When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
General Topics/Tech TipsDiscussion on break in periods, rider comfort, seats and pad suggestions. Tech tips as they become available will be posted here.
I've got a 1978 FXE. When I push the electric starter switch, it clicks and sometimes it cranks on the first push, sometimes on the 30th and sometimes not at all. It has a new battery, solenoid and relay. Any suggestions?
Thanks
I don't have a wiring diagram for that model, but with some later models, the power to the solenoid came from/thru the ignition switch. I'm not talking the power to activate the relay, but the hot side that goes thru the relay and to the solenoid when activated. On some bikes that power was hot wired from battery - you could actually jump the relay and engage the starter without anything being switched on.
So if you can back-trace the "big" wire going into the relay, either with a diagram or ohm meter, I think you'll have a better chance of finding the weak link in the circuit.
89 years and still riding an FX... my hat's off to you sir.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.