Hey guys I've got a few questions in regards to the regulator on my 2018 Slim. I've had it crap itself twice so far in six months. First time the dealer only replaced the regulator. This time I strongly suggested the battery needs replacing along with the regulator, and that's what's been done.

So if this craps itself again what else could be causing the electrical issue?

 

There are some amazing write-ups broken down barney style on electrical system troubleshooting on here. It's a pretty simple system, 3 components connected by wiring, not too difficult to troubleshoot if you follow the write-ups. How much draw are you running on it? Is it stock? How often do you ride, and for how long? Do you put it on a tender when not in use? If so have you verified your tender is working correctly, and not putting out a constant charge? Does your regulator keep failing on the low side, the high side, or one of each?

 

https://www.hdforums.com/forum/elect...sting-1-a.html

https://www.hdforums.com/forum/elect...sting-2-a.html

 

Electronics are a touchy thing. And aren't made to very high standards anymore.
I had 3 alternators go bad in a year on a van I had. 1 bad straight out of the box.
A too much load or a bad stator can fry a VR too.

 

That will be the next step Ranger. If it goes bust again it's going to be stator, battery and regulator. It doesn't matter because Harley is paying the bill.

 

there are only five major components, the battery, voltage regulator, stator, starter, and the wiring distribution network...issues with any one of them or any combination can cause problems up or down the system. The weakest component in the system is the voltage regulator diode bridge.

A not too uncommon scenario is worn brushes in the starter causing it to pull excessive amps to crank the engine which will then overload the voltage regulator diodes with the recharge current inrush when the charging system takes over. This heavy inrush will also put an abnormal load on the stator causing excessive heat which can damage the windings. The voltage regulator is the most likely component to start to fail first and replacing it appears to fix the problem but then the scenario repeats itself a few months later. A bad or damaged connection in the wiring network can also cause excessive current draw which can also damage the voltage regulator circuits.

In my aviation career, there were a few occasions where replacing the three major components, starter, battery, and alternator, (and external voltage regulator if it has one), at the same time was the only permanent solution.

 

the hd system is marginal to say the least
the system is a PMG and is fixed and cannot be field forced
at idle, not much charge current but become more efficient in the mid range.
ground is very important for the regulator, many will add a secondary ground
sounds to me, the dealer is just throwing parts and not checking, easy warranty money.

 

Thanks for the advice guys 👍. Here's an update. I picked the bike up Saturday from the dealer after having a new battery and regulator installed, and what a difference.
I'm in the midst of a road trip at the moment and knocked up 400km + yesterday trouble free. I LOVE MY HARLEY❤❤❤. I will let you know how it handles the entire trip.