Sign in to follow this  
Followers 0
fast_eddy

Dubious Regulator/Rectifiers on the x11.

38 posts in this topic

323ef3322761d016a3098327c14399e82g.jpg

I'm sure that most problems owners experience with this unit failing are due to it overheating!

I've checked mine by putting my finger on it with the engine running and it can burn you!

Owners may wish to investigate ways of improving cooling to the unit... you could fabricate a "heat-sink" to sit the unit upon, so that more heat is dissipated into the mounting points on the frame. Another way would be to mount a waterproofed cooling fan from an ignition live source.

Also ensure that the wiring connectors to the unit are free from corrosion. I usually smear a film of "coppaslip" on any connector that I come across!

Of course owners should be wary of leaving the bike parked with the engine running for extended periods!

0

Share this post


Link to post

owners of bikes with undertrays also need to check the airflow aroung the reg, there is a reason it is sited where it is. Howabout one of those mini cooling fans from of the P.C chips that Maplins sell?

0

Share this post


Link to post

Aye, I was going to mangle an (ex computer PSU) 80mm fan onto the unit at one time... but like many other things, never quite got around to it!

A bit of silicon sealant where the wires go in may safeguard it from water ingress... maybe!

0

Share this post


Link to post

I think my brains just overheated reading this thread !!:doh:

0

Share this post


Link to post

well don't let it bother you too much, it is not as common on X11s as on some bikes.

0

Share this post


Link to post

My original rectifier/regulater stopped working this summer when driving around in Italy. Might have something to do with softbags hindering the airflow. Hmm, I actually didnt think about that till now :)

Bought an unorigial one from Jaws. Works like a charm now :) Heat is not a problem here in Norway anyways.

0

Share this post


Link to post
My original rectifier/regulater stopped working this summer when driving around in Italy. Might have something to do with softbags hindering the airflow. Hmm, I actually didnt think about that till now :)

Bought an unorigial one from Jaws. Works like a charm now :) Heat is not a problem here in Norway anyways.

Good point! Never thought about this... :doh:

I used the pair of softbags too this summer and did about 7000km euro-trip to rainy London and back.I have to consider if there enough air flow to reg/rec when i fit the saddlebags next time :icon_scratch:

Cheers!

0

Share this post


Link to post

Rainy London??? oh you were unlucky there my friend :D the sun is always shining in The south of England, should have come north to our unique micro climate. Maybe an idea to construct an air duct running across the rectifier surface with an entry and exit hole to enable cool air to be blown in across the reg and out at the other side. normally the warm air would escape through the rear vent on the seat unit but with panniers in the way as you have said there is no ventilation.

0

Share this post


Link to post

reading up on the IXXRA site, seems they too have a regulator 'issue', a few reports of failures of OE ones and they have been replaced by aftermarket versions that have not fared to well, some have failed within 100 miles. One guy was told by a Honda mechanic that the aftermarket ones were not capable of handling the load that the Bird puts on it. As the Blackbird is surely similar electrically to the x11 what is the problem? most aftermarket regs seem to have been purchased through Jaws (he seems to have a constant supply in stock, what does that tell you). Never having owned a Bird i don't know what the airflow is like around the reg but a couple of cases refered to failures in France and Spain whilst on touring holidays (hot weather, soft luggage restricting circulation possibly), one guy replaced his OE reg with another Honda one and has not had a problem since.They do get hot as i witnessed whilst washing my bike at the weekend, thought the bloody thing was on fire. My theory is that poor circulation is the main problem and cheap replacments that are not up to the job, making sure the cooling fins are clean and and a coat of black paint might also help.

0

Share this post


Link to post

Sounds like a good idea to check your connectors , earths etc as poor connections could cause premature failures , I used to ride GL1000's and GL1100's and have been all over Europe on them , The biggest problem was poor connections on the rectifier to generator loom due to corrosion , the fix was to replace the connector to the 3 yellow wires with heavy duty connectors and some spare cabling as the corroded connectors caused resistance melting connectors and cables ,obvoiously us X owners are not trying to light up Blackpool like Wing owners so the heat should be less.

0

Share this post


Link to post

good point, presumably the reg has a push fit connector to main loom, there isnt any need for this and it could be cut out and the cables soldered and insulated with heat shrink sleeve, eliminating any poor connections altogether.Or maybe if that is an overkill clean the connector pins up and push them back together and use larger size heat shrink to seal the connectors completely against the elements.

0

Share this post


Link to post

Pete, you mentioned painting it black. Does this keep the temperature down a bit?:confused:

0

Share this post


Link to post

It helps heat transfer, same reason cooling rads are painted black.

0

Share this post


Link to post
It helps heat transfer, same reason cooling rads are painted black.

I never thought of that:doh:.

Good one.

0

Share this post


Link to post

thats why all those muslem dudes dress in black when they are on a recruitment drive back home in the east, cos it's hot it stops them from spontaniously combusting. Doesnt explain why NASA rockets are white though.

0

Share this post


Link to post
Doesnt explain why NASA rockets are white though

So they can see 'em against the blackness of space!

0

Share this post


Link to post

well they are a bloody long way away when they are looking, but it does sound feasable :doh:

0

Share this post


Link to post

Reg/rec went on my X11 last March. Facking expensive to replace, too. Then the reg/rec gave up on my Blackbird in Antibes last June. I came over all optimistic and thought it might just be the battery, so I bought a new one, which got me home. Didn't really use the Blackbird again and sold it in October. The day the buyer was coming to collect the bike, it became apparent it was the reg/rec, so that was a portion of the price gone. I couldn't let the guy ride it back from London to Newcastle as it would have given up the ghost by Golders Green.

In all the Hondas I've ever owned - and there have been a few - those have been my only serious failures.

0

Share this post


Link to post

My regulator/rectifier packed up last Saturday! It's been playing up for a while, but I went through all the wiring and cleaned/greased the connectors, and it appeared to be behaving it's self (except for getting hot). On the way into Llangollen the bike stopped for no apparent reason - stupid rectifier had handed in it's notice & fried the battery. Managed to get a battery & ride home. I'm now going down the Yamaha R1 rectifier/regulator route. Will post up if it's any good!

0

Share this post


Link to post

On painting it black: Be sure to use very high temp paint or it can cause a fire under your bum. Exhaust paint works and matt is better than gloss for some reason. We used to paint our racing engines black and measured a 3 - 5 degree difference in heat.

0

Share this post


Link to post

Changed the fried rectifier, soldered the wires etc. It needs tidying up, but out of sight, out of mind!

Running the engine at tickover I've now got 14.2v, haven't had chance to do any other tests - it's started raining! The neutral light is nice & bright at tickover (it used to virtually go out), the battery isn't even slightly warm, however the R1 rectifier gets hot, although not as hot as the Honda one. As there's nowhere to join the black & white wires, I've left them in the block - what do they do anyway?

0

Share this post


Link to post

My Regulator Rectifier has just packed up. Anybody know if a fuel injected Blackbird item will work (same output etc ?). The part number is different for the Blackbird, but this could be down to the wiring length maybe ?

Only ask, because there are plenty of Blackbird Rectifiers about, but not for the X11. Don't really want to be spending over £200 for a new genuine one.

0

Share this post


Link to post

I put a 3" ish fan off an old computer on mine last weekend, similar to the previous post, but much bigger, which should help when stationary, and I would think the airflow shouldn't be too affected when at speed. Of course I won't know if it works if the reg rec doesn't fail, but we'll see. There is quite a lot of room in the cowl to fit a good size fan, and I secured mine with just cable ties, and powered it from the brake light lead.

0

Share this post


Link to post

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!


Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.


Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  
Followers 0