Howdy all,

I posted on the audio forum earlier in the week regarding an issue I came up with to where I was maxing out the charging system on my 2010 Ultra Classic (y'all probably know how us freaks over there like to tear stuff up). I figured I'd give a shout out here in case any of y'all have battled this issue before.

After the recent changes on my sound system (replacing my RF TM400x4ad with a SoundStream PN4.1000d) I decided to do a test to see how the charging system would hold up under load since the system now can play much louder and warmer sounding than it did. To really get a feel for things I set my heated grips on number two (Harley says at max heat they only draw 2.8 amps) and headed off down the road. I should also mention that I always leave my spotlights on.

I got to cranking it pretty loud, only a tiny bit louder than I would usually listen to it and after a minute or so the Check Engine Light came on and I noticed the voltage gauge was down around 12v. I lowered the volume about three notches and after a few seconds the CEL went off and the volt meter went back up to about 14v. When I got back to the house and plugged up my Schumacher battery tender it said that the battery was at 65% charge. I seem to recall when I had the RF amp in the bag it would usually say it was at about 85% capacity after a ride.

At this time I am running the Arc Moto 600.4 under the fairing and the PN4.1000d in the clutch side bag. The 6x9s on one set of channels of the PN4.1000d are 2.7 ohm impedance so they are probably causing the amp to push about 200 watts each, so I guess total wattage dissipated would easily be around 1300.

Given this information are there any upgrades that can be made to the charging system on these older bikes? I have checked the Harley website and found a charging system upgrade, but they suspiciously leave the 2010 U.C. off the compatibility list (I should mention that like a lot of 96" motor guys I have had to upgrade the compensator sprocket to the Screamin' Eagle unit which changes the stator cover). On the other side of the coin are there any known current hogs that can be tweaked? I really don't want to get into LED headlights if I can help it because they tend to scramble FM reception. If anyone knows otherwise I'm open to ideas, but if I remember correctly the halogen bulb I have now only draws 4.5 amps.

Another angle I am lacking knowledge on is the charging capability of the system at a given RPM. I have a good tune on the bike so it is not uncommon for me to be in sixth gear at 60 mph speed limits (a common speed in my backwoods area). I was in sixth at about 60 when the CEL came on. I think that put the RPMs at about 2200 to 2300. At 65 in sixth the rpms are normally about 2600 I think.

Any info or shared experiences would be appreciated.

 

Good quality LEDs won't scramble FM signals. Consider swapping out all bulbs for LEDs, including turn signals, brake lights, and running lights. Will require load equalizers on the turn signal circuits. That should drop your power usage some.
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I can't help wondering what's more important, riding - or listening to music?! The 'tests' you describe are no such thing and you need to be a little more scientific! At present it seems you are drawing more power than your charging system can provide, but it would be wise to start by referring to your FSM and checking the actual output of your charging system, using a multimeter, before and after switching on your music. It is possible your charging system is under par and can be improved, but we don't know that yet....

 

Chris I have done some current draw comparisons between the standard bulbs and LEDs and have swapped out the tail light so far and will probably try swapping out the front turn signals (since they are 1157s and burn all the time) and maybe the spot lamps and see if I lose any reception.

When you say "quality" LED head lamps are you away of any specific brands and/or models that you have tried that do not cause FM interference?

Thanks

 

Change in society. Used to by guys built up cars/bikes. Now you see POS cars with lots bass.

 

Cycle Electric has a 50 amp stator for your bike. Drop them a line and see what they can tell you.

For quality LED lighting look at Custom Dynamics.