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Please help... Electrical / Charging Issue

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Old Jul 2, 2014 | 09:32 AM
  #1  
glover_85's Avatar
glover_85
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Default Please help... Electrical / Charging Issue

Thank you in advance for reading and giving advice.

Here is my story:

I just purchased a 2007 Harley Nightster about a month ago. I rode it around for about 5 days and everything was peachy. On the sixth day I was leaving to go to work for two weeks away from home and wanted to take the bike out for one last spin before leaving.

The bike rode for about 20 minutes - I parked it to enter a store, and when I come back to start it, i turned the key and the bike made sort of a ticking sound and would not turn over. The speedometer and rev lighting was not lighting up. The lights did not work.

When trying to jump start the bike, it would turn over and run but then die as soon as I removed the jumper cables.

Someone told me it is either:

1. Battery is fried/dead
2. stator is toast
3. regulator is toast
4. combination of above

I had the battery replaced while I was away by my dad, and the bike started up just fine. The bike sat for 2 weeks and when I got home it fired right up. Then, the first day of riding it again, I parked the bike and the same thing happened! Ticking sound. No juice.

I've been told that this is likely the Stator or the Regulator.

What makes no sense to me is that after my bike died for the second time, when I went to hook my baterry up to my trickle charger, the battery holds absolutely no charge!....this is a brand new battery!

Im going to take my bike in to a mechanic tomorrow - but before I start spending money on fixing the stator or the regulator, I'd like to get advice from the forum on whether this is likely a stator/regulator isssue or if this is likely a short or something.

What are your thoughts?
 
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Old Jul 2, 2014 | 11:46 AM
  #2  
fissco1234's Avatar
fissco1234
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Joined: May 2013
Posts: 896
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From: Whitehall, MI
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Just a thought. The negative battery cable MUST be disconnected from the stud on top of the transmission and connected to the battery first when reinstalling it. Make sure its pointing down as you slide the battery back in, as this is the natural position. Because the cable is so short, if you try it the other way, as you slide the battery back in, the connection will twist counter clockwise and loosen itself after a short time.
 
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Old Jul 18, 2014 | 07:14 AM
  #3  
P1nkfl0yd's Avatar
P1nkfl0yd
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Joined: Jul 2014
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From: Louisiana
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I'm having the exact same problem and I've already killed 3 batteries. This is after I've replaced stator, voltage reg and wireing!
 
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Old Jul 18, 2014 | 01:26 PM
  #4  
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nhrider1
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Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,566
Likes: 55
From: Londonderry, NH
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Originally Posted by glover_85
Thank you in advance for reading and giving advice.

Here is my story:

I just purchased a 2007 Harley Nightster about a month ago. I rode it around for about 5 days and everything was peachy. On the sixth day I was leaving to go to work for two weeks away from home and wanted to take the bike out for one last spin before leaving.

The bike rode for about 20 minutes - I parked it to enter a store, and when I come back to start it, i turned the key and the bike made sort of a ticking sound and would not turn over. The speedometer and rev lighting was not lighting up. The lights did not work.


When trying to jump start the bike, it would turn over and run but then die as soon as I removed the jumper cables.

Someone told me it is either:

1. Battery is fried/dead
2. stator is toast
3. regulator is toast
4. combination of above

I had the battery replaced while I was away by my dad, and the bike started up just fine. The bike sat for 2 weeks and when I got home it fired right up. Then, the first day of riding it again, I parked the bike and the same thing happened! Ticking sound. No juice.

I've been told that this is likely the Stator or the Regulator.

What makes no sense to me is that after my bike died for the second time, when I went to hook my baterry up to my trickle charger, the battery holds absolutely no charge!....this is a brand new battery!

Im going to take my bike in to a mechanic tomorrow - but before I start spending money on fixing the stator or the regulator, I'd like to get advice from the forum on whether this is likely a stator/regulator isssue or if this is likely a short or something.

What are your thoughts?
You have a problem with your charging system. Start debugging, using the stickies in this section to troubleshoot the charging system. Report your findings.
 
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