hey guys I'm new to this forum but am in need of some knowledge. My wife's 2009 1200 sportster is acting up and i cant seem to find the problem. The battery goes dead overnight but after i charge it and the battery is fully charged it starts up just fine but wont shut off. i turn off the kill switch, turn the key off and remove it and it just continues to idle like normal. have taken it to the dealer they say all codes come back clear. they cant find anything wrong. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

Sounds like a stuck relay. That will drain your battery and not shut the bike off.

 

I don't know how the bike can continue to run unless the ECM has power. Turning off the ignition should remove the power. It shouldn't be too hard for the dealer to trace back where the power is coming from if the switch is turned off.

 

Hard to believe that is happening, and that your dealer can't identify / troubleshoot the problem

 

Id have to look but if I remember right there is a start and a run relay. If the run relay is stuck on it will draw power (dead battery) and keep the bike from shutting down regardless if the ignition key is on or not.

 

This of course would only apply if you HAVENT done ANY electrical work on it lately

 

I'm not real familiar with this year bike, but I thought there were only 2 relays, Starter and Fuel Pump. But I've been wrong once or twice in my life...

 

I do not have a schematic handy, and you may be right, but seems to me the kill switch should still interrupt that circuit.

 

For the 2007 bikes at least there is a "Starter" relay and a "System" relay. If I remember correctly, the "System" relay powers both the fuel pump and the ECU. I believe the 2009 bikes are the same.

The kill switch will interrupt the low-power side of the relay circuit. However, if the relay is stuck internally, interrupting the low-power side will not make the relay disconnect the high-current side.

If I were the OP, the first thing I would try is switching out the "System" relay with a new relay. It's a relatively inexpensive part and the original relays, in my experience, tend to be a bit flaky. If the fuse/relay panel is laid out the same on your '09 as it is on my '07, the System relay is the lower of the two.

 

Harleys are meant to ride!