I've had a set of what I'd call baby jumper cables. Smaller clamps and a smaller gauge wire. I could use my bike to jump another bike.

Have hooked them up to a bike with no battery to see if things worked and even started a couple of them. Was looking to buy them.

Could use a vehicle, just best to not have the vehicle running.

You might rig up some cables to see if the rest of the bike is still OK.

Real good chance it took out a breaker or fuse and the battery is a toss up as to it's condition now

Good Luck WP

 

Replaced main breaker - headlights now work. Replaced starter relay - nothing else changed.

 

97 FXDWG - new battery

Battery cables - can you please explain this to me.

Please explain the, "start with a volt meter at the positive terminal and start tracing."

Main fuse was blown- replaced, and got headlight to work. Starter relay tested, clicked and resistance shown to be ok. Checked resistance for the 4 15A fuses next to starter relay = good. Compared to Buss fuse pack I have (3 different ones) and resistance was equal.

 

Battery cables: The cables that hook your battery to the rest of the bike. They are likely fried. One or both.

Fuses should have almost no resistance.

Put the black lead of your volt meter on a good known ground point. With the meter set to about a 20V scale, take the red lead and start poking things. Battery +, main fuse, both sides, starter terminal, etc. Full battery voltage should be at all those points.

 

Being human we make mistakes. I make it a practice to use red electrician's tape and red lacquer to code the positive terminal and cable / and code the negative terminal similarly with green or white...on every bike I own - cars too. OP is lucky the battery did not explode... Mistakes happen. I learned from mine, and was lucky, so far anyway.

Good that he's ok.

 

Performed these checks as suggested, still no ignition, speedo/tach, turn signal, tailight and no start. New battery and 13v at new main fuse and+ post on starter.

What else should I be checking?

 

Do you have the wiring diagram for your bike? Get that and start at the battery and go towards, say, the taillight and with the key on, eventually you will find a point where the +12v stops. Or start at the taillight and work your way towards the battery.

 

I had a battery explode on a 74 FLH shovel, It blew me back on my butt! I was sliding the battery in the tray with the wires hooked up because it was easier to hook em up first. (mistake) the positive hit the rocker box and that was all she wrote. sounded like a 30-06 going off. I had a garden hose real close by because i just washed it. Sprayed myself down quick! Lucky i did not get any in my eyes. the acid runied my brand new pipes.. the jeans and t shirt after going thru the was was full of holes..

 

Aren't there a couple of relays on that bike as well? You may want to check them out too if you zapped the bike that well.

 

Yes, from the manual. Will do.