UK source voltage regulator.

I

Its been a long time

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Having read with interest the threads about using a standard automotive voltage regulator, I've been looking into what's available here in the UK. The often recommended VR115 and similar are not so readily available here so either paying an inflated UK price or buying and shipping from the USA is uneconomic. My research has turned up a Lucas UCB502 regulator used in various European manufactured vehicles. These are available at low cost and look an ideal substitute for the typically recommended American made regulators. I have posted a picture below, I believe the wiring is simple enough, Lucas red to Yamaha brown. Lucas green and black same as Yamaha. I think that's correct, can anyone confirm? Thanks.

1000001171.jpg


1000001172.jpg
 
Last edited:
Raymond said:
I bought a Fiat/Audi regulator from an outfit called Carpartsone on UK ebay, cost me £10.19 delivered, has worked faultlessly for four years.

View attachment 260176

This link is to same item, first supplier I found this morning: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/273616060566
Click to expand...
That's great, thanks. I dismissed any two wire regulators I saw. I understand that the red wire goes to the Yamaha brown wire. Green goes to Yamaha green wire. Where does the Yamaha black wire connect to please? Cheers.
 
There's two different types of regulators, the type A and type B.
Type A regulates the ground (earth) side of the rotor.
Type B regulates the power side of the rotor.
In the US, up through '79 has the type B and '80 and newer got the type A.
As a rule of thumb, type A is a two wire and type B uses 3 or more wire.
 
Thank you Jim. Had forgotten that level of detail - you're help ensured I obtained the right type of regulator.
 
Jim said:
There's two different types of regulators, the type A and type B.
Type A regulates the ground (earth) side of the rotor.
Type B regulates the power side of the rotor.
In the US, up through '79 has the type B and '80 and newer got the type A.
As a rule of thumb, type A is a two wire and type B uses 3 or more wire.
Click to expand...
Great explanation. Thank you. So for my 77 XS650D the Lucas three wire regulator I posted above is what I want?
 
Yeah, most likely. Without an internal schematic or data sheet you can't be 100% certain, but the "Green DF" marking usually indicates Field Power.
Which is what you want.. a powered field output.
 
Raymond said:
I bought a Fiat/Audi regulator from an outfit called Carpartsone on UK ebay, cost me £10.19 delivered, has worked faultlessly for four years.

View attachment 260176

This link is to same item, first supplier I found this morning: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/273616060566
Click to expand...
I'm using that Fiat style regulator on a CB750C, it has worked flawlessly for many years, it may have been an aftermarket production. The company "Oregon" uses the same style to build their reg/rec, Oregon has earned a great reputation while using this regulator. This style is very weather proof and about 1/4 size or smaller than most regulators for other cars.

Edit, this is a type A regulator, great space saver, easy to mount, very pretty heat sinks
 
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Bountiful said:
Hey, @Its been a long time, how are you finding that Lucas regulator? Is it doing its job? Also, is this an all in one Solid state with rectifier? Or would we need to fit that separately?? Cheers guys
Click to expand...
I have made a mounting plate for it to sit in the place where the original regulator fits using two rubber mounts. It is a three wire voltage regulator, it only replaces the original electromechanical regulator. I have also bought a three phase bridge rectifier to replace the original. It fits in the original location with one central screw. I have made wiring tails so that the two units are plug and play with the original ones. I can take pictures tomorrow or the day after. The bike is still being brought back from the dead so I can't say I have run the rectifier and regulator just yet.
 
Okay great stuff, I’d like to see how you've done that. Pics would be very much appreciated 👍 were the parts relatively easy to source?
 
Bountiful said:
Okay great stuff, I’d like to see how you've done that. Pics would be very much appreciated 👍 were the parts relatively easy to source?
Click to expand...
No problem, might be in the morning or the day after for me to take some pictures. The regulator and the rectifier are off eBay. I bought the wire, crimps etc.... from a company called Vehicle Wiring Products. They have a shop on the internet.
 
I also use Vehicle Wiring Products, good source for things like Japanese-style bullet connectors. Have ordered stuff quite a few times and service has been perfect.
 
Bountiful said:
Okay great stuff, I’d like to see how you've done that. Pics would be very much appreciated 👍 were the parts relatively easy to source?
Click to expand...
Here we are. I made the new tails to the same colour codes as original. The plastic plug/sockets that I bought were not quite compatible with the ones on the main harness. I used new crimps but took the plastic plugs off the old regulator and rectifier and fitted them to the new tails.

1000001616.jpg
 
Some here also Machine translation


Lucas humor
There's plenty of humor surrounding Lucas, here are some excerpts:

Lucas' motto: "Go home before it gets dark"! Lucas denies they invented the darkness, but still claims the rights to "Sudden Unexpected Darkness"!

Lucas holds patents on both the short circuit and the loose contact.

Lucas - inventor of the first interval wiper and auto-dimming headlight!

The 3 positions of a standard Lucas switch: Dim, Flicker and Off. The other 3 modes – Smoke, Fire, Fire.

The original among anti-theft systems - Lucas Electrics.

If Lucas made weapons, no wars could be started either!

Did you hear about the torpedo powered by Lucas components? It sank!

The Lucas systems actually use alternating current - it's just that it's random frequency!
 

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