Had Harley replace VR less than 500 miles ago. Since then had reverse changed out. Use reverse, and voltage would drop to 6 volts. So I get a battery, and check engine light after riding interstate, then stop at red light? New battery Friday, then Sunday same thing! What are your volts at idle? Highway speed? If I turn on spot lights voltage drops two volts? Oh- 14.5 at highway 12 at idle?

 

14.5 at speed, 12 at idle is about what I have. If idling and using reverse, drops to about 10 or slightly more. Oh yeah, the accuracy of my volt meter is questionable. At idle I put a good voltmeter on the battery pig tail. My voltmeter read higher than the HD voltmeter.

Yeah..dropping to 6 volts in reverse seems too low. You might want test the actual voltage with voltmeter. But, if check engine light came on, that's probably moot.

 

maybe stator is bad, HD should nave checked this out. could have a bad ground somewhere too!

 

I had that problem last summer bad battery using reverse killed the battery just saying ride safe fearless

 

I'm thinking stator. Thanks guys. I keep my bike in top shape, and it kills me every time I have to take it back to dealer! Glad of ESP coverage though!

 

That is a good thing please keep us posted fearless

 

Yes, sounds like a bad stator or cables/cable connections.

To answer your question...

A bit above 13.5 at idle, and at speed around 14.5

Turning on the spots (at speed) might drop it .5 volts, brakes will drop it around 1 volt.

Reverse drops it to between 10-12 volts, depending on load. Most of the time I remember to idle it up a bit when using the reverse.

Kevin

 

Fearless. I will repost what Harley finds. Gotta make appointment. Ugh! Kevin I always rev it a little as the reverse drains the heck out of battery? Since new reverse motor, getting battery, and check engine light? Gonna press dealer to replace stator before Daytona.
Thanks guys.

 

My voltage is about 14 at idle, 14.5 at speed, I leave the spots on all the time so can't help you there, and just over 12 in reverse, it did drop to 11.5 once backing up a little hill at church to back into a parking space.

 

I made a mistake on a bike a few years back. I told them what I thought the problem was, and then that is all they looked at. I found it better to let them know the symptoms and let them know that whatever they have to do to find out what is causing the symptoms and fix that to be a better plan.

Otherwise they will look at what I told them to look at (which may not be the root cause) and it will check out and they don't have the initiative/motivation to look any further, cause all I told them to do was to look at "x".

Just sayin.