kev64 wrote:Thanks for the links mac, now i get the idea, will keep looking
So temp, you had a CB125 reg/rect on for two years? and alls ok?
So ive had another read on reg/rect on this forum and the Hawk forum,,
Still not sure its worth paying extra for a used Reg/rect with mosfets as all used parts could fail
suppose they have a chance of lasting longer though
As i said ill keep looking,dont really wanna pay much more than £30 though !!
That's daft thinking...
Yeah, sure all things second hand can fail... That's entirely true... But there really is a difference between failing, and failing in this case...
The VTR OEM R/R is made with thyristor diodes... They are hugely inefficient as they are very analog in their switching from on to off, very prone to ageing from heat, and you guessed it, they produce heat... Ie, in terms of "failures" it's like lighting the ladder you are climbing, on fire, and then complaining it failed... It's a no brainer, it will fail, at some point... And most likely in a flamboyant way, damaging other things...
The CBR 125 R/R mentioned, is EXACTLY THE SAME, just with added fins, and a lesser spec than the stock part for wattage (making it more failure prone)... Same as the newer OEM R/R for the VTR... And those fins are if you look at it from an engineering standpoint, just window dressing... They add thermal mass, so they slow down the heat buildup and ageing, but they doesn't cool worth a damned... So, if the R/R is new, and has a decent lifespan left, it will probably last a few years before packing in...
Whatever R/R you choose made using mosfet tech, is completely the opposite... The diodes (mosfet is just a technicue for making it, they are infact diodes) create no heat of their own, and are virtually ageless, as they are in effect digital, with no wear or ageing... They are also more robust than tyristors, capable of surviving abuse that would kill an thyristor outright...
Combine that with the fact that they have the same "advantage" as the CBR one, and the "new" OEM, with larger thermal mass and fins... Then result is that while a thyristor R/R have a lifespan of 5-10 years with a pretty much guaranteed failure past that, the mosfet one has a near unlimited lifespan in terms of normal ageing, and wear and tear... The only way it fails, is like enything else, factory defects, or imperfect components, creating a random failure...
So, a new non mosfet R/R lasts 5- 10 years, a used one is a game of chance, as it can have one day left, or 10 years... A mosfet R/R should outlast the bike, and is technically "new" even when bought used with high miles...
It's your choice and your bike... But it's pretty stupid to save £5-10-15 now, and pay twice that in repairs later...
Me, I'd take a used and abused mosfet R/R from a high mileage bike over a brand spanking new OEM R/R any day... One might perhaps fail one day, the other one is pretty much a certainity...
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