Hi everyone, I purchased my first Harley last week. 2009 Dyna Super Glide Custom. I love this bike but it seems to have some starting issues. Purchased from one of the local Harley Dealers in my area, they assured me a brand new battery was installed and that it was serviced prior to the sale. I get it home and the very second day, wont start. Hooked up a jumper and it fired right up..rode it all day, started it off and on probably 3-4 times throughout the day and then same thing when I went to start it again the next morning. Called the dealer back but they gave me the sold "as is" response so that was a bit disheartening but I guess I did buy it as is so cant be to upset. I dont know a great deal mechanically about bikes so not sure what I should check for or exactly what my next move should be. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

OK, so your battery is losing enough voltage in a day, that it wont start the bike.
Possible reasons - cheapest to most expensive 1) the battery is old and about to kick the bucket, or new and defective.
2) bad voltage regulator is not charging the battery while you ride, and by the end of the ride, the battery is discharged enough to be dead the next day. 3) stator is failing - enough juice to ride but not enough to charge the battery.
If you are not proficient with a multimeter, a few quick electrical voltage tests at a HD dealer or independent shop will narrow it down to one of the three.

One other thing that happened to me on my Dyna - the charger lead (that you plug into a battery tender) was pinched by the side cover, and the edge of the cover wore through the insulation on the positive lead and “just barely” contacted the wire - enough that it would drain the battery slowly, but not enough to melt the wire.

 

You need to push back at the Harley dealer. If I bought a used bike and I was having starting issues a few days later, I would drop it off at the dealer and tell them to fix it on their dime. Go up to the GM/owner if you have to.

 

Welcome to the forums from Virginia.........Let the dealer fix the problem!

 

What Traildale said

 

Welcome from Philadelphia, enjoy the ride.

 

Visual inspection of the battery. Check the battery terminals for tightness. Load test the battery. Charge the battery, let sit overnight and measure voltage. Should be above 12.7V. With voltmeter connected to battery, start the bike up and measure the voltage at say 2000 rpm. Should climb above 14 volts.

 

Sorry to hear your situation. I would push this dealer to solve this problem. Welcome from New York.

 

You bought the bike "as is".... So technically the dealer has no obligation to help you.

The fact that they won't help with a starting problem on Day 2 of ownership, speaks volumes about them.... They either knew there was an issue and wanted to get rid of the bike, or their service & used bike inspections are substandard. I wouldn't give them a dime of money or a moment of my time going forward. I'd probably write a few reviews about the experience in social media...

If you have the skills, Max told you how to do a quick check on the issue....

Otherwise, find another dealer, or better yet a good independent Harley shop, and have it checked out...

That's a good bike, get it sorted out and you should enjoy it for many years & miles...

 

Welcome aboard.
as others have said, push the dealer. Higher up than the salesman