I have a 95 30th anniversary Ultra Classic with bad electrical problems. System can be fully charged and start and run normal. After system is warmed up the whole electrical system will act like it is shorting out. Engine will die and come back to life. Did a current draw test and I can found a .85A draw when system is off. Pulled all the fuses and disconnected all connecters under front fairing but could not get the draw to go away.
Is there any place specific to look for a short? A known rub point? The radio antenna is broke but it should not be an issue because it does not carry any current from the battery.
Any Ideas? Ready to strip it down 100% and test every cable. Only vehicle so need it running.

 

Look at the wire running to the tail light, under the fender. That's a common problem area. Some people have problems in the harness where it runs under the tank. The almost 1 amp current draw with the bike off is rather strange, but it's hard to say if that is related to the other intermittent short. It would certainly kill the battery overnight. Just keep disconnecting stuff until it goes away, and you may have to strip it all they way down.

Sounds like a Winter project. Is it winter yet up there?

 

You mention fuses, but does your bike also have any thermal cutouts? Earlier bikes like mine only have them. They will overheat, cutout, cool down, reset and then go round that loop again. If you do that should help you isolate the fault to some degree.

 

@Dr. Hess
Thank God it is not winter yet. Still hard to look for work when staying 30 miles from town and no transportation! I will check the tail lights. But a couple ideas to put out, 1. Could the current draw be the memory on the radio? Seems like a lot but I can't find anywhere as to how much it should be. 2. Could the motor dieing and coming back to life be bad gas or crap in the tank clogging the intake? I rode it once until almost dry and got the same symptoms. It went away when I filled the tank up. Idaho Harley shop could not find any error codes, but engine injector light stayed on until it cleared itself.

 

@ grbrown:
Sorry, I don't know what a thermal cutout is. Mine is a 95, and can find only fuses mentioned in the manual. I only tried the fused behind the headlight. Are there more? What does a thermal cutout look like? It does have some strange looking fuses, but the tested good and did not kill the current draw when removed.

 

If your bike is EFI, all bets are off. You'll just have to inspect everything. And check especially where the wires come through the rear fender. They don't put grommets there!!

When it is cutting out, check the headlight, turn signals, etc., and see if they work.

Maybe a cheap Corolla to get you to work? Although in AK, ain't nothin' cheap. I was last up there in '86 at Kenai and Valdez.

 

A nearly 1 amp. draw is too much . The radio memory will draw only milliamps.
Turn all systems off and disconnect the radio from battery feed.
Disconnect the battery pos. terminal and connect a multimeter set to dc voltage or a test light in series between the battery post and the battery cable connector .
If you read anything on the voltmeter or the test light shines up ., you have a parasitic current loss and it can be a bitch to find .
Come back if you find any of the above and i will help you to narrow down the culprit.

 

Has your switch been replaced? Run your vin# and make sure the recall on the ignition was done. Mine would shut down for no reason then start back up no problem. Also had headlights cut out and tach zero on me before the recall was performed.

 

When you're checking the current drain with everything thing off, disconnect the wire from the regulator to the main breaker or wherever it ties into the rest of your system and see if you still have a big draw.