Hey guys, I noticed that I my battery had been trashed after 3 years so I bought a new one last week. I installed the new battery and went for a 45 mile ride and then parked it in the garage. Today, I went home for lunch (in the car) and since it was so damn nice out, I thought that I would ride the bike back to work. I rolled the bike out of the garage, turned the ignition on (fuel injection system beeps as usual head light come on then I hit the run switch and nothing but a click. The bike wont turn over. My question is this; if the head light and fuel pump are coming up but the bike wont start, what should I check next? I did not have time to take the battery cover off and check the terminals, but if they were loose, would the lights and the fuel pump be working?

Thanks for any help!

 

They could be, sometimes it will have enough of a connection to provide power for minimal things but not enough for a large draw like trying to start the bike.

 

Check the charge on the battery when you get home. Then, hit the start button with the voltmeter still plugged up to the battery. If it drops below about 10.5V, you don't have enough juice to turn the bike over and maybe not enough to kick out the starter jackshaft.

If that's the case, look at your voltage regulator. Chances are it might be on the fritz, which can cause your charging system to fail to charge your battery while the bike is running.

The most expensive problem would likely be your stator/alternator. If you have broken windings on your stator, you aren't producing enough AC power to charge the battery.

 

You could still have power but not enough to turn the starter , a car does the same thing , the battery cables loosen often on Harleys and you need to check them , so take the seat off and check it out give the the cables a little pull to make sure their tight and see what happens ... if the bike starts go back and retighten the screws to the battery with a tool , if your connections where loose for awhile and you did not know it then you were getting a lousy charge back to the battery and in a short time the battery would fail and yours finally did , a fuel pump has nothing to do with it since it's not even turning over .. by the way batteries last a lot longer than 3 years ... Good Luck

 

Yes if they are loose that could cause it.When you have electrical problems always start at the source.

 

Check the starter relay in the fuse block, inexpensive part, even NAPA carries them!

 

thnk cheap man... most of the time this is jsut loose battery terminals, just tighten them up, in the summer i would say 1 out of every 5 bikes that is towed to my shop are just loose battery terminals

 

I just got home and rechecked the install on the battery and the terminals are super tight on the new battery. When I hit the run switch to crank the engine up, there are a few clicks and then a high pitched noise that rises in pitch over a 5 second period of time and then stops. It sounds like it is recharging for another try at starter. Any advice on where to look now?

Thanks

 

No acid to pour; I just went up to the dealer and bought it new last week.

 

Do you have a meter? If so, check the voltage as suggested above. Keep in mind that wires all have two ends - just because the connections are tight (and presumably clean) at the battery doesn't mean they are at the other end.

Trace the battery cables. Pull the ground from wherever it mounts to your frame, sandpaper everything then put it back on. Positive should run to your solenoid so check that for tight. Just be methodical and check every connection you can find.

Good luck.