Today my '01 Ultra suddenly showed the engine light and I noticed the volt meter read 8 volts and then shortly after the speedometer quit and the volt meter reads 0 and the the engine quits. After 1/2 hour the battery recovers a little but not enough to crank the motor. An inspection showed no loose or broken wiring but I did smell something like burnt electrical stuff. Could this be a stator problem ? Are they a frequent source of trouble ? bike has 17 k on it .
Thanks

 

Sounds like it, but there are a lot of things that can "fry", so do the few simple tests in your service manual and see what's up. Or what's down.

 

First and foremost, check your battery connections. Make sure they are both tight, and clean. Next, check the ground cable where it attaches to the frame. Check battery voltage after charging the battery, also perform a load test. Then check the battery voltage with the bike running and compare the two. You should read somewhere around 14volts under throttle using an ohm meter. If you dont, more than likely its the stator/generator.

 

Well I got a call from my local HD dealer and they tell me the Voltage regulator and the Stator are toast.Six hundred big ones,and I haven't even made the first payment yet..
Geeze I have owned 18 street bikes (metric) and now the Harley . I have rented 4 H.D.s and two of those broke down and now my own. ..My metrics never left me stranded... I thought the new HD were better .Maybe not...
I am glad I coughed up for the extended warranty...

 

Stators are a known concern, Hell hundreads dropped to and from Milwaukee alone. Ask your service manager for "factory assistance" or an AWA (after warranty assistance) in my experience you should get help, use tact and dont be an Adam Henry. You'll probably only have to pay a deductable $50 or $100. Or you can call the factory yourself, go to their website and get the ##...follow the phone prompts to the right department and voila. I was told recently that HD's own investigation shows metal contamination from the primary as being the conductive agent causing the failures.......Good Luck