On the GRHOG Dinner Ride for Tuesday, August 12, up to the Norhtern Lights restaurant near Newaygo, led by Terry and Cathy Wolford, when Carolyn and I came out to ride home around 9pm, our Harley wouldn't start.  

That's when I learned that among Harley riders, and in parrticular our Grand Rapids HOG Chapter, fellow HOG riders are not left behind. Despite the best efforts of Terry and Kurt Thomas to pop start or jump start it, it just wouldn't run. Turns out the stator and voltage regulator had decided to quit right then and there.

John and Myna Vander Warf loaned me their phone (cause ours didn't have service) and they stayed right there with us as we called the National HOG hotline for roadside assistance. HOG National had a flatbed wrecker there to pick up the bike and take it to Sandy's HD in Fremont within 45 minutes. Terry and Cathy stayed with us until the wrecker left and then, since they each ride, offered to give us a ride home to GR. So about 10:30pm John and Myna, Terry and Cathy, and Carolyn and I, left for home. We got home safe and sound around 11:30pm.

I know the GRHOG motto is: "To Ride and Have Fun" But our experience says it should be expanded to say: "To Ride, Have Fun, Eat, and Never Leave Another Harley Rider Behind". We can't thank Kurt, John, Myna, Terry, and Cathy enough for looking out for us!  - Scar (Ed Rock)

A few years ago on a chapter ride this happened to me, a CMN to be exact. I found a little gauge/voltmeter that will adhere to the back side of your front brake mastercylinder. It indicates the voltage rate to your battery, not amps, and shows this with lit LEDs. When the green LEDs are lit you are charging at 12.5 volts (1 green) to 14.5 volts ( 2 green LEDs). This will at least give you aheads up your battery is going down. Its wired to ground and a wire that is hot when the bike is running, i.e. tail light bulb. The LEDs will dim under low light conditions. I found this jewel in JP Cycles catalog, p/n 350-082.

I was able to bump start my bike, it's a carb bike, the EFI bikes need the juice (voltage) to run the electric pump, which in turns pressurizes the injectors. Glad it worked out good for you.