is my alternator knackered???

[Biker Biggles]

I used a much newer Honda one (2004?)and there were too many wires ,but I just spliced the duplicate wires together to make three.

[Spanner Man]

Good morning.

It sounds like your alternator is ok, good show.

The RR unit from a 1995 CBR600 is considerably different to the one fitted to the later CBR's. Namely it doesn't have separate input & output leads coming out of it. There's a single 5 pin plug on the loom which plugs directly into it, also the live & the earth terminals are 10mm wide, & 'female' connectors are difficult to obtain in this size.
In my opinion Honda RR units are amongst the worst around, for over the years I have changed more units on Hondas than on all other makes combined. Some of which I suspect is due to deficiencies in the alternator design, which leads to the alternator spiking. I know Pete at Electrex winds his Honda alternators in a different fashion to the originals to help prevent this.

Your best bet would be to go for a RR unit from a GSXR, as they seem to be reasonably reliable, or go for a new Electrex unit. They are around £75 & have a 12 month warranty. their number is; 01491 682369.

An RR unit from a later CBR as Biggles has fitted may be ok, I tend to stay away from Honda RR's full stop! But as some of the RR problems on Hondas are attributable to the alternator there's nothing to suggest that they wont work reliably when fed by an alternator on a Suzuki.
If the replacemant RR has multiple wires, just, as Biggles has done, splice the same colours together.

A point of interest, Honda RR units tend to fail more often on the smaller models with high revving engines. This suggests that there is a weakness in the units, for as I have said, over a certain RPM the RR has to lose excess AC voltage from the alternator in the form of heat, & obviously a CBR400 or 600 would have a higher average RPM than say a Fireblade or Blackbird.

Cheers.

[northwind]

Before I fitted the CBR600RR one I had a lengthy ask around, and didn't find a single failure of the reg/reg on that model... Loads of GSXRs, though, right up to the present day. Hardly an exhaustive check of course but it was encouraging.

I've got an SV one for a K2 for sale by the way

[Spanner Man]

Originally Posted by northwind

Before I fitted the CBR600RR one I had a lengthy ask around, and didn't find a single failure of the reg/reg on that model... Loads of GSXRs, though, right up to the present day. Hardly an exhaustive check of course but it was encouraging.

I've got an SV one for a K2 for sale by the way

Afternoon all. & Windbag

I've changed two or three on CBR600RR's, but dozens on VFR800's & Fuel injected Blackbirds which use the same unit. Which somewhat contradicts my earlier statement regarding engine RPM being a contributory factor in a RR units life I know.
However these fail for a different reason or so it would seem.
Pete at Electrex had a theory that the excess current in the wiring loom, due to the injection control unit & the fuel pump etc was causing an electro magnetic spike to jump across from one part of the loom to another, thus causing current to enter the RR the wrong way.
It was actually for one of my customers VFR8's that had eaten two RR's that he developed a new unit fitted with clampdown diodes, that detect incoming current, & cut it off to prevent it wrecking the circuitry. It never ate another RR after the development one was fitted.
It may be that the 600RR has it's wiring routed in a different fashion, so as to keep the wires separate, & reduce the chance of spiking entering the loom elsewhere, hence the comparatively low failure rate.

GSXR units tend to fail due to the alternator wiring plug getting too hot & melting. More often than not the unit itself is fine. Just replace the plug, & hey presto!
Running another earth wire from the battery to the frame usually prevents this re-occurring.

Running another earth wire isn't a bad idea on any bike, for the Japs tend to run the earth terminal from the battery directly to the engine, therefore the battery earths through the engine mounts. Ok when the bike is new, but not so good when the mounting bolts have corroded a bit.

Cheers.

[northwind]

Yep, the VFRs and Blackbirds are legendary for it. I suppose they had to have at least one downside

[Spanner Man]

Originally Posted by northwind

Yep, the VFRs and Blackbirds are legendary for it. I suppose they had to have at least one downside

Another downside apart from those Feckin horrible linked brakes that is!

Originally Posted by Spanner Man

Good morning.

It sounds like your alternator is ok, good show.

The RR unit from a 1995 CBR600 is considerably different to the one fitted to the later CBR's. Namely it doesn't have separate input & output leads coming out of it. There's a single 5 pin plug on the loom which plugs directly into it, also the live & the earth terminals are 10mm wide, & 'female' connectors are difficult to obtain in this size.
In my opinion Honda RR units are amongst the worst around, for over the years I have changed more units on Hondas than on all other makes combined. Some of which I suspect is due to deficiencies in the alternator design, which leads to the alternator spiking. I know Pete at Electrex winds his Honda alternators in a different fashion to the originals to help prevent this.

Your best bet would be to go for a RR unit from a GSXR, as they seem to be reasonably reliable, or go for a new Electrex unit. They are around £75 & have a 12 month warranty. their number is; 01491 682369.

An RR unit from a later CBR as Biggles has fitted may be ok, I tend to stay away from Honda RR's full stop! But as some of the RR problems on Hondas are attributable to the alternator there's nothing to suggest that they wont work reliably when fed by an alternator on a Suzuki.
If the replacemant RR has multiple wires, just, as Biggles has done, splice the same colours together.

A point of interest, Honda RR units tend to fail more often on the smaller models with high revving engines. This suggests that there is a weakness in the units, for as I have said, over a certain RPM the RR has to lose excess AC voltage from the alternator in the form of heat, & obviously a CBR400 or 600 would have a higher average RPM than say a Fireblade or Blackbird.

Cheers.

cheers for the help....should have read before i went to the breakers....the RR he had in was different like you say.....a single plug....i left it as i wasnt sure if it would work.....if i got the plug i could trim the wires and physically fit it easy enough....

but would it be suitable.....which models are suitable...will any 5 cable RR work....just getting ac in on the 3 wires and putting regulated dv out to the battery..or are some more complicated..

cheers again for your help

stu

Originally Posted by andywilson460

I got a 2nd hand one from SV spares for £35 -

Jaysus. 35stg???
Big window on that shop were there? I would bloody hope it works for that price. I think I payed less than 10 USD for my last one... $14 including shipping or something, which still seems ok.

Appears to be working at present, and has (probably - fingers crossed) solved the problem, so happy to pay it. - Will have to see over time though

[Spanner Man]

Originally Posted by stooster

cheers for the help....should have read before i went to the breakers....the RR he had in was different like you say.....a single plug....i left it as i wasnt sure if it would work.....if i got the plug i could trim the wires and physically fit it easy enough....

but would it be suitable.....which models are suitable...will any 5 cable RR work....just getting ac in on the 3 wires and putting regulated dv out to the battery..or are some more complicated..

cheers again for your help

stu

Good morning.

If you could get the plug, the unit would work if it was wired in correctly. However, that particular unit is probably the most unreliable ever fitted to a Honda. When I had my place down south I used to keep two new Electrex ones on the shelf.
As I have stated, it may work reliably when fitted to a Suzuki.

Most five wire RR units will work, providing they're from a machine with a similar output alternator, & they're wired in correctly.

Cheers.