DIY Regulator/Rectifier?

[embee]

As per the 2 posts above.

I did fit a Lucas CAV (commercial) regulator to my BMW (bike) many many years ago, they were used by a certain car company in Crewe . Despite the Lucas name, the CAV stuff was pretty well made. The BMW and Moto Guzzis of that era used a Bosch alternator fitted directly into the crank nose, which had a field coil in the rotor with slip-rings and brushes and worked* like a car alternator, the regulator controlled the current to the rotor to limit the output to what was demanded, a much more elegant solution to the problem than the dumping principle. It still works today, some 30yrs later.

When I say worked*, it did until the crank vibration broke the field coil windings, and you had to re-wind the things. A common problem on both BMW and Guzzis. The R90S had a slightly lower alternator output than the other models, because the crank whipped a bit more so the rotor clearance was a bit greater inside the stator, hence less output.

A nice feature on the CAV regulator was that there were 3 tapping terminals for the field connection which gave half volt increments in voltage according to your wishes.

... but I digress...

Is the Fireblade one I should use?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-Rectifier-...item2ea7a01a4f

[timwilky]

I have successfully used a blade R/R in the past. I guess the trick is to buy from a breaker of crash damaged etc. At least that way it was probably working upto the point it was taken off the road.

newer fireblades 08/09, the model number of the regulator must start with an F. Search previous recent threads, all the info is there.

Or try svspares;

http://www.svspares.com/items/232-2_...fier-used-.htm

However it is a used item, if it was me I would buy from there at least you know where to find them should it go wrong unlike ebay.