Headlight burn out

[soccer_12]

This last summer every time I put a headlight in my 450 it would just burn out after I started the bike and I am wondering if it is probably just the r/r or if it could be more than that. I have heard of people using Honda r/r's into their Suzuki, so can you put any year in or does it need to be the the exact one?

[koolaid_kid]

I'd wager the regulator part of your R/R has gone south. Without replacing the headlight, connect your multimeter to the battery with the engine not running. Then start the bike. If the voltage exceeds 15.3 - 15.5 you need to replace the R/R. Look here for some really inexpensive ones currently on eBay.

[Redman]

This last summer every time I put a headlight in my 450 it would just burn out after I started the bike and I am wondering if it is probably just the r/r or if it could be more than that. I have heard of people using Honda r/r's into their Suzuki, so can you put any year in or does it need to be the the exact one?

Welcome to GSR.
(Put you general location in user profile. Put you bike year and model in signature line, goto UserCP.)

Yes, headlight burning out in a few hours is a sysmptom of the charging system putting out way too much voltage (like 16 -17 volts).

Often when a stock r/r fails it puts out way too low voltage (or shorts to ground and blows main fuse). But can also fail such that puts out way too high a voltage.

Do you know if is a stock type r/r?

Or maybe somewone has already converted to a "Honda type" r/r. THose have an additional wire called a "scense" wire. THat wire is to measure the system voltage and the r/r responds to that. If that sense wire not connected properly then that r/r will think the voltage is way low and then the r/r cranks out all the voltage it can.

Most any Suzuki r/r after 1980 will do, except the connector may be diffrent (which is a concern if you still have the stock connectors.