Lost battery bolt
To Tommy,
The terminal on the battery in the picture would just use a bolt and washer, no nut needed. The terminal is threaded and made of brass or some type of steel.
Now....
When you hooked up the battery cables to the battery and tightened the bolts, did they tighten up or did they keep turning? If the bolts kept turning the threads in the hole are stripped and you could use a nut to be able to tighten the bolt.
When you hooked up the battery, were the cables and battery terminals clean? Did you use a bit of sand paper or a knife to clean them?
Now.... If the bolts tightened up and the cables are clean and your getting no power to the bike, the battery has most likely died. Did you have it on a charger over the winter? Have you tried charging the battery since hooking it up to your bike? Have you used a volt meter to see how many volts the battery has? How old is the battery?
Your issue of not getting any power to the bike really makes me think the battery has died, again provided the bolts tightened and the cables are clean. If you have a vehicle with a known good battery, you could use jumper cables to the bike battery and see if that will give the bike power.
Let us know the answers to these questions.
Tom
The terminal on the battery in the picture would just use a bolt and washer, no nut needed. The terminal is threaded and made of brass or some type of steel.
Now....
When you hooked up the battery cables to the battery and tightened the bolts, did they tighten up or did they keep turning? If the bolts kept turning the threads in the hole are stripped and you could use a nut to be able to tighten the bolt.
When you hooked up the battery, were the cables and battery terminals clean? Did you use a bit of sand paper or a knife to clean them?
Now.... If the bolts tightened up and the cables are clean and your getting no power to the bike, the battery has most likely died. Did you have it on a charger over the winter? Have you tried charging the battery since hooking it up to your bike? Have you used a volt meter to see how many volts the battery has? How old is the battery?
Your issue of not getting any power to the bike really makes me think the battery has died, again provided the bolts tightened and the cables are clean. If you have a vehicle with a known good battery, you could use jumper cables to the bike battery and see if that will give the bike power.
Let us know the answers to these questions.
Tom
Thanks for your detailed answer!
So the batterys been on a charger throughout the winter and is fully charged and I have given the cables and battery terminals a clean and a wipe down.
Ive recently noticed when reconnecting it that I get the blinking red light flashing for my data tag and I can seem to use the trip lever on the controls on the left to turn on lights and see mileage, time etc on the display. The problem I seem to be having now is that my ignition or starter button isnt working at all and the bikes completely unable to start.
starting to wonder if the batterys no longer an issue and something else is lurking
I just seem to be getting absolutely stumped left right and centre with this!
Road Master
Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 822
Likes: 488
From: LA Ca.
Let me see if I have this correctly.
Now when you turn the key to the ON position, you are getting power to the bike. Your dash/speedo is lighting up. But the starter will not crank over the engine. Do you get head and tail lights working? Turn signals?
Are there any sounds at all when you press the START button? The heavy click of the starter solenoid or a faint click of a relay? Have you checked to make sure that your in neutral?
Also to be clear, the bolts that hold the battery cables to the battery did tighten up, not just spin and never tighten?
How do you know that the battery is fully charged? Volt meter or just the battery charger showing you it's done charging and "should" be full?
And again, more answers please.
Tom
Now when you turn the key to the ON position, you are getting power to the bike. Your dash/speedo is lighting up. But the starter will not crank over the engine. Do you get head and tail lights working? Turn signals?
Are there any sounds at all when you press the START button? The heavy click of the starter solenoid or a faint click of a relay? Have you checked to make sure that your in neutral?
Also to be clear, the bolts that hold the battery cables to the battery did tighten up, not just spin and never tighten?
How do you know that the battery is fully charged? Volt meter or just the battery charger showing you it's done charging and "should" be full?
And again, more answers please.
Tom
Last edited by Tom H; Apr 16, 2023 at 12:05 PM.
Tourer
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 297
Likes: 150
From: Florida Space Coast
I had a battery on one of my bikes that is started on a regular basis and is always on a maintainer. Last month I went to start it and it wouldnt. Took the battery out and charged it. Put it back in and it still wouldnt start. Took the battery to the local automotive store and it failed the loaded test. Installed a new battery and the bike started right up.
Let me see if I have this correctly.
Now when you turn the key to the ON position, you are getting power to the bike. Your dash/speedo is lighting up. But the starter will not crank over the engine. Do you get head and tail lights working? Turn signals?
Are there any sounds at all when you press the START button? The heavy click of the starter solenoid or a faint click of a relay? Have you checked to make sure that your in neutral?
Also to be clear, the bolts that hold the battery cables to the battery did tighten up, not just spin and never tighten?
How do you know that the battery is fully charged? Volt meter or just the battery charger showing you it's done charging and "should" be full?
And again, more answers please.
Tom
Now when you turn the key to the ON position, you are getting power to the bike. Your dash/speedo is lighting up. But the starter will not crank over the engine. Do you get head and tail lights working? Turn signals?
Are there any sounds at all when you press the START button? The heavy click of the starter solenoid or a faint click of a relay? Have you checked to make sure that your in neutral?
Also to be clear, the bolts that hold the battery cables to the battery did tighten up, not just spin and never tighten?
How do you know that the battery is fully charged? Volt meter or just the battery charger showing you it's done charging and "should" be full?
And again, more answers please.
Tom
Battery bolts have tightened and seem secure. The batterys trickle charger has been telling me fully charged and it seems to have held its charge throughout the winter.
I did triple check I was neutral!
Last edited by TommyJHH; Apr 16, 2023 at 12:33 PM.
Road Master
Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 822
Likes: 488
From: LA Ca.
Again, need to be clear on this.
You turn the key to the ON position. The bike now powers up...correct?
You press the START button and nothing, not even faint clicks. Nothing correct? Does the headlight or any other lights dim when you press the start button?
Can you use a known good car battery and jumper cables to connect to the bike battery?
And to be sure........The bike was operating properly when you removed the battery and put it away for the winter? No odd issues with it?
I'm still leaning toward a bad battery. Your front brake lever not activating the brake light could just be a bad brake light switch that you didn't notice before parking it for winter.
Question for group......... If he has a security system like with a fob and the fob battery is dead, could/would it show the same no crank issue when pressing the START button??
Tom
You turn the key to the ON position. The bike now powers up...correct?
You press the START button and nothing, not even faint clicks. Nothing correct? Does the headlight or any other lights dim when you press the start button?
Can you use a known good car battery and jumper cables to connect to the bike battery?
And to be sure........The bike was operating properly when you removed the battery and put it away for the winter? No odd issues with it?
I'm still leaning toward a bad battery. Your front brake lever not activating the brake light could just be a bad brake light switch that you didn't notice before parking it for winter.
Question for group......... If he has a security system like with a fob and the fob battery is dead, could/would it show the same no crank issue when pressing the START button??
Tom
Last edited by Tom H; Apr 16, 2023 at 12:51 PM.
Again, need to be clear on this.
You turn the key to the ON position. The bike now powers up...correct?
You press the START button and nothing, not even faint clicks. Nothing correct? Does the headlight or any other lights dim when you press the start button?
Can you use a known good car battery and jumper cables to connect to the bike battery?
And to be sure........The bike was operating properly when you removed the battery and put it away for the winter? No odd issues with it?
I'm still leaning toward a bad battery. Your front brake lever not activating the brake light could just be a bad brake light switch that you didn't notice before parking it for winter.
Question for group......... If he has a security system like with a fob and the fob battery is dead, could/would it show the same no crank issue when pressing the START button??
Tom
You turn the key to the ON position. The bike now powers up...correct?
You press the START button and nothing, not even faint clicks. Nothing correct? Does the headlight or any other lights dim when you press the start button?
Can you use a known good car battery and jumper cables to connect to the bike battery?
And to be sure........The bike was operating properly when you removed the battery and put it away for the winter? No odd issues with it?
I'm still leaning toward a bad battery. Your front brake lever not activating the brake light could just be a bad brake light switch that you didn't notice before parking it for winter.
Question for group......... If he has a security system like with a fob and the fob battery is dead, could/would it show the same no crank issue when pressing the START button??
Tom
thinking back to when I removed the battery, I was having slight issues with power but nothing severe. When the weather got slightly chilly, the bike would struggle to start, but Id at least be getting it turn over. This wasnt new and I had these issues before.
Could it still be a battery issue if Im getting power to turn on the lights and fire up certain bits just not the ignition?
I have checked the fob and that seems to be all good with the battery.
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Road Master
Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 822
Likes: 488
From: LA Ca.
I do not know HD's controls well enough. You do not need a "key", just the fob and turn a switch to power on the bike?
You do have the KILL/ENGINE STOP switch turned to run correct?
Now where getting somewhere. Before putting the bike away for the winter. With chilly weather the bike would struggle/labor to crank over the engine when you pressed the START button. Correct?
This really is seeming to be a battery gone bad over the winter. Again, can you use a car or the like and jumper cables?
With the jumper battery hooked up and the bike cranks over, starts and runs normally. Definitely a bad battery.
Answers please.
Tom
You do have the KILL/ENGINE STOP switch turned to run correct?
Now where getting somewhere. Before putting the bike away for the winter. With chilly weather the bike would struggle/labor to crank over the engine when you pressed the START button. Correct?
This really is seeming to be a battery gone bad over the winter. Again, can you use a car or the like and jumper cables?
With the jumper battery hooked up and the bike cranks over, starts and runs normally. Definitely a bad battery.
Answers please.
Tom
Last edited by Tom H; Apr 16, 2023 at 01:20 PM.