On my 89 flhtp I'm getting an engine cutout every once in a while and while still moving after rpm's zero out and motor dies I try hitting starter switch on bar and get nothing then sometimes I get the started turning right away. Sometimes on the hiway it will cut out and while slowing down it will give a back fire and start back up again and die then start again, so it doesn't die out for very long. Today I was cruising hiway at a steady 70 mph and lites and stereo on and it did it again. Seems to me it has to do with perhaps a circuit breaker or one of the wires in line with the starter button because I get starter rolling pushing the button and sometimes not. I did install the new stereo this winter.
Any ideas guys

 

Do the stereo and lights go out with the motor or does the motor/tach go out and everything else stays working?

 

I had a similar problem on my 2002 Sporty, it ended up being a bad bank angle sensor (tip over switch) the engine would quit but lights and instruments stayed on.

 

89's don't have those. i would replace the main breaker and the other 3 breakers that are under the speedo/tach.

 

Yes just the tach and motor go out and everything else was ok ( had to turn stereo down )

 

Didn't think the 89 had a tip over switchy. I was thinking possibly the same with the 3 breakers. Do I need anything special for the breakers other than 12 volt? Is a 12 volt breaker the same as all 12 volt breakers?

 

I would take a SWAG and say that your ignition pickup wire is broken between the cone and the frame, probably inside the insulation where you can't see it.

 

Thats a thought seeing as I just rebuilt the motor and thats one part I had my meat hooks on, would the starter turn over with the handle bar switch if the wire was broke?

 

Yeah, but that's a different issue, known as "The Dreaded Click."

 

I run two batteries on my bike both fully charged, when the problem occurs and I hit the starter button I get nothing like there's no power to the starter. I went out and unplugged the pickup and the starter would still turn over.