regulator / rectifier on '99

[zoomone]

hi all, at the risk of getting screamed at... i could not find a topic that tells me how you guys get access to that regulator... i cant seem to figure out how to get it out... any help?
I have to check if indeed that is my problem but i'm betting on it. Went for about an hour ride and when i got back home the bike would not start. When i put it back on charge with the trickle charger it took for ever to get full.

thanks!

 

[davidon]

Take footpeg bracket off (right side) and its bolted on to the back of it

 

[2fear]

I'm thinking it's on the backside of the passenger foot peg bracket on the right side.

 

[Fire-medic]

Is it the right side pass. bracket, or the left side? I think left.

 

[m-cman]

is it the right side pass. Bracket, or the left side? I think left.

+1

 

[ninjaneer]

+1 Left

 

[davidon]

Correct.. left

 

[Miles Long]

hi all, at the risk of getting screamed at... i could not find a topic that tells me how you guys get access to that regulator... i cant seem to figure out how to get it out... any help?
I have to check if indeed that is my problem but i'm betting on it. Went for about an hour ride and when i got back home the bike would not start. When i put it back on charge with the trickle charger it took for ever to get full.

thanks!

All the above answers point you in the right direction to locate the RR, however....the RR has nothing to do with how fast your battery recovers when charging. How old is your battery, what type is it? If it is a conventional lead-acid, they have a fast failure rate. Failure to start, particularly after a low speed jaunt with a lot of idling, is usually the first indicator of battery failure. This is why an on-board voltmeter is such a useful accessory.
Even if your battery is charged to "full" (which means at least 12.8 volts), this doesn't mean it has the necessary reserve to work with the bike operating, if it is in the failure mode. Before replacing the RR, first remove your battery and have it load-tested by a battery supply or automotive retailer. Most of them do this for free.
Cheers!

 

[Fire-medic]

What "Miles" said, and be sure and follow the stickies under the Tech section for electrical troubleshooting. "RaWarrior" did a great one. Also, if you need to replace your R/R, be sure to read about suitable replacements instead of the stock unit, which is prone to getting very hot, and to failure of the connections at the molded nylon plugs, hence, the solder fix to eliminate the plug, and the addition of another system ground wire instead of relying on the unit being bolted to the back of the pass. peg bracket as its ground.

 

[zoomone]

Thanks guys! and thanks Miles... before i started messing with the r/r (which i still dont see how you guys say is just taking the plate off... to me that looks part of the frame...) But any way, i decided to do all the volt checking etc and i was getting 13.52 at 2k rpm. decided to take the battery out and realized that the battery is in fact a lead acid which needs water badly.... oops. every cell was below or at lower level. Will add destilled water and charge it again. Hopefully did not wasted the battery. It is about three years old so...

 

[Miles Long]

Thanks guys! and thanks Miles... before i started messing with the r/r (which i still don't see how you guys say is just taking the plate off... to me that looks part of the frame...) But any way, i decided to do all the volt checking etc and i was getting 13.52 at 2k rpm. decided to take the battery out and realized that the battery is in fact a lead acid which needs water badly.... oops. every cell was below or at lower level. Will add distilled water and charge it again. Hopefully did not wasted the battery. It is about three years old so...

13.52 should be sufficient to operate the bike and keep the battery charged (providing the battery is good ) AND more importantly, would indicate your stator and RR are doing their job. Keep in mind that charging voltage is not indicative of battery health!
Still, this 13.52 v. can be improved upon, (lots of owners report voltages of 14-14.4 at idle), and some simple things can be done to ensure your charging system does not fail prematurely . As Mr. Fire-Medic says, all can be found in the electrical stickies, or the electrical forum in general.
Hope your battery rises from the dead!
p.s. even if it doesn't breathe again, 3 years on a lead acid, in a motorcycle, is about all you can expect. Most folks replace conventional batteries with AGM maintenance-free ones, the most popular being the Odyssey PC680.
I just replaced my 680 with another one. It gave me six years of trouble-free service. An added bonus of the AGM type battery is a slow, predictable failure rate, which lessens the chance of it leaving you stranded.

 

[RaWarrior]

The bracket is part of the frame, but it simply unbolts and slips off a couple pegs. Removing it from it's mount can be a bitch though, it has philips screws that are usually stuck pretty good from years of road grime. Use a very large well fitting screwdriver, or an impact driver if you have one.

But 13.5 should be adequate and it sounds like the battery is the culprit, not the bike. Still there's a few ways to improve that if you're inclined....see my sticky in the electrical.

 

[zoomone]

The bracket is part of the frame, but it simply unbolts and slips off a couple pegs. Removing it from it's mount can be a bitch though, it has philips screws that are usually stuck pretty good from years of road grime. Use a very large well fitting screwdriver, or an impact driver if you have one.

But 13.5 should be adequate and it sounds like the battery is the culprit, not the bike. Still there's a few ways to improve that if you're inclined....see my sticky in the electrical.

Thanks! so far its looking like the bzttery was the culprit in fact. Trying and hoping i can get one more season out of it and then go to the sealed type.

 

[Lew L]

Hi,
Here's my $ 0.02 :

Save up and get a lithium iron battery. I recently put one in my 98 Max and was amazed at its lightness and power. A few bucks a month and in a year you could loose 7 lbs off your bike and have a battery that you can forget about for years.
Lew

 

[gavanaxe]

Hi,
Here's my $ 0.02 :

Save up and get a lithium iron battery. I recently put one in my 98 Max and was amazed at its lightness and power. A few bucks a month and in a year you could loose 7 lbs off your bike and have a battery that you can forget about for years.
Lew

Lithium Ion Battery sounds great! I'd spend some extra money to get one. Could you recomend a brand, or better yet a model that would fit a '97 Max?

 

[DMAN999]

Lithium Ion Battery sounds great! I'd spend some extra money to get one. Could you recomend a brand, or better yet a model that would fit a '97 Max?

You need to read some of the threads made about those Lithium Ion Batteries.
Apparently they aren't as good as some companies would have you believe.
http://www.vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=28414&highlight=Shorai

I have the one linked to in this thread:
http://www.vmaxforum.net/showpost.php?p=305864&postcount=146
It's been going strong for 6 years so far and when it dies I'll definitely buy another one.
And as stated above the Odyssey PC680 is another great alternative to the Stock YUASA Battery.

 

[CrackerRican]

I used the Shorai lith battery. I got it for around $160-180 can't remember. It weights about 2.3 lbs with 270 cranking amp. It comes with foam for fitting to keep it from moving around. Its a strong battery for being so small. Only time will tell if it holds up.

 

[sdt354]

You need to read some of the threads made about those Lithium Ion Batteries.
Apparently they aren't as good as some companies would have you believe.
http://www.vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=28414&highlight=Shorai

I have the one linked to in this thread:
http://www.vmaxforum.net/showpost.php?p=305864&postcount=146
It's been going strong for 6 years so far and when it dies I'll definitely buy another one.
And as stated above the Odyssey PC680 is another great alternative to the Stock YUASA Battery.

I've got the 22 AH model Dennis. It's a great battery, and cheap. For once you get more for less. That's not usually the case. I only charge it if I leave the key on by mistake. No trickle charge, not even in winter. I do start my bike at least every 2 weeks in winter though. This battery is more powerfull than the 16 AH
Yuasa, that's for sure. Lead acid batteries suck. Why deal with one?
Steve-o

 

[RaWarrior]

At the very least, get a sealed AGM or gel style battery. It costs a little more up front, but will last twice as long and save you headaches down the road. I've had good experiences with both Odyssey and Motobatt batteries. Lithiums have their place for being light, but they have some downsides as well. Their power rapidly declines with cold temperatures, and service life is yet to be determined...normally lithiums need special chargers to optimize life, and a motorcycle is a "dumb" charger...it just supplies as much current as the battery will take.

 

[jagco1]

This is the battery I use and had no problems with it even jump start Harley bike off of my battery.

The rectifier is behind the lift rear foot peg bracket. It's mount to back side

See pictures...