50. I’m charging about 13. 5 bolts. Went straight to 14.5 when I fitted the new one some years ago. Can’t remember which one I bought though.

[BingBong]

I went for the £16 option being a cheapo, it works fine after 700 miles.

You do hear stories of the cheap ones lasting only a few thousand miles.

I reckon (though I am usually wrong) its all down to quality control, you buy an expensive one you get excellent quality control, you buy a cheap one you get little or no quality control and you take a chance.

I took a chance for £16 quid, if it lasts great, if not I go and buy an expensive one.

[donnybach]

Good point. Do you get over 14v?
I’ll order one this week after I check for dodgy earths.

[Mezo]

Went straight to 14.5 when I fitted the new one some years ago. Can’t remember which one I bought though.

Was is the Kedo one (made in Japan) 14.4V

http://kedo.de/products/41740HQ.html

Mezo.

[Ploddit]

I stupidly bought the €161 OEM 1986-89 one which I plugged into my 3aj... It didn't work.

Kedo thinks I may have killed it.

If it fits yours you can try it.

I bought a cheap one for €30 which I had to Dremel off some cooling fins to fit but it is going ok after a few thousand. If I had spotted the jap made one mezo linked I would have got that one though.

[dzl]

Ive been running a couple of the cheap chinese VR's on my XT's and TTRs for a few years now after the OEM units failed. Havnt had one fail yet. Available on aliexpress for about $10 US. I did use to carry a spare on big trips just in case of failure but dont bother anymore.

I always put thermal paste on the base of VR's when installing which helps with heat transfer. Heat is what kills them.

The generators on XT's and most other bikes are always producing full power, so that power either needs to be used or otherwise the VR needs to shunt it to ground which causes it to run hotter and likely to have a shorter life. So always run bike with headlights and accessories turned on.

Before you do anything, ensure you dont have excessive resistance from the red wire on the VR plug to the battery + as there are a couple of connectors/ fuse etc in line . this will cause low charge voltage at the battery like you have as the VR isnt sensing the correct battery voltage.

[donnybach]

Cheers guys.
Cheapie it is then.
I’m pretty sure I heard a bang while kicking the hell out of her with a pilot blockage. Didn’t think it was your usual backfire sound. Could be coincidence. Was sweating too much at the time to take much notice.
Good job I went and got a loan for the 700. It’s nice to have one thing in the garage which starts every time.
Donny

[Spike]

If they are that cheap, buy 2.....why not have a spare

[donnybach]

Bought new reg. with cooling fins. Old one now charging at 14.7v. . Meter must be low on battery. She still has some fiddling to get carbs smoother, but here’s the biggy.

She won’t fire on eleccy, but will kick. WTF?
She’ll crank ok. Just not catching. Once running she can bog on snapping throttle. Gotta be either slightly too low/high float or pilot adjustment surely? Any other ideas?

She was running great before xmas. Then I sonic cleaned the carbs. Then she wouldn’t run at all. Another soak and rebuild. There’s a lesson to be learned in there somewhere I know.
Donny

[Mezo]

She won’t fire on eleccy, but will kick. WTF?

Yep saw that one someones 1VJ before, forget what the cause is though?

It may be worth checking your stator specs particularly the pulse or trigger coil specs, it could even be a duff CDI or one that`s on its way out. If you can fire it up cold & no bogging, then once the oil gets warm it starts playing up that points to an electrical issue.

Mezo.