long walk home
Road Captain
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 705
Likes: 8
From: southern IL
glad you made it home. that would be one helluva walk for sure.
I think you have a bad battery. if the charging system wasn't working I don't think the quick jump from the ladies would have let you get 60 miles.
batteries only supply power for starting and storing unused power from the charging system.
I think you have a bad battery. if the charging system wasn't working I don't think the quick jump from the ladies would have let you get 60 miles.
batteries only supply power for starting and storing unused power from the charging system.
Starting a motorcycle takes a lot of juice. However, running lights & coil doesn't take a whole lot, in comparison. Battery had a little left, but not enough to start. OP was probably about to die when he got home. Lucky day!!!
Anybody who disagrees with this logic is free and clear to unplug the stator and ride around the block to prove me right. Don't mind that lit up engine & battery light.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,583
Likes: 115
From: Boston, MA
What about some freebies first?? Put the battery on a tender and charge it for a day or to and see if it in fact accepts a charge. No charge means get a battery. Charges, means start her up and get out your trusty multimeter. Check your voltage, on DC, and report what you got at idle, at 1500 rpms. American Iron magazine? Free multimeter from har b or freight. Sunday newspaper? Free pack of 1.5 volt aaa or aa batteries for your free multimeter.
Just your time for now.
Good luck,
Tom
Just your time for now.
Good luck,
Tom
Glad you made it home.
Could be any one or combo of the three-
Battery
Regulator
Stator
All easy to check for free...no reason to throw money at it, buy only what you need.
btw, I had a similar experience a few months back, but closer to home, it was the stator.
Could be any one or combo of the three-
Battery
Regulator
Stator
All easy to check for free...no reason to throw money at it, buy only what you need.
btw, I had a similar experience a few months back, but closer to home, it was the stator.
__________________
DKCustomProducts.com
DKCustomProducts.com
Road Master
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 852
Likes: 54
From: Dallas tx
I'm gonna go with a -1 on that. Batteries do whatever they have to do, starting with starting the motorcycle and everything afterward that the charging system doesn't take care of. The same goes for in a car. You ever lose your alternator and battery kept dying??? I'm thinking a few out there have done that very same thing.
Starting a motorcycle takes a lot of juice. However, running lights & coil doesn't take a whole lot, in comparison. Battery had a little left, but not enough to start. OP was probably about to die when he got home. Lucky day!!!
Anybody who disagrees with this logic is free and clear to unplug the stator and ride around the block to prove me right. Don't mind that lit up engine & battery light.
Starting a motorcycle takes a lot of juice. However, running lights & coil doesn't take a whole lot, in comparison. Battery had a little left, but not enough to start. OP was probably about to die when he got home. Lucky day!!!
Anybody who disagrees with this logic is free and clear to unplug the stator and ride around the block to prove me right. Don't mind that lit up engine & battery light.
Tourer
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 494
Likes: 63
From: Bay Area, CA
I would:
1. Measure the voltage across the terminals
1. Jump start it again, disconnect the jumpers.
2. Measure the voltage across the terminals again.
If the voltage is around 13.5 when idle, and rises above 14 when you double the idle, your stator and regulator are working properly.
If the voltage is the same as the first test, your charging system is not working properly.
1. Measure the voltage across the terminals
1. Jump start it again, disconnect the jumpers.
2. Measure the voltage across the terminals again.
If the voltage is around 13.5 when idle, and rises above 14 when you double the idle, your stator and regulator are working properly.
If the voltage is the same as the first test, your charging system is not working properly.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 2,925
Likes: 946
From: Texas
You're on the mark with that. If you have a fully charged battery and a dead stator you're good for 60-80 miles. Dead battery and good stator you can run for ever. Had he have gone much further he may have been on the side of the road. Like I said, mine did the same thing. Lights came on and went off after restarting. The stator was probably partially working. I did the same thing by stopping for gas then it wouldnt crank. Put it on a charger at the station for about an hour and then headed out. About 15 minutes or so the lights came on and stayed on. About 70 miles down the road the bike went dark and shut down. It was the stator. The battery was drained. Replaced the stator and all was good. I'm still running the same battery by the way..
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Southpaw Super Glide: A Left-Hand-Drive 1979 Harley FXE Built to Fit the Rider
Verdad Gallardo
Road Master
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 852
Likes: 54
From: Dallas tx
Matte, It might. My battery was too low to crank, but still had some left. It sounds to me that Pitbull_dog's was in a similar state. I charged for an hour and it cranked, but very slow. It was nowhere near full charge. I turned off the floods, so the battery was running the main headlight and the ignition. I said I made it 70 miles, but it was just under that..
Last edited by Pitbull_Dallas; Jul 22, 2014 at 12:16 PM.