Kiwi JK

Re suitability for your CBR1000F = IT WONT WORK.

WORDS OF WARNING!!! (If you want further detail)...
Many people and sellers are ignorant of the fact that there are 2 types main of charging systems on modern bikes. They then make the mistake of believing that a Regulator/Rectifier (RR) from one bike will work on another bike.

There are two main types of alternator that are fitted to most bikes, each requiring a different type of regulator rectifier.

Our CBR1000F has a Field Control Type (FCT) and requires that specific type of RR.

Unfortunately the Hyabusa & Vmax RR referred to is designed for a Permanent Magnet Rotor alternator (PMR) and hence is not applicable to our CBR1000F.

 

Begs the question is it possible to install a PMR type in a CBR1000F ?
or convert an FCT to such.

 

Interesting question Sprock.
I know with the ingenuity of some people on this forum, anything is possible. From my perspective, however, it seems impracticable; when you consider the work and cost of replacing/redesigning the rotor, stator, wire harness and the RR. Maybe, from my view, just better to keep a quality charged battery installed and if ever need to replace RR then replace with quality unit as mentioned before.

 

Sorry I wasnt suggesting that a PMR type R/R would work with a FCR type alternator just that maybe a more modern type of R/R may be an alternative.

 

Just in case anyone runs into this thread with charging issues, I just want to give a quick +1 to changing the alternator windings (the thing that you can take off the side of the engine just above the clutch slave).

Mine static tested fine, but when running I would only get power on 2 of the 3 phases. Took me a while to find one at a decent price but swapped it over and all good now.

I'm still using the Bosch RE55 regulator (from a Torana, no less) and 3 rectifying bridges I bought from Jaycar/radio shack attached to a heat sink. about 15 thousand kilometres so far and it's rocking along


Tim.

 

Good alternate (excuse the pun) option there Tim

Do you have the Radio Shack rectifier part number ?


& yeah Naga Thai - that's my route with the bike - keep a
good battery in good condition in the bike and the RR won't
have to work too hard - bad batteries on the other hand are
akin to pointing a loaded 45 at the RR with a potential
ricochet hitting the stator field coils later... ask Shadow !

 

As pointed out, the 3-phase system on these bikes are kind of special. Instead of magnets, it relies on an exciter coil that is spinning. I think I could get the one from e-bay to work but I can't look inside the OEM R/R to see what's going on in there. The ign key puts power to the exciter coil and the 3 yellow wires simply feed 3 different phase A.C. currents to the R/R where they are turned to D.C. and regulated before being sent to the BAT. What I am thinking is that inside the OEM R/R the keyed hot wire is doing more than just powering up the exciter coil. I think it is used to open a gate to let the rectified power travel to the BAT. (just guessing)

I am also think that the third white wire may be going to the exciter coil and the voltage is being checked off of it.

 

This is what i used, 3 of em. - 400V 35A Bridge Rectifier - Jaycar Electronics

This is something that would fit the bill from Radioshack (actually at 50A you could only use 2 of them and waste a channel) - NTE NTE53016 Silicon Bridge Rectifier 200V 50A : Rectifiers | RadioShack.com

A quick description... all the rectifier does is convert the AC from the alternator (alternator - alternating current, get it?) into DC for the bike. if you put alternating current through a couple of diodes, you get Direct current! All a rectifier bridge is is a little box with 4 diodes in it.

So to use them, the rectifier bridges have 4 poles, 2 labelled '~' for the AC and 2 labelled '+' and '-' for the DC as you have 3 AC wires coming from the alternator you need at least 2 rectifier bridges (and half of one gets wasted) but I just splurged and bought 3 so that they are all doing half as much work. (I just split each wire from the alternator into 2 plugs and assigned one bridge to each wire)

So you just wire all the + pins together then into the battery (through a fuse if you are going to do it right) and the - pins all get grounded to the frame. then just plug the 3 yellow wires that come from the alternator into the ~ pins on the bridges. it doesn't matter if there is a spare ~ pin (if you are only using 2 bridges).

After riding for about an hour my bridges were real hot, so Bolted them all to a heatsink (not unlike this one - Versatile Heavy Duty Heatsink - 72mm Long - Jaycar Electronics) now they barely warm up.

This is the regulator I used on ebay. I had mine in the shed but you should still be able to buy them from auto parts shops. BOSCH RE55 EXTERNAL REGULATOR SUIT HK,HT,HG,HQ HOLDEN,LC,LJ TORANA GOODCONDITION | eBay (once the link dies just search 'Bosch RE-55') Thinking about it though, you could easily replace that with a regulator from radio shack and replace the whole R/R unit for about $20...

Tim.

 

I think The way it works is the regulator regulates by varying the voltage to the field coil, that way it stops the bike from making more current than it needs. It should be a far more efficient set up than the alternator generating 30v and then the R/R unit dissipating it as heat.

I my example above, the rectified Power from the alternator goes straight into the battery, the RE-55 is fed power from the ignition, then into the field coil to earth. AS the voltage rises the RE-55 should drop voltage to the field coil, thus regulating the alternators output. At least, I hope that's what it's doing (it only ever gives me 14.1v before anyone warns me)

Tim.

 

Oh! and another thing, the exciter/field coil doesn't spin! if it did it would require brushes and they would wear out. instead, all the coils are stationary and there is a spinning bit of metal between the 2 sets of coils that displaces the magnetic field to make the magic!

Tim.