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.
I am having a problem with my 1996 Ultra. Whenever the bike gets hot it randomly looses all power and the bike shuts off and backfires. This is mainly happening after it is first cranked up after being ridden and I go to put load on the bike and it shuts off and backfires. I crank it back up and it wont do it again unless I ride it really hard and come off the throttle quickly to slow down, then I loose all power (radio, gauges etc) and the bike shuts off. I am able to immediately bump start it or use the starter without touching anything else on the bike.
This started happening at Myrtle Beach and I observed the voltage output to only be right at 12. So i just replaced the stator and regulator and put a 50 amp main circuit breaker in there. I have the wire coming from the stator and the wire going to the fairing on the silver lead and the other wire for the battery/starter on the brass lead. Also before Myrtle I changed all fluids and replaced the air filter with a new one.
Bad coil? ignition? New air filter causing it to run lean? I wouldn't think that would cause the entire bike to loose power.
2 places I'd look is the ignition switch and the circuit breaker terminals.
If the circuit breaker terminals have poor crimps, they can heat the breaker and cause it to trip. Best to lop them of and replace with new. I typically crimp and solder them.
The ignition switch can become flakey and open up. On a 96, all the power is routed through the ignition switch.
2 places I'd look is the ignition switch and the circuit breaker terminals.
If the circuit breaker terminals have poor crimps, they can heat the breaker and cause it to trip. Best to lop them of and replace with new. I typically crimp and solder them.
The ignition switch can become flakey and open up. On a 96, all the power is routed through the ignition switch.
Also check the battery had one that did the same thing and it was the battery. when it happened I did go over all of the connections too. How I found out was I took a battery out of another bike and tried it and it worked.
Last remove the main battery to frame ground.. don’t care if it seems good and tight.. remove it. Clean it thoroughly down to raw steel. Re-fasten it nice and tight.
Check all of the leads between the battery and the starter. This is in addition to all the other suggestions you’ve had. They all seem like good suggestions to me.
I’ll share with you my personal embarrassment and mortality. My 90 that was stolen. Absolutely gave me ghost fits. Every once in a while it would cut out other times during acceleration would act weird. It had so many strange symptoms. I couldn’t put my finger on whether it was timing or fuel. I spent a lot of time in frustration trying to fix it. The battery terminals were like brand new and felt super tight. So I never remove the main ground right under the seat on that softail. One day for whatever reason I removed that ground and I went ahead and cleaned it and put it back. All the problems went away. It was that simple right in front of me. The bike only had 6000 original miles on it and that cable was super tight and in perfect condition. There was no reason for me to think that it had anything to do with the ground shorting there.
I had a battery cable issue like this not long ago. Check all the connections, not just the battery connections. It won't hurt a bit to put a star washer on the frame ground connection. It will bite into the frame better that way.
Slideshow: Jason Momoa's latest restoration project blends 1920s Harley-Davidsons with modern electric technology, creating some of the most unusual hybrid motorcycles ever built.
Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Becomes a Dark, Decepticon-Inspired Custom
Slideshow: Killer Custom's latest build relies on styling changes rather than performance upgrades, giving the cruiser an entirely different personality.
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.
Electrical Issue after bike is warm.
