So my F2 suddenly lost all electrical power while cruising on the highway and would not turn back on. I got it towed and checked the battery, which looks fine. Is it a blown fuse? Could it be anything else? What would cause it to blow a fuse?

UPDATE: Please read my post on the 2nd page detailing my new R/R and how to get it connected to my wiring harness!

 

well a fuse would be the first thing to check... and a either a spike in the power or a positive power line touched a negative ground and caused it to short out.. thats the only things i can think of

 

I've checked the fuse box fuses and they all looked the same. I tried removing a red plug next to the battery compartment labeled "39A Fuse" which I'm guessing is the main one, but the plug doesn't want to come out. How do I know if a fuse is bad or not?

 

A bad fuse has a filament in the center that would be broken (not connected). Fuses are a safeguard to keep the system from being completely fried in the case of a short.

 

yeah, check ur fuses. All of them. The main fuse is some times difficult to get out.

 

pull them out one by one... gaurenteed ur broken one is ur problem

 

I bet its not a fuse. I bet its ur r/r and its went bad and cooked your battery.it will still show that its good but under a load its worthless. Finish checking your fuses and or a loose connection then move to your r/r. Let us know whats up. Did it smell weird when you came to a stop like rotten eggs? Or did your bike smoke at all? Those are sign of a cooked battery 100%

 

It was the fuses AND the R/R. My main fuse was busted, so I replaced that. Then I started checking the frame for shorts. Sure enough, the R/R had burned the wires connected to it and the wires shorted out on the frame. So, I know I need to get a new R/R, any recommendations?

Just to check to see if the bike worked, I cut out the exposed wiring and replaced the main fuse, and it ran fine. What happens if I run without a rectifier? And which one should I get to replace it?

 

Without a R/R, you will not charge the battery and it will die as you run. The RR changes the AC output of the stator into DC, and also makes sure the voltage through the DC electrical system stays within a certain range (~12-15V). Basically, without the R/R your bike will die soon as it will be running off the battery alone.

I've heard that GSX-R R/R's will bolt up, and are much larger with fins so they will dissipate heat more. If not, soldering on the proper connector would be pretty damned easy. I'm sure there are aftermarket ones that work, but they're more expensive.

The stock ones work well if you keep them tight to the frame and make sure they contact squarely with the frame so they can dump off heat. If there is corrosion or gunk behind it, it may overheat and die. If you have to get a new one though, a beefier one is a good investment. Just make sure it's solidly mounted to the frame with no scale/dust/debris between the R/R and the frame, and it should last a long time. Your R-R may still work if you splice in new output wires but it's probably better to replace it. Good luck!

 

I recommend you deal with Tony:

http://www.oregonmotorcycleparts.com/VRRPM.html

The R/R you need is his VRRPM3H at the very bottom of the page, he can also hook you up with new connectors for your wiring harness... Just tell him that your R/R burnt your wires and he may just throw them in for free (he did for me).

He warranties all of his product for 2 years, no BS, no hassles.