So recently, maybe the past two days the bike has been sluggish to start. I went to start it just now and it was even more sluggish than usual. The motor was turning over but slowly and refused to fire. I tried maybe three times until I noticed smoke rolling out from underneath the seat. Both battery terminals has melted and the two smaller wires that sit on top of the main cables had some enough heat in them to start melting the insulation. I've included a couple pictures of the battery. I've read that a loose connection can cause this but also want to to consider any other possibilities before I throw a new battery in. I did have the wiring to the handle bars torn apart a while back but have rode several times since then. The only damage I know that I did for sure to the wiring is I broke a pin on one of the connectors that controls the rear brake light for the front hand brake and the right turn signal. I've ridden nearly every for about a week since I had everything torn apart and it started acting a little funny about two days ago. Let me know if I need to provide any more info.

 

Ouch! That's some serious heat. I would think loose connection - might be bad starter. Put everything back together with a full charge battery, and if the starter doesn't spin like a top when you hit it, stop and check out the starter.

 

Even when I first went and bought the bike it sounded like it was a bit slow to turn over but always fired. This is my first bike so little stuff like that I'm still figuring out as I go. Should there be no hesitation at all?

 

I say you fought a heck of a good break. Just imagine that thing catching fire or exploding while you're riding. Good luck with the fix.

 

My guess would be loose connections.
About a month after I worked on my bike, a few years back, it started to take a bit longer to start. The starter was turning slower and it seemed like it strained to start the engine. When I checked the battery out the cables were just barely loose, so I removed them cleaned them and the battery terminals and tightened them properly.
That was the end of the problem. I would have been pissed if the dealer had done that to me, but since I was the only one that worked on the bike, it had to be me.
Tom

 

Loose connections could cause that. just something to check every now and then. Just vibration from riding will cause them to be loose

 

Everyone already guessed loose/bad connections, and I agree.
But when you put things back together make sure the cables and battery terminals are nice and shiny clean.
Use a bit of sandpaper (very fine) if you have to to clean off any oxidation (the gray coating on lead terminals) between connecting parts then lightly coat any exposed metal surfaces with a little dielectric grease.
The grease will help keep the terminals insulated from any water and the corrosion it causes, (bad connections again) and possibly causing the problem to reoccur.

 

never seen one melt that bad, check U wires that goes to the battery, don't want any melted insulation causing a ground and probably should check Ur ground cable to the frame, make sure its clean also.


.

 

Looking at the damage, I think it looks like something shorted out. I've seen damage to battery terminals from loose connections, and I've seen fried wires/melted insulation from a short, and to me that looks like it was caused by a short (particularly the melted insulation stuck to the side of the battery).

Since the insulation melted on the small wires, that would indicate that the short is not in the starter itself. IMO, the most likely cause is a short somewhere in the hot lead to the solenoid. Not the battery cable, but the small gauge hot wire that feeds the electromagnet in the solenoid (somewhere between the starter button and the solenoid). Or the electromagnet itself could be shorting.

 

I have to agree. I can't imagine that a loose connection would do that much damage. Take a volt meter and check to see if your hot wire has gone to ground somewhere. It's a place to start at least...