Hello, I recently bought my first motorcycle a month ago a 2019 Sportster Forty Eight, love the bike but I am having constant issues. At 7 miles the bike started getting a flashing battery light so I took it to the dealership, dealer troubleshot it and said the voltage regulator is bad and it was replaced. Fast forward a month and now at 700 miles I get a constant on battery light, I take it back to the dealership and they say it is the voltage regulator again. I keep the bike on a tender when not riding for an extended period of time and I find it hard to believe I have two bad regulators on a brand new bike that is a month old. Anyone else experience this? The dealer insists they have tested the rest of the charging system and the battery and cannot find issues with those.

 

I think I recall reading about some bad voltage regulators on Sportsters several years ago, so maybe they got a bogus batch again?

John

 

I’m heading to the dealership shortly for the same issue. 2019 SG.

 

That is what it seems like, but the dealership didn't have any in stock the first time nor this time. The service writer said they aren't seeing this issue on Sportsters. My bike was manufactured 11/2018.

Sorry to hear, glad I am not alone.

 

Just got back. Bad voltage regulator. They ordered one and will install next Friday. So much for a Father’s Day ride but it is what it is.

 

Nobody else having issues with Sportster voltage regulators?

 

As frustrating as it is to not be able ride your bike I would be inclined to keep on the backs of the dealer to keep repairing your bike.

I don't know about there but in the UK there is an expectation that something should be fit for purpose and multiple failures would disagree with that. You might have a case to reject the whole bike should the fault keep recurring.

One issue we have seen in the UK with slightly older bikes is the routing of the cable from the stator allows it to rub on the crankcase until it fails.

 

Unfortunately my state does not have a lemon law so I am stuck with it.

 

How long between the new regulator being fitted and it failing?

Could you persuade the dealer to loan you a bike if it is lasting only a short while so they can diagnose it and not upset your want to ride a bike?

 

Roughly 1 month to the day of the new regulator being replaced and failing again. I doubt the dealer will be inclined to do that, I did not purchase this bike from them.