Self Combusting Rectifier - just caught it.

Why does my SV hate me ?

I've tried to love it I really have.

Coming back from work just now, whats that smell? why is there black smoke coming out the back of my SV passsenger seat? My bikes on fire Arrghh!

Managed to pull over and unlock the back seat, rip out all the bits and bobs and down the side near the rectifier I can see a nice yellow flame thats just about to catch that nice plastic rear panel. I managed to dowse the flames with a can of diet coke.

Got it back home and have removed the rectifier, it looks like it just exploded into flames. What's that all about ?

[Paul the 6th]

yarp sounds like your bike hates you buddy...

As jokey as I make this incident sound I do now have even more misgiving about the SV. I could quite easily have been left with a burnt out bike and all the hassle of claiming for an insurance write off and having to find a replacement bike.

I don't mind if a part fails, that's just wear & tear, but to explode into flames behind a plastic panel that involves the use of 4 tools to get at it. Seems kinda irresponsible by the designers / Suzuki.

Q: Should I raise this with Suzuki UK ?

Q: Whats the best quality (least likely to explode into flames!) rectifier for the SV ?

It can and does happen to rectifiers. Its not related to any particular make or model either. Bikes can and do go wrong sadly.

You need to run a check on the genny as over charging is a common cause of failure.

Cheers SV650Racer

It can and does happen to rectifiers. Its not related to any particular make or model either. Bikes can and do go wrong sadly.

The voice of reason / the cold slap to the mush. I was getting a bit hysterical there, apologies. Its just i've had a couple of old cars have electrical fires (many moons ago), always around my own poorly fitted alternators, rubbing wires to earth(-) but never on any of the bikes i've owned, over 10 years.

I kinda assumed that they where solid state type devices that just fail, not burst into flames. When you look at them they just look all metal, not much to burn. Its only when you turn them over and see a sort of electrical device set in a big block of epoxy resin.

I might start carrying a little bottle of water under the passenger seat from now on......

Originally Posted by no_akira

I might start carrying a little bottle of water under the passenger seat from now on......

make it holy water, you might have more luck that way

Originally Posted by no_akira

I might start carrying a little bottle of water under the passenger seat from now on......

How many times has it happened in your biking career?

I've been biking since I was 15 (now 40) and I've never had one go on any of the bikes I've had. (lots)

and as an side, I've got a 600 Gixxer Reg Rec if you need one!

C

Originally Posted by no_akira

I might start carrying a little bottle of water under the passenger seat from now on......

Not sure that's what you really need for an electrical fire...

Oh wait simesb I'll just thumb through the selection of extinguishers that I have strapped to my bike, oh there it is the CO2 with the black square, thats the one I should have used, silly me!

Well a nice big squirt from a diet coke bottle, followed by water sucked up from a nearby puddle at least avoided the insurance claim and got me home.

Perhaps I do need an exorcism carried out on my bike ? do do dodo do do dodo dodo do ........ (tune from Twilight Zone)

Quick update on this...
For some reason none of the replacement Rectifiers on ebay (even oem ones) look like my frazzled rectifier ? My rf looks like this...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SUZUKI-GSXR600...torcycle_Parts ( model RS41 33C1 29 2D16 )

Q: Could this be the reason for the spontaneous combustion maybe, rectifier from a totally different bike ?