Fire , Fire , RR caught on fire tonight

[hollo]

Hello ,
Whilst out for a blast on my NC30/750 thingy this evening as the sun was out , after a spirited ride I decided to pop around a mates house on the way home . A good job I did as after parking it up , I knocked his door , when I looked back at my bike it was smoking from the seat unit and making burning noises, as my RR was on fire. There were no simptons at all, everything was fine on the ride , and I don't know what I would of done if i hadn't of stopped around my mates as I needed his allen keys to get the seat unit off . He first words after he open the door was move it away from my car in case it goes up in flames - nice.
So then , I've read that the RR is a common fault , but I thought it just drained or overcharged the battery , flames and smoke are a new one on me. Anyone point me in the right direct of what to do next ? , the engine is a VFR750 FK , and there are two plugs and sets of wires comming off of it ,is there any upgrade I can do , so it doesn't happen again ?.
Here is a picture I took before it really began to smoke . I took the picture incase it did go up in flames just so I could show the insurance company.



Mike .

[RoninZX-10R]

Bloody hell! Lucky you spotted the smoke when you did otherwise you'd have a pair of roasted nuts! I know the RR's can get pretty hot, but I've never seen that before. Were there electrical wires resting on the RR's that melted causing the smoke, or was it the RR itself?

[VFRkieran]

Was it sat running while you where at your mates? It could have got super hot when sat running especially if the fan isnt working mine only has to sit for 30 seconds before the temp rises pretty quickly. So it could have started to melt the wires. The best upgrade to cure reg/rec problems is to fit one from an R6 or R1 these are very trouble free i have one on my 800, it will require some custom mounting though as they are bigger than stock NC30 ones.

Hope that helps mate.

[hollo]

Hello ,
RonninZX-10R - It's the actaul RR that caught fire , not any wires , it actually burn a hole in the back of it and it was dripping liquid smelly black plastic on the floor
VFRKieran - No the bike was not running, that was the wierd bit , the smoke and burning started after I've switched it off , I didn't notice anything whilst riding , no dimming of lights , or burning smells or anything . Any idea which year of R1/R6 reg/rec fit , and do the plug straight in , or will I need to cut/spice any wires ?
Thank you for your help
Mike .

[speedy231278]

I'm pretty sure an R6 RR would need you to remove the individual connectors from the connector block and connect them individually to the reg/rec. I don't know which year is the right match for the R6, but I seem to recall reading that some years have six pins which you want to avoid as the Honda one has five. Lots of people use aftermarket Honda ones, and quite a few seem to swear by R6 ones. If yours has got so hot it started to melt the casing it's not inconceivable that the connector will be pretty unhappy too (after mind died the connector was so brittle most of the pins came out between finger and thumb!), so it won't be an issue. My personal preference was to get a Honda compatible aftermarket one as I figured it was designed for a Honda so it was best used on one. Clearly there is no issue with using an R6 one otherwise people wouldn't, so the world's your lobster. I'd check the wiring for faults, just in case the rather spectacular death was a symptom of something else having gone wrong first!

[VFRkieran]

That is very strange im out of ideas then, maybe when you where moving the wind was cooling it slightly and then when you stopped the heat from the engine and exhaust just cooked it enough to melt, when ive had reg/recs go in the past i havent noticed anything right until the last minute when the bike cuts out.

I have a feeling the ones from 03-06 but im not 100% sure so a search would probably help you, and you will have to ditch the actual plug and just plug each wire into each terminal on the R/R.
Its quite simple really, or if you dont fancy doing that you can buy uprated reg/recs from Rick oliver but they would be a bit more expensive than buying a R1/R6 one from a breakers.

[squirrel_hunter]

Not unheard off for them to smoke a bit if they go. So far none of mine have gone up in smoke but I always keep a spare for my SV (known weak spot), but I have had friends bikes who have had this (VTR, Blackbird). It could just be the reg rec that has gone, basically all they are is a big heat sink with a couple of resistors in to step the current down. And they can fail.

However its obvious that the reg rec is in need of replacement, but also check the battery is still charging and holding charge. Check also the wiring to the reg reg especially around the connectors, but also check that they are clean and undamaged. Worn wiring/ rust can create resistance which can lead to, well, problems. Last and by no means least check that the generator/ alternator is producing the correct current.

All in its not a big job to go through the checks of battery, wiring, generator, and then replace the reg reg if hopefully that is all that is wrong.

[Cammo]

You're lucky it was only the reg/rec, though it would be worth checking all of the electrical system. Arm yourself with a multimeter and follow this guide for peace of mind: http://www.electrosport.com/media/pdf/f ... iagram.pdf

The best cheap replacement in my opinion is a used 5-pin R6 reg/rec, you'll need to cut off the honda plug and solder on some standard female spade connectors (best to fit insulated connectors unlike in my pic - since replaced!).



I filed some of the heatsink material off to get it to sit flush on the frame, and fastened it with a single bolt and nyloc nut (rock solid). It operates at a much cooler temp than the unit it replaced.




When my reg/rec went the extra voltage set the cdi on fire!

[speedy231278]

Yikes! Is the CDI not protected by a fuse then? That's a tad worrying!

[magg]

Did the 30 A main fuse that protects against this specific scenario blow? If so, then all is well, relatively speaking. A new fuse and rect/reg and you should be on your way. Preferable to get a rect/reg with a metal base and use heat transfer compound when mounting to help get the heat away.