WCIF a n '86 slabby regulator unit (in the UK)?

[Trapjaw]

Hi all 

My beautiful '86 1100 (pictured) is in need of a new regulator. I've looked online and it seems most places have regulator/rectifier units for every other motorcycle ever made... but not this one! I know that this one has a reg/rec attached to the alternator (right?), so it's not like the majority of other bikes, which use the finned, sealed units that plug in to the harness. 

I'm in South Africa (where parts are expensive and hard to come by) but my brother is in the UK and he's visiting me in two weeks and can bring the part over. Anyone know where in the UK I could get a new reg/rec unit? Instructions on how to fit it would be much appreciated too. Thanks.  

 

 

[MeanBean49]

You would probably be better off getting a 2nd hand alternator. I dont know of any off the shelf regulators parts for oil cooled engines

[vizman]

your bike is fitted with an alternator not a generator so no reg/rec (like the types fitted to gsx/efe) is fitted.

how have you come to the conclusion your alternator is duff?

[Trapjaw]

41 minutes ago, vizman said:

 

how have you come to the conclusion your alternator is duff?

The bike is behaving as if the charging system is buggered. I believe this is from riding it on a near-dead battery, which is pretty much what killed a reg/rec unit on my ZX9R a few years ago. In my defence, I didn't know that the battery was nearly dead when I picked the bike up and rode it 10km home. On that ride it started out alright but then got progressively rougher, and would cut out and die every time I came to a stop and the longer I rode it the more reluctant it was to rev. 

Tested battery at home and found it was dead. Charged the battery fully, took it out the next day, went nicely for about a minute then fizzled and died and wouldn't start again. Pushed it back home and tested the battery - very low. 

Figured it might be a bad battery, so bought a brand new one. 

Same problem with the new battery. It'll start up strong, idle a bit then fizzle out and die. I rode it up and down the road and seemed to be okay initially but same thing, fizzling out and dying quickly. In my other thread (where the oil light was stuck on) a poster suggested a fix to a potential regulator issue by hooking up a relay. I tried this and followed the instructions but it hasn't made any difference. 

On my ZX9, it was having similar problems after being ridden on a near-flat battery. I changed the battery, same symptoms, then changed the reg/rec unit and it has run like a dream since then. Hoping it's as simple a fix on this GSXR. 

[Cheeky4648]

Fleabay UK. Rectifier item number 112265207898

Regulator item number 401116718979

Hope this helps. Effin expensive though. I'd buy another alternator off any newer compatible bike. 

[banoffee]

Multimeters aren’t effin expensive though. Do you have one?

[Cheeky4648]

I got one but I'm a bit far away to check it over for the guy 

[Trapjaw]

I do have a multimeter. The readings are showing that something is not right. Also, while the motor will idle (kinda rough) for a while until dying without the lights on, putting the lights on makes it die pretty quickly. 

[Oilyspanner]

Is the problem just that it's not charging - very low figure on the multimeter ?  The normal problem is over charging, like 15.6 v - you might just need to fit new carbon brushes so it'll charge again - much cheaper 

[banoffee]

Share the readings.

[Trapjaw]

I managed to find a cheap 2nd hand alternator, so we'll see if that helps. Regarding readings, I can't remember exact figures but it was going over 15, but also dropping pretty low as well... 

[dougw]

On 22/11/2017 at 8:56 AM, Trapjaw said:

I managed to find a cheap 2nd hand alternator, so we'll see if that helps. Regarding readings, I can't remember exact figures but it was going over 15, but also dropping pretty low as well... 

Sounds like regulator is not behaving, maybe rectifier as well.

As the alternator is a car type unit a good Auto Electrical repair place should be able to help, I very much doubt Suzuki use a bike specific part.

I blew up the regulator on a slabby many years ago connecting the battery up wrong way round (my usual fuckwitted rush with a battery from breakers with terminals opposite way round) and fixed it myself, but unfortunately there are some gaps in my memory about how this was achieved in 1991...

[Trapjaw]

On 11/28/2017 at 4:57 PM, dougw said:

 

As the alternator is a car type unit a good Auto Electrical repair place should be able to help, I very much doubt Suzuki use a bike specific part.

Ah, good to know. My replacement alternator arrives in 2 weeks, so hopefully it'll sort the issue out. Now that I think about it there must have been a big surge of electricity while riding. My front brake light switch wasn't working when I pulled over, and that's when the oil light switch started malfunctioning as well. I'm thinking that a surge of electricity blew them both. Only reason the lights were okay was because I was riding with them off, I think. Rear brake still turns the brake light on, again, because I haven't actually used it while riding this bike.