Here's a tough question...why would an ironhead have three voltage regulators?

I got a sportster from a buddy who got it from a guy on here. Was a riding bike. Taken apart by guy on here, later sold to my buddy. I bought it as he got it, engine in a frame, rear wheel and brake, and the parts to make a bike minus a front end and tire.

1974 sportster with Cycle Electric generator and voltage regulator (two terminals, one B and one L). This engine in stock frame with weld on hard tail and big twin neck was how I got it.

I am at the very last stage of the build, wiring up the bike and making ready for flight. In the parts lot I got was two voltage regulators, a small one and a car size one. This was my first American bike so I didn't know much about Cycle Electric stuff. I found some old pics of the bike riding to get an idea where to mount a voltage regulator. One of the old pics looks like it had BOTH of those mounted. And what I now know is the Cycle Electric gen/reg combo.

Why would there be THREE voltage regulators?



Suck ass pic for proof. Small voltage regulator with chrome cover on the near side behind the oil tank and large black covered regulator on the opposite side, small reg facing forward and large reg facing rearward. Both look like the ones in the parts lot I got.





I don't know the guy's user name from here or I'd ask him. Maybe he'll recognize it and tell me, lol.



And it doesn't look anything like the old pic now. I changed pretty much everything except the engine, frame, and rear wheel. And the oil tank, I kept the oil tank. Current pics as a reward for the answer as to why the need for three voltage regulators.

because someone was too lazy to remove one when it was replaced. twice?

regs on your chop are like stickers on your honda....

All you need is the Cycle E on the end of the genny.

Originally Posted by poonslammer

regs on your chop are like stickers on your honda....

?

you got a few good answers there.Now pics please.

Silly stash boxes?

Still looking for a real answer...

A real answer..........uh, you don't need three. I guess I won ?

I bet out of all of those 3 maybe only 1 works and the previous owner was too lazy to remove the ones that were broken ?

The Cycle Electric on the genny is a solid state and "should" be fine and working unless someone fried it but that would be tough. Not impossible mind you, but tough. The small chrome one looks to be mechanical and if it is then it probably went bad and was just left on the bike. Ironheads are known to shake and the parts inside those things are fragile. The one on the far side looks to be mechanical as well but it's hard to see. Maybe some better pics of what you have, even if they are not mounted that's ok.

IMO, the CE reg on the genny is the one to keep or replace. The others are just junk.