Electrical issues
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 18,262
Likes: 3,683
From: backwoods
Do you have any codes? Does the check engine light come back on for a second time after turning bike on?
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Joined: Feb 2025
Posts: 83
Likes: 27
A good quality Volt Ohm Meter will serve you well and they are not that expensive.
This should help you out and explain the procedure in a manner that is understandable.
See:
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/elect...sting-1-a.html
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/elect...sting-2-a.html
NOTE:
The above information, while credible, is worth what you paid for it and should not be considered gospel.
Do due diligence, research and have a H-D Field Service Manual before working on your bike.
You will probably have many opinions and suggestions presented; make sure you research the person providing the helpful information as there are some who provide good information that is useful and some who speak out of other orifices with gibberish. You will figure out this quickly.
This should help you out and explain the procedure in a manner that is understandable.
See:
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/elect...sting-1-a.html
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/elect...sting-2-a.html
NOTE:
The above information, while credible, is worth what you paid for it and should not be considered gospel.
Do due diligence, research and have a H-D Field Service Manual before working on your bike.
You will probably have many opinions and suggestions presented; make sure you research the person providing the helpful information as there are some who provide good information that is useful and some who speak out of other orifices with gibberish. You will figure out this quickly.
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Advanced
Joined: Feb 2025
Posts: 83
Likes: 27
More than just taking cover off. You would need to take comp and clutch off, then you could see stator if you pulled rotor. It is not visible by simly taking cover off. There are videos out there you could watch. They may not be 100% accurate for your year, but give you an idea. I would not do this without a factory manual.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 18,262
Likes: 3,683
From: backwoods
No experience with it, but I would think it would read low due to bad connection or high all the time cause need is physically off.
My volt regs are all decent. Can't say they are reading tenths right, but they have always been ballpark and a good tool to have.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,496
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From: Pennsylvania
You are most welcome.
One other bit of information that I do not see mentioned here is:
Check your grounds, both on the battery and other ends of the cables, make sure your battery connections are tight, not just screwdriver tight, use a 10mm socket and make sure they are tight (not ham fisted tight but tight enough).
Also make sure the voltage regulator has a good ground on the frame and there is no corrosion on the frame where the regulator is attached.
One other bit of information that I do not see mentioned here is:
Check your grounds, both on the battery and other ends of the cables, make sure your battery connections are tight, not just screwdriver tight, use a 10mm socket and make sure they are tight (not ham fisted tight but tight enough).
Also make sure the voltage regulator has a good ground on the frame and there is no corrosion on the frame where the regulator is attached.
Last edited by CoolBreeze3646; Jun 2, 2025 at 07:29 PM.
Cruiser
Joined: Apr 2025
Posts: 163
Likes: 85
From: Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
To add to Rounders comment, I can’t speak to how long an EFI motorcycle can run on battery power only, but modem EFI cars don’t run very long at all. I suspect with our relatively small batteries, mc’s won’t go very far.
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You need to follow the wires coming from your stator. Front of engine, left side behind primary. They go to the volt reg. They are the input. Varies by year. Some have a connector that can be unplugged some are connected to bottom of volt reg. You need to remove from volt reg. You then need to measure AC from wire to wire. There are lots of videos.
Do you have any codes? Does the check engine light come back on for a second time after turning bike on?
Do you have any codes? Does the check engine light come back on for a second time after turning bike on?
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Thread Starter
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Advanced
Joined: Feb 2025
Posts: 83
Likes: 27
You are most welcome.
One other bit of information that I do not see mentioned here is:
Check your grounds, both on the battery and other ends of the cables, make sure your battery connections are tight, not just screwdriver tight, use a 10mm socket and make sure they are tight (not ham fisted tight but tight enough).
Also make sure the voltage regulator has a good ground on the frame and there is no corrosion on the frame where the regulator is attached.
One other bit of information that I do not see mentioned here is:
Check your grounds, both on the battery and other ends of the cables, make sure your battery connections are tight, not just screwdriver tight, use a 10mm socket and make sure they are tight (not ham fisted tight but tight enough).
Also make sure the voltage regulator has a good ground on the frame and there is no corrosion on the frame where the regulator is attached.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 18,262
Likes: 3,683
From: backwoods
I would rev it up to 4k and see what it reads. You ride around 3k. So only going to 2k doesn't tell you everything.
If you got a good charged battery, and stator is putting out some, you should ride for a bit. It could be bad voltage causeing fuel and spark issues, or you could have something else.
But it could be something else, I would not run out and buy another volt reg just yet.