[joednazareth]

Second information :

Recommended to upgrade your HD Sportster Alternator from stock single phase to a 3 Phase Touring model kit!

1. Stock Alternator has problem with battery charging at 1000 RPM (idling)
2. Low charging current produced by stock alternator + rectifier at 2500 RPM(cruising)

I have done this mod and the engine primes smoothly to life and the engine firing is more refined.
After the mod, engine does not hunt a few revs before it fires up.
Just press the clutch lever full in, start the engine!
Very quick easy start.

Alternator Upgrade Kit details:
Cycle Electric Inc, USA
Cycle Electric CE-69S 3 Phase 38A Charging Kit.
17Amps @1000RPM, 38Amps @2500RPM
18 poles stator, 120 degrees phase shift / 3 pair of coils.
Cost=$ 500/- approx
Installation done at HD workshop. Will post pictures soon.

Best regards, Joe

PS: Headlight MOD is pending, going to add a on/off switch on handle bar and relay to switch, BLACK return earth line. Headlight manually switched on after engine start. Reason for mod, battery drain before engine startup.

[joednazareth]

Alternator Upgrade Kit details:
Cycle Electric Inc, USA
Cycle Electric CE-69S 3 Phase 38A Charging Kit.
17Amps @1000RPM, 38Amps @2500RPM
18 poles stator, 120 degrees phase shift / 3 pair of coils.
Cost=$ 500/- approx

[joednazareth]

1. CTEK BATTERY CHARGER 12V 5 AMP 8 STAGE CHARGING WITH TEMPERATURE CONTROL MXS5.0
2.MXS 5.0 also includes battery diagnosis to establish whether your
battery can receive and retain a charge, patented automatic
desulphation program, an AGM option which maximises the
performance life of most Stop/Start batteries and a special Recond
mode for reconditioning deeply discharged batteries.

[joednazareth]

Originally Posted by joednazareth

Dear All,
Greetings to you.
Please find information for new battery charging device recommended for HD Sportster.
https://www.ctek.com/products/vehicle/mxs-5-0

Dear All,
My sincere greetings to you.
I have just received another CTEK smart battery charger, please view the un-boxing of this product. I would highly recommend this charger for your motorbikes.
Best wishes to all, Joe

[Alka panwar]

Hello all, new to this place. In-fact my first post here! Was looking to get myself a GT650 but after reading about Sportster SuperLow I cant really decide.
Also the OP mentioned something about battery not charging under 2000 rpm! Is that a fact?

[joednazareth]

Originally Posted by Alka panwar

Hello all, new to this place. In-fact my first post here! Was looking to get myself a GT650 but after reading about Sportster SuperLow I cant really decide.
Also the OP mentioned something about battery not charging under 2000 rpm! Is that a fact?

Hi! Alka,
Yes! there is a charging issue with the sportster models, the touring models do not have this issue, cause the later has a 3 phase alternator (AC generator) and 3 phase rectifier / regulator.
The Importance of Low Speed Charging Rate:
Charging systems do not produce full power at low RPM, some drop off more than others. If your amperage usage exceeds charging system out put at an idle the battery will be discharging at an idle. Ideally the charging system will be able to keep up with demand when the motor is idling but this is not always the case. The amount of discharge at an idle that can be tolerated depends on several factors such as ridding style and size of the battery. If you spend time in stop and go traffic or red lights the battery will see longer periods of discharge. If you only ride on country roads or flowing highway the battery should be charging. A battery with a higher ampere-hour ratting can withstand being discharge and charged better then a battery with a smaller AH rating. Better low speed charging system output will help keep the battery fully charged which will improve battery and starter motor life.
(Above technical info is from wwwcycleelectricinc.com >Technical >Documentation.)
Please feel free to discuss on the HD Sportster and upgrades; will help you with more info, so you can make a prudent decision.
Regards, Joe

[Alka panwar]

Wouldn't that make it fail homologation here ,in Europe and USA?

[joednazareth]

Dear all,
Greetings to each one of you.

The Harley superlow, is a cruiser motorcycle, with a large capacity tank.
On regular long trips the bike will perform as designed and build enough cranking amps for the next engine startup, the single phase coil and permanent magnet rotor, create a magnetic and electric field that opposes the spinning of the alternator. Pure properties of an electro magnet. To overcome this natural behavior of the single phase alternator, a 3 phase alternator was designed and helps negate the inherent drawback of a single phase setup. To understand and appreciate the upgrade, the 3 phase Alternator in operation, has negligible back resistance and instead has a smooth resistance free 360 degrees rotation and low over heating, engine cranking up is very smooth( Always keep the bike in N and pull clutch leaver fully in) before you fire up the engine.
Having said all the above, the HD 883cc is no more on the showroom floor here in India. A higher capacity bike, with TRUCK like tires are in production
So, looking further to make a decision on the Harley Super Low, you are good to go on proper roads and highways, when you get to dirt roads and water, to discover the terrain off road, this bike is too heavy to manage. I am now following the KTM 790 Adventure production model with lot of interest, this bike is a duel sport bike with low dry weight!
I hope you do not rush into buying a brand and model, look beyond it and see what will that bike do for you. How reliable the machine and construction is. There are so many expert Gurus on this Team-BHP forum who can help you make a wise decision. All the very best. Regards as always,Joe

[Alka panwar]

Originally Posted by joednazareth

Dear all,
Greetings to each one of you.|
|
|
I hope you do not rush into buying a brand and model, look beyond it and see what will that bike do for you. How reliable the machine and construction is. There are so many expert Gurus on this Team-BHP forum who can help you make a wise decision. All the very best. Regards as always,Joe

I think you were trying to address my concern , if i go ahead with a sportster ,it surely will be a preowned one. Ground clearance can be addressed surely without robbing a bank.

However my comment was a question based on input that stock single phase charging system is not up to the task at low rpm / idle .
If stock system is not up to the task ,it is highly unlikely to get a homologation certification , as electrical systems undergo some serious testing . As major fire accidents in vehicles are attributed to electrical faults.

Also any automobile plying on public road must produce enough electrical energy to power up all safety systems like headlight / stop light / brake light / blinkers / horn etc simultaneously while charging battery and providing additional juice for fuel injection and ecu/ecm operations.
Over and above ,it must have surplus from charging system ,as electrical demands may have occasional spikes.

This energy demand has to be met at all engine speeds as per set down standards .
This particular model may have component quality issues rather than design issues as it has been around for quite some time , not exactly a new charging system design.

[joednazareth]

Hi! Alka,
Greetings to you.

Please read my earlier post which does mention some reasons for idle engine runtime charging, "Ideally the charging system will be able to keep up with demand when the motor is idling but this is not always the case. The amount of discharge at an idle that can be tolerated depends on several factors such as ridding style and size of the battery".
Also, I did not stress on one after ride Battery maintenance done by hooking up a battery charger as the bike is resting. Reason: there is residual current drain always on a bike that has electronics wired up even when the ignition switch is in off position.
For a regular rider, you will not face an issue as mentioned in your concerns, however the average rider would add, a mobile holder on the handle bar that has a wired USB powered by the battery, extra lights for better night driving beam spread, ECU, Anti theft, GPS tracker, Engine fuel management upgrade kit, you name it; the battery is always subject to some drain while switched off and resting.
The average life of a AGM stock battery is 2 years!
Another, important observation: The Harley superlow cannot be push started with a weak battery!
On the bright side, those who travel a lot do carry a jump start battery bank, clip the negative to a clean metal post, and clip the positive to a long screw driver and pin the blade to the battery positive terminal of the stranded bike, should fire up the engine, with the clutch lever fully pulled in( Clutch disengaged )
As you have mentioned about the charging system design, its still single phase and vendor OEM part, not manufactured by HD!
Keep the bike stock, and you should have less to worry about and more happy memories of cruising along beautiful country sides!
Lastly, travel in a group with at least one person who has worked on bikes and can help in case of a breakdown. Do a 50Km, then a 200Km, 500Km rides, and you will begin to learn more about your HD.
Best wishes, Joe

[Buffetfan]

Quick question from 883 superlow owners. I am evaluating one for purchase (2013 model). Is the RTO seating capacity one (the Regn doc shows seating capacity as 1)
Can this be updated to 2 by RTO

[bj96]

Originally Posted by Buffetfan

...Is the RTO seating capacity one (the Regn doc shows seating capacity as 1) ...

When I had Iron 883 it was registered as 1 pax and came with solo seat from factory. I had upgraded to Sundowner twin seats from showroom at the time of delivery. Average cops didn't bother however, in the insurance i had endorsed for two riders.

Pls check with local RTO and HD dealer, about the procedure. There should be some way as the twin seats are offered as standard accessories on the Sportster variants.

- BJ