1. The other day, my bike wouldn't start. Jumped it with the car.

2. Went about 3 miles, engine conked out. Bike wouldn't start or run.

3. Bought and stuck in a new battery.

4. Bike started and ran well, but still had battery and check engine light on.

5. Rode for about ten miles, bike ran fine, thought maybe the battery needed some charging before the battery light went out. Didn't think much of it.

6. Stopped for a little gas. Bike wouldn't start with brand new battery.

7. Either charging system or bad battery?

8. Charging system = stator, alternator? Short?

9. '06 Street Bob. Aren't they known to have bad charging systems? If so, can I get a fix or will this be an intermittent problem every few thousand miles?

10. Taking it to the indy this weekend. Any idea as to the cost? Below $500??

 

And your service manual says?

 

Jump starting with a car.
Not a good idea
load test battery first
then open service manual to charging system and proceed from there
OR call dealer and have them diagnose and fix over the phone
whole lot easier than diagnosing over the net

 

Check your battery ground cable and make sure it is tight first. If necessary clean it as well.

Drew

 

Don't have one. Heh heh. Yes, I need to get one.

 

First, how old was your old battery? Second, do you know for a fact your new battery was fully charged? A motorcycle runs totally off the battery unlike a car. An any event, your charging system need to be checked but I would charge up your new battery with a charger & if your CE & BAT light still comes on, you definetly have a problem that your indy will have to check out.

 

se,

old battery was original to the bike. 2006. Had the old battery tested, and it was a bad battery. Would not take a charge.

Will charge the new battery and see if the CE and BAT light still come on. Thanks.

 

Service manual answer..... Go figure! I will agree it is great for some but there are others it is not good for. Some people just are not mechanically inclined, some are, for those that are not it is useless for anything other than an oil change maybe.
Not trying to be an a** but it just not the answer to everything that is wrong if you can't do the work for yourself.
On the flip side the person that finds a manual useless might be a genius at other things that to the people that find the manual useful everyone is different.

Sorry for the rant!

 

First, if you don't have a manual and a digital volt ohm meter, pick them up.
Loose cables, stator, regulator, battery - all can be fairly easily checked and the problem can be identified. The manual should show you the correct way to test each component.

 

Do you have an HD battery or aftermarket. The interstate batteries are good, but they connect differently than the HD ones. The negative cable on mine kept working loose. I carry a 10mm wrench in my saddlebags now. I put a small amount of loctite on it and haven't had any problems since. Also, the reason I bought the Interstate battery is because my voltage regulator was smoked and did some of the very same symptoms that you listed.