Regulator cooling

[thetimkirby]

Planning to take my @ to hotter climes (Oz) and been thinking about better regulator cooling. Increased airflow seems the obvious solution, and I've seen a few comments on fans being fitted: presumably computer cooling types. Any advice on suitable units?

Had a thought about relocating the regulator to the steering head area, so that it is in the flow of air into the airbox. Anybody tried this yet, or am I barking up the wrong tree? Or just barking.

Tim.

[Big J]

Hi, not sure about fans etc, too complicated for me!! I saw on this forum a picture of an @ that had a hole made in the side panel with some mesh glued over to stop stones. It directed air over the fins of the regulator. This seems like a good idea so will be doing it on mine soon.
J.

[Steve T]

Originally Posted by Big J

It directed air over the fins of the regulator. This seems like a good idea so will be doing it on mine soon.
J.

Regulator cooling in Inversnekky!!!!

You expecting a heat wave sometime soon (not including today, which is quite tropical in Moray )??

The computer cooling fan thingy was done by one of our far east correrspondents, and a very professional job it was as well. The power, I think, came from the rear light. Longer bolts for the reg/recr also got the fan mounted directly onto the heat sink fins of the reg/rec.

There are several Oz users on this forum - try asking them direct how they keep there bits cool

Steve T

[ATrider]

I have a 3mm aluminium sheet behind it. It sticks out a bit below the side panel. Don't know how much good it makes.

[Kymmy]

Another more expensive way is to buy a peltier plate and then bolt it under the reg/rec..This when powered up will draw heat from the unit and disperse it onto the frame...

As far as PC fans just remember that they're more suited to a totally dry enviroment where the worse contaminent is dust...

[trophydave]

I have had a PC fan on the RR on my VFR for the last couple of years.Time will tell how long it will last,but it cost me nowt so I can't complain when it packs up.

[stageonesimmo]

Put an ign controlled PC fan on the RR on my @ a good while ago - still going strong, doubled it up with a 3mm thick plate under the RR where it bolts to the frame, job's a good'un..........

Mesh filled hole in side cover to follow once I have a spare cover to 'play' with............

[barry neves]

Hi there. I am riding an RD07 in what is usually 35+ deg Celsius here in the Philippines. My local mechanic fitted a heavy duty computer fan (rugged body - not one of those flimsy cpu things) to the regulator. It has an on-off switch located at rear of side panel so I dont have to run it in the evenings when things cool down a bit. Works a treat and very cost effective. Combined that with a dynatek charge monitor to ensure the regulator is behaving itself and the jobs a gud'un!

[Jim Davis]

Folks, there is a better way! Use a newer style R/R with Mosfet control instead of SCRs. They hardly get warm at all.

In fact I'm going to do such a mod to my very own Africa Twin. I'm hoping for 20-30% more output as well, because they are much more efficient. Stay tuned.

[Zenarchy]

I came across this link that you might find helpful for some ideas:

regolatore di tensione per honda africa twin 750

Though it looks like he went to extremes with the cooling, perhaps that might be helpful if you're taking it somewhere very hot. He moved the regulator to the left side of the bike, though looking at where he put it, I would expect it to get quite wet which might be a problem.

You can pick up fans pretty cheaply from ebay, particularly fans for older processors that will be going for pennies now the chips are defunct. They might not do so well and die earlier, but then you can pick them up for peanuts and they're small and light so easy to carry a spare.

I'm not sure but my thinking was that a processor fan might be better than a case fan as they tend to run faster, and are designed for mounting directly to a heatsink on a processor that gets very hot. So the application is similar. For something more rugged you could look at the fans they use in servers or industrial PCs (though these may be more expensive).

It looks like computer case cooling fans were used by the guy on that link though. In my computers I use these case fans:

Quiet PC UK - Xilence Ultra-Quiet Fans

Which seem very good for the price (you might be able to pick them up slightly cheaper again on ebay). They seem to move a lot of air inside the computer for not much money, and seem well made and quiet (not that noise will be much of an issue on the bike).

I'm thinking of cutting some slots in the fairing covered by mesh and building a little airflow tube to direct the air directly at the regulator myself though as that seems like it'd be a bit simpler and less to go wrong (assuming it actually works).

There's a guy called ATGreg here who seems to be in Australia (and has rode a lot of it through out of the way places looking at his ride reports), so if you send him a PM, perhaps he might have some tips for you too.