Starting Problems
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Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 79
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From: Williamsville
Starting Problems
Hey everyone, need some help. I added ape hangers to my 2012 fatboy, internal wired the bars. Everything works except when I hit the starter switch I get a clicking sound coming from the starter or battery. This bike only has 3,000 miles on it and has been on a battery tender for a day. I don't know if it is a problem with the wiring or if the battery is the problem. All lights are working and are not dim. Any help would be appreciated.
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Joined: Jul 2008
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From: southeast PA
I don't think the battery will make a clicking noise, but it could be a relay. What you're hearing is usually a weak battery or poor battery cable and ground connections. If the battery is dead, a tender may not charge it, you would need a charger for that.
You should go over the wiring you did when you changed the bars, very possible there's a break or bad connection somewhere.
It's not usual for a battery that age to go bad but if it wasn't fully charged to start with and not on the tender while not being ridden, it's possible.
Check your connections first and if still the same, take the battery out and get it load tested.
You should go over the wiring you did when you changed the bars, very possible there's a break or bad connection somewhere.
It's not usual for a battery that age to go bad but if it wasn't fully charged to start with and not on the tender while not being ridden, it's possible.
Check your connections first and if still the same, take the battery out and get it load tested.
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Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 79
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From: Williamsville
Thanks I'll get a charger on it first see if that changes anything. Checking the wiring is a little difficult because they are inside the bars. If I still get the same fare charging the battery I will pull the bars back off. Been pretty cold here this winter so there is a possibility the battery went dead. Thanks again.
Tourer
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 328
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From: IBEW Local 94
A proper battery charge as suggested certainly couldn't hurt. But make sure to clean the battery terminals and check that your connections there are solid. Check your ground connections as well.
It's possible for a good battery to deliver enough load over a poor connection so that things such as lights work just fine, yet the additional load needed for an engine start won't make it through.
It's possible for a good battery to deliver enough load over a poor connection so that things such as lights work just fine, yet the additional load needed for an engine start won't make it through.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
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Thanks I'll get a charger on it first see if that changes anything. Checking the wiring is a little difficult because they are inside the bars. If I still get the same fare charging the battery I will pull the bars back off. Been pretty cold here this winter so there is a possibility the battery went dead. Thanks again.
I wouldn't go pulling the bars off until the battery was either load tested
or replaced. The fact that you changed bars might have nothing to do with the problem at hand..
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Road Warrior
Joined: Jul 2012
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From: Londonderry, NH
Thanks I'll get a charger on it first see if that changes anything. Checking the wiring is a little difficult because they are inside the bars. If I still get the same fare charging the battery I will pull the bars back off. Been pretty cold here this winter so there is a possibility the battery went dead. Thanks again.
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Tourer
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 380
Likes: 37
From: Parma, Ohio
wifes battery
My wife and I decided to go riding right after work last friday since it was in the upper 50's, we go out to the garage and her bike almost starts but then the clicking from the starter is all she got, so she jumped on my bike and we went riding, when we got back I put the batery tender on her bike. Well on monday it warmed up again to 60 so we again decided to go for a ride, as I lifted the garage door I could see the little light on the battery tender was blinking red, which usually means the battery is not fully charged, so she tries to start her bike and it turns over briefly and then just clicks, so right away I pulled the seat and hooked up a real battery charger directly to the battery, I left it on for a little under 10 minutes and this was just enough to excite the battery and it fired right up, so in less than 10 minutes the battery charger did what the batery tender couldn't do in approx 3 days.