| Author | Message | ||
     Mark_weiss |
Boy that was hard to figure out. It was only failing when it was hot, making it very difficult for me to catch. My rides have been under twenty minutes at a time and my battery oddly would need to be charged every three or four days. I thought thought that it was a battery issue because I when I would check charging and stator output, everything was fine. The frustration came from the fact that the battery also checked fine. Yesterday, near the end of a forty minute ride my battery light went orange, then red, then started blinking about a block from home. I grabbed the multi tester and found the battery at 11.5v but stator output at 48v at 2k. Then the bike died. This morning, after recharging the battery last night, charging is fine. I suppose that I could put a heat gun on the VR, but I think that I've pretty well solved it. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Cool! Thanks for posting the data point. You are probably right, at that point, it has to be eithe the VR or a connection somewhere. If the 77 connector is solid, then it is likely the VR. | ||
| Twisteduly |
The 77 on the 08 and up single phase setup doesnt seem to have the issues the previous years did. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
My 2008 never actually died. It just got weak. I lost one kuyakin LEDs and it stayed like that for the better part of a year before I finally just replaced it. One other thing, others had pointed out on their failed VRs the potting compound had a lump like it was roasted. Mine had one too. So I dug at it with a pick to find out what made it roast. There wasn't anything there! I think that lump must be on all of them from pouring the sludge in there. It's not worth trying to fix it. Way too much work+mess for most likely nothing. | ||
| Mark_weiss |
I've ordered the Shindigen kit from Roadstercycle. I'm at 70k miles now, so I should never have to worry about it again. I have to admit, it did have me baffled for a few days. Once I have the VR replaced, and have some time, I may hook the old VR up to an AC powersource (60v or less) and connect it to a battery and a 100w load. Then, let it run, just to see what happens. | ||
| Motorbike |
Mark, I recently installed the Shindigen regulator on my 2008 XB12XT and so far, it is working great. No starting issues whatsoever now! http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/142 838/786601.html?1466651662 | ||
| Pretzel_logic |
A few days ago, I started to ride off & my LED volt meter indicated no charge. Turned around & shortly after the check engine light came on. Started my 08 Ulysses up today & no charge quickly spiked the overcharge light and showed 18.7 volts on a second volt ohm meter at the battery. It's a factory VR and only has about 8k on it. Ideas? | ||
| Reepicheep |
Sounds like the voltage regulator, or associated connections. | ||
| Mark_weiss |
No charging, or low voltage conditions could be VR related. I am pretty sure that over-voltage is definitely a VR issue. | ||
| Pretzel_logic |
Who sells the best replacement voltage regulators? Dean | ||
| Hughlysses |
Dean- the only "plug and play" VR is the OEM unit. Several of us have installed VR's from Roadstercycle: http://roadstercycle.com/ His VR's use MOSFET's, and are common to several Japanese bikes which makes future replacement easier. You have to make or modify your wiring harness, and make a mount to allow you to bolt the new VR to the existing bracket. There are several threads here showing installs. I installed one on my 09-engined Uly about 6 months ago. I used the "crimp and go kit" (which he actually doesn't recommend) along with the cutoff leads from the old VR. | ||
| Pretzel_logic |
I installed my old VR yesterday & ta da!!!! It was charging. When I went to ride to work it wasn't AGAIN. I rode on and figured the battery would be ok for the short ride. Then I got to thinking... it was charging without the seat installed.... took a break later & lifted the seat and began wiggling wires- charging again. A buddy discovered the battery bolts were a lil loose. Perhaps that's all it was ... I'll keep an eye on the voltmeter. Dean | ||
| Hughlysses |
A buddy discovered the battery bolts were a lil loose. Get yourself a couple of "star" type lockwashers and install on the bolts. They bite into the metal to promote good electrical contact and help keep the connections tight. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Put a star washer between every single layer, or they don't do any good. Bolt head washer wire lead washer wire lead washer battery. | ||
| Pretzel_logic |
I'm still having no charge issues on occasion. Pop the seat & wiggling the bundle going to the + post gets it charging again? BTW, this problem started after a hard fall on the right side when I tried to ride away with a disc lock in place ....OUCH! Dean | ||
| Reepicheep |
Did you clean the terminals on the battery really well? Hit them with emory paper, then dialectric grease, and bolt them back in. Can somebody who has done and understands the Roadster VR mod keep an eye on this thread and see if there is anything to be added or fixed? http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/384 2/790503.html?1475455799 I have a Stator thread in there, but it could probably use a VR thread. Or maybe just an "XB Charging System" thread, given the battery, stator, and VR are all intertwined. | ||
| Ratbuell |
I did the MOSFET install and documented it with photos galore...somewhere. Damned if the search function brings it up for me. | ||
| Mark_weiss |
Here's the MOSFET setup using Roadstercycle's mounting plate. I clipped the wiring from the old regulator and added the connectors that came with the new VR. (Message edited by Mark_weiss on November 21, 2016) (Message edited by Mark_weiss on November 21, 2016) | ||
| Reepicheep |
The permissions on those files are too tight, we can't see the images. | ||
| Mark_weiss |
I will see what I can do. | ||
| Mark_weiss |
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| Reepicheep |
Nice, thanks Mark. Putting posts over there over now. | ||
| Brother_in_buells |
So with reading all these voltage regulator and stator issues, Can someone tell or show some pics for the people with less electric knowledge how to wire the Shindengen FH020AA regulator with re-using the buell wires and connector!? Thanks! | ||
| Hughlysses |
Can someone tell or show some pics for the people with less electric knowledge how to wire the Shindengen FH020AA regulator with re-using the buell wires and connector!? I don't have any schematics handy but it's pretty simple. You have 4 or 5 wires to deal with depending on what year your bike is. The VR will have one plug with 3 wires and one plug with 2 wires. The 3 wire plug connects to the stator; the 2 wire plug connect to the battery. For the VR to stator: 2 wires (if you have a 2008-up bike) or 3 wires (if you have a 2006/2007 bike) go from the VR to the stator. These wires will go from the VR (eventually) to the back side of the primary case just behind the rear cylinder. The polarity of these wires doesn't matter; any of the 3 wires from the regulator can be connected to any of the 2 or 3 wires to the stator. If you have a 2 wire stator, you'll have an unused wire on the VR plug that you need to cut off and insulate. The other two wires are the output from the VR to the battery. The polarity of these wires is important; + to + and - to -. You can either trace these wires out on the bike to determine which is which, or check them with a voltmeter. The + wire will measure approximately 12 volts and the - wire will measure 0 volts, or 0 ohms to ground if you check that. | ||
| Hughlysses |
BTW- I used this kit on my 09-engined Uly. Yellow wires go to stator; red is positive to battery and black is ground to battery:  (pics borrowed from Roadstercycle) Here's a crude schematic of how the VR is connected (note that the fuse in the wires to the battery is not present in the stock harness):  | ||
| Brother_in_buells |
Hughlysses thanks for the clear explanation! So the only (new to route) wires are the black and the red to the battery ,or is it no problem for using the existing ones in the stock harness and putting a fuse in between!? | ||
| Hughlysses |
You can just use the existing wires without a fuse if you want. The 2008-up VR has ~1' long leads back to two separate plugs just above the primary case. I just those leads right at the old VR, then shortened them slightly and connected to the leads from the old VR. I could easily swap the Shindengen VR for a new one buy unplugging the leads at the VR, or if for some reason I ever wanted to go back to a stock VR, the bike's wiring harness is unmodified so I could unplug the leads on it and install a factory VR. | ||
| Reepicheep |
That's how I would do it. I probably wouldn't bother with the fuse, unless Roadster knows something alarming about that VR's failure modes. You aren't adding any new risks that weren't there before. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Mark Weiss, Nice install. Probably don't need the slots though. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Oh, I see that you bought the Roadster universal mounting plate and that is why there are slots. |
