RR/Battery second opinion

Went to start the VX last night and it was dead so I went out on the GPZ instead. When I got home I put the battery on charge. Just popped out to the garage and it was still dead, so I started it off a car battery. I connected my multi-meter up to the battery and at 4000rpm it was showing 18v

I know what the answer is going to be but I thought I would ask anyway, I am thinking it is new R/R and battery time :(

It should not go above about 14.4 max when charging. So I reckon your battery has been murdered.

I have just taken the battery off the bike and it was pretty much dry, for a laugh I put my multi-meter on it and it read 12.62v. Filled it up with de-mineralised water and its bubbling away quiet happily!!

With the battery disconnected and my multimeter on ohms, I connected it to the R/R terminals across the +ve wire and the wire from the ignition, with the ignition off it was open circuit and with it on it was a dead short which it what it should do, I did wonder if the voltage sense wire from the ignition switch was a bit flakey which would cause the R/R to ramp up its output and cook everything, so it looks like the R/R is fubared.

Ebay, here I come......again!!

Edit. I know the R/R on my bike is 6 wire (3-phase stator, +ve. Ground and Voltage sense) but most of the replacement R/R on ebay are 5 wire (3-phase stator, +ve and Ground). I'm thinking that I should just convert it to 5 wire. The R/R on my GPZ is 6wire, the voltage sense wire from the ignition switch had a dodgy connection and it cooked itself because the R/R kept upping the voltage because it was getting a low reading back, so I am thinking its not a good idea or necessary.

How much do they work out at Andrew?

One from China £20, Second hand £30-£50, Patten £50-£80 and genuine Suzuki over £100. I am considering a 5wire Mosfet R/R but they are about £80 but then again I may just go second hand to keep it original. I can not afford genuine new Suzuki.

Too risky getting a used one it could be knackered after a few months? got a pattern one on the R6 and it works a treat, half the price of Yamaha's too    Bike manufacturers don't make these parts? they buy them off the people who make them, already rebadged with their logo on it and charge double.

Due the fact that the VX is not that common I am trying to cross reference R/R part numbers to see what else fits, so fat it looks like the VZ800 has the same R/R, but I want to get it right so the GPZ is getting a work out, did 80 miles on her last night.

Seems to be the same part number for the VZ R/R as the VX, not uncommon to share parts throughout the range.

When I built my first Virago back in "84"   No Ebay then, needed a voltage regulator so looked at the part no,s and found the LC 250 had the same part no. but with the prefix "LC" whereas the Virago was XV and bought one secondhand from our local bike breakers and it worked perfectly, shame the guy had removed the cam followers and not told me !!!

She's alive. The battery survived being boiled dry, after topping it up and charging it started first time. I got given a R/R of a Honda 1000, chopped the plugs off and Spliced/Soldered the wires. Job done, I am now in the pub having a pint of XXXB waiting for my dinner :)