Ok fellers, lets diagnose an electrical problem.

Rode bike 30 miles to Harley store. Shopped for a few, came out and tried to start her, wouldn't fire.

Had plenty of power, starter turned. Then, starter button wouldn't turn starter but the button on the side of the starter would.

Then, starter switch worked, bike started, rode for 1/2 mile and nothing except for the button on the starter worked.

Dash lights out, no other lights working now. What the heck.......?????

Towed home......

 

Did you check the battery terminals as well as the ground-end of the negative cable? I had a similar occurrence and it turned out to be a slightly loose, slightly dirty battery positive cable. It really sounds to me like a dirty/loose connection somewhere...

 

Ground is gonna be my first guess too.

 

To really diagnose you are gonna have to start with a charged battery.
Did you check the regulator plug?

 

Look under the tank......

 

Well, I know it's not the connection at the battery. They are tight. I will check the other connections when I get home.


Will check.

Battery had lots of power to turn (and still does) the starter, but nothing else works. Will check plug tonight.

And what would I be looking for under the tank?

 

Could it be the voltage regulator?

 

OK, you had power because the starter would turn over when you pushed the button on the starter. However no power elsewhere, so check out the main fuse/breaker, then the ignition switch, then the run/stop switch. lastily the power wire to the handlebar switches which should be an orange/white wire. Hope this helps.
John

 

I had a similar problem in my 86 flht. It was a bad ground under the naccelle

 

Under the tank you might find a chafed wire......have seen this regularly over the years.