1998 Road King and first time problem: failure at ignition: turned the key --- an audible click, just like before she normally fires, but this time no fire... just "dead as a doorknob". all ignition lights went dead, nothing!

Checked ingition fuse and found no problems. Checked battery cables and they are tight.

Installed a Power Commander about 10 years ago so if that's it its a new problem.

Didn't know if the ingition Coil, ignition modual, 50amp Circuit breaker or ECM Power Relay would produce a symptom of no ignition lights at all. And don't know if a Power Commander failure would produce the same symtom either.

Appreciate any pointers on where to start. Don't have any voltage equipment so sort of in the blind.

Thanks,

 

Could be a duff battery

 

I had the same exact symptoms on a Goldwing a few years ago and it was a dead battery. Or, a battery that was strong enogh to work the lights and all but, not enough to engage the starter at all.

 

It's easy, especially in the age of internet forums to start looking for all sorts of exotic problems. Always start with the simplest solution and work out from there. You checked the fuses so now the next simple solution would be load testing the Battery, I would bet it is there.

 

Good advice fellahs... horses not zebras.

Put the battery tender on overnight and the switch will now raise some ignition lights so I think it may have been the battery after all. Just didn't suspect a crank would take it all the way down to 'nothing'.

Here is to hoping the problem isn't originating in a bad voltage regulator - but the battery life is probably the most suspect I'm thinking.

 

Left front wheel bearing. I've seen it a dozen times on my buddies' bikes. They drop them off at the dealer, get a new left front wheel bearing and a battery or something, good to go.

 

Same thing happened to me a few weeks back. All was well one day; the next day I hit the switch, it tried to turn over and then... nothing. No lights etc. It even re-set the radio, just as if I had disconnected the battery. I did the same as you - checked the connections etc. Everything looked good.

I checked my receipts (never used to save stuff like this but glad I do now) and the battery was four years old. Went and got a new one and all has been well since.

 

Certain battery faults will do exactly what you describe and this used to be very common with Motobatts. They can read 12v on the meter but go down to 1.4v as soon as you press the button and then come back up to 12v once you release the starter load.

 

Harley batteries live a very tough life. Vibration and heat from the engine (oil tank on a Softail) wreak havoc on them. I don't know how you guys are getting the life you do. I'd be thrilled to get four years out of a battery.

My bike is regularly ridden during the season, and the battery is removed an put on a battery tender all winter. Despite this, after two years, my battery is getting flaky.

I suspect some of this is due to the 20 year old wiring. It takes very little in the way of accumulated resistance in the many connections to knock down the voltage to the point where the motor won't start.

 

make sure the ground cable is clean and tight on both ends if you havn't already