How hot should the Regulator Rectifier R/R get?
 

Last year my R/R fried. I checked all the other charging system components and everything was fine. Being short on cash, I replaced it with a cheapo off of ebay. It would always run fine but after about 40 minutes I could definitively notice the effect of the R/R overheating. Anyway, I tore the whole thing apart this year and in the process I replaced the "full" wiring harness. I also bought a "high performance" R/R which has heat fins and is claimed to have an 8% higher output, blah blah. I read about using the GSXR ones but I I was in a hurry to just plug it in and ride.

Now my question. The other day I went for about a 20 minute ride and I couldn't tell if I was crazy or if it was starting to act like the R/R was overheating. Since my tail is custom, I do not have it in the stock location but it is in the rear of the tail mounted on a aluminum block. After I got home, I could touch the R/R or the aluminum block but only for a second without burning myself. How hot does the R/R normally get?

It will get pretty warm, try mounting it in a location with high air-flow if possible.

that's what i was hoping to do but there really weren't a whole lot of options. ill go take a pic of where i have it mounted.

hey bro you need to keep that thing somewhere it can get air flow or it will fry again and again

there it is on the bottom of the pic
Attachment 61478

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Tail off
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http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t...t/P7240056.jpg

Mount it further forward if you can, that location looks like an oven

because the f4i tail pinches where the f2 tail used to bulge, there is no place further forward that i can mount it on the tail. anywhere more forward than that and it would be over the engine. this spot doesnt seem any different from the stock location as far as air flow. the reality is that it is getting hot tho so i have to do something. besides working on the mounting location, is there anything else you guys think i should double check electrically that would cause it to heat up faster? Would the fact that i extended the wires to mount it there have any effect? I used the same gauge wires with soldered connections and used the original plug.

Just make sure all of your grounds are good, they do heat up even when properly wired, there's no avoiding it.

That's why the aftermarket ones have cooling fins, and being mounted to those big aluminum plates will help suck heat out of the unit.

So long as it's getting airflow, it should be alright... If it bursts into flames you'll know it has to be mounted somewhere else ;)

purchased a new r/r and put it on this evening. Mine was kaput. Because it had typically been under the side panels I had never really taken much notice of it. I wanted to check it as soon as I put it on . I did my voltage checks etc as was relieved to get what i wanted (14.6v) with everything on inc high beam, indicators and brake light . Relieved with my readings I grabbed hold of my new unit. Youch ! wasn`t expecting that !! v warm !! Can someone tell me if that the temperature gain flattens out because my bike was only running for a short period of time. I would not like to imagine this getting much hotter....the replacement was not a cheap unit....some 80 poundz !! and has cooling fins which the old one didnt. Is this the same with other bikes or should I know something ? cheerz

Redman- try making a air accessable area for it to let it cool better. Also think of a way to wire in a small fan(computer fan) from radio shack to circulate air. I have seen this done, so I know it works.Use plastic tubing to run or ram air into the area. Anything is better than the sauna you have running under your seat.