I just bought the bike out in MASS and brought it home in 3hrs of heavy rain ... Like a dumb ***" i didnt hear it run B4 i bought it.. Anyhow, i cant seem to get the starter to kick over. I put a jump to the battery and turn the key and push the start button and i get nothing.

How do i hot wire this to start it? Maybe bypass the key and the handelbar switch for now just so i can see if it runs ?

Yes`, i have a manual but it has complicated electrical charts in the back that i cant figure out.. You got to give me a break as im a Musician ..

Any help would be great...

aaron
Upstate, N.Y. 12846

 

this is not the answer you want but i think its the answer you need.buy a voltmeter.you can find them cheap.i bought one for my nephew for 4 bucks at harbor freight.dont be afraid of the electrical schematics.its your best friend.a voltmeter can answer soooo many questions and makes everything soooo much easier.beleive me i am not a genius by any means.you have to be smarter to get by without this stuff then with it.
if i told you how to hotwire it i think people here would shoot me.just take it step by step.----might also want to take the starter handlebar switch loose and make sure its not corroded.
hang tight theres plenty of better people here to walk you through it better.good luck.

 

Too many unknowns to give you a simple answer. You need the voltmeter or at least a test light to determine if each circuit is getting power. You said you jumped the battery, turned the key and pushed the button. Did you flip the kill switch to run? If your battery is not fully charged, do that first. Relays and solenoids need plenty of juice. If the battery is too low to pull in the solenoid you will get nothing, as you described, maybe a faint click from the relay. Make sure the battery cables are tight and the connections to the solenoid and starter also.

 

Maybe this will help you out some. I drew this electrical diagram to help members who had trouble reading a standard electrical diagram, most of which are really confusing, unless you happen to be an electrician.



The orange items are pieces of hardware and are called out by name.
The wires are drawn in from point to point as they carry electricity from one item to the next and the wires are labeled as to their individual color.
Now note that the wires on your bike may not be the same if someone has changed out some wiring, but no matter. The important thing is the wire itself, where it starts from and where it ends up at. Like reading a road map from city to city. The orange items are the cities and the wires are the roads. Simple as that.

Note: On this diagram you can ignore the heavy red line going from the battery + post to the 'B' terminal on the ignition switch. This was put on there to answer another member's question.

The first place to start on your machine will be the battery.
Does it have water up to the correct level?
Is the battery fully charged? Usually if the headlight burns brightly there should be enough juice to start it.

If you have a good battery but still no action out of the starter, then the journey begins. You have your road map in front of you and you will start at the battery positive post.
Are both connections/posts on the battery clean and tight?
Follow the red wire up to the voltage regulator's 'BATT' terminal. Do you have 12V at the regulator BATT terminal?
Next go to the ignition switch, following the red wire from the regulator BATT to the 'I' (for ignition) terminal on the ignition switch. Do you have 12V there?
Etc, etc......keep moving around the circuit by following the road map. Don't take a shortcut to another city (item) because you may be passing by something that is causing the trouble and that is going to cost you time when you have to back track. So go from one item to the next, following the diagram always.
Things like the starter and solenoid internals can get a bit complicated to explain at this stage of the trouble shooting, so we will leave that for later should the problem be with one of those items.
Keep us posted and..........
If you have any questions just ask the forum. Someone here can answer any question you may come up with regarding getting an ironhead to run.
pg

 

I like your print very easy to follow I just printed it. Also just a question Is there a diode in the circuit or is it for the gen lite only. thanks for your help

 

Since I am no expert on Sportsters newer than 1974, I will defer your question regarding the diode to another member better versed than me on that. Come on guys, help us out here.
I will say that my knowledge of the diode is that it appeared in 1974 and later. Also, it was only for the generator signal light and I believe this diode was just a small wired in item.
I have not ever seen a wiring diagram showing the diode. Maybe it shows up in a 1975 or later service manual wiring diagram however...........pg

 

I would add RUN/STOP -switch in that PG diagram white wire from ignition goes to that switch and from there it goes to ignition coil and start button (white wire).
Diode came to generator light when HD released electronic regulator -78. It's not mandatory with mechanical regulator, but good idea to have it. You don't burn you field coil when regulator broke .

 

Thanks Sepixlh............
Man, was I off base there! Yes that makes sense that a diode would be used with an electronic regulator. I did not know that the regulator appeared in 1978, so thanks for the clarification on that.
Like I say, there is no question regarding an ironhead that cannot be answered by a member here on the forum...............pg

 

If the bike will not start after riding in the rain [or being washed with a hose] i would dry out the points etc with a hair dryer.

 

I have to agree this...