2000 sportster 1200 did a intake manifold gasket replacement and but back together hooked battery up and arch’s crazy and now bike apart and can’t figure out issue. Battery charged and all connections look good and can’t find issue. Need help

 

You are going to have to add more details. I'm not getting what you are saying. Is it starting? Power lights come on? Idling rough? What are you saying is wrong?

 

Do you have an amp meter to accurately measure what it's trying to draw when you touch it between negative battery terminal and bike battery negative cable?

PS. Welcome to the Forum. When you get the time, only as a suggestion, make your next new post over in the new member welcome area to say hello.

 

Welcome to the forums from Virginia..........

 

If it shorted at the battery cables, pull the battery and meter the red to ground for continuity to ground. A massive short will dump the battery’s current and start frying. I’ve had plastic seared (burning wire) into my hand from a shorted battery.

Main thing is to take it slow and steady and spend $20 or so for an online manual. Tank removed for intake seals?

There’s a ton of experience and skill here to help, not me so much but it’s here.

As in most cases the devil is in the details; a thorough run down of what’s been done, what and when the snag is will help us (Andy) help you.

Good luck man

 

Did you switch positive and negative cables? Check the orientation and welcome.

 

Sorry should have been a little more clear, so I hook up battery and arch’s like crazy. Then stops. But then lights flicker on and off and circuit breaker keeps tripping. Put a new circuit breaker just for kicks and then it slowed the flickering on and off. But checked all battery cables and look fine. No fuses are blown and the battery is ok cuz I put on tender and checks out okay. Thank you guys for your time and responses.

 

I feel like we're missing something here. So you disconnected the battery to replace the intake manifold gaskets I am guessing as a precaution. When you hooked the battery back up the negative terminal archs when you hook it back up, i.e. sparks. Nothing else was changed other than the gaskets and unhooking the battery? Did you remove the gas tank? When you checked the battery cables did you completely remove them from the bike and inspect? I have had battey cables that "looked fine", but after removing I realized they absolutely were not. If nothing else was done to the bike it has to be something with the battery or the cables. If you removed the gas tank you may have a frayed or pinched wire contacting the frame.

 

I have not removed positive cable and inspected it I will do that today when im off of work I also did remove the tank and you know what I was kinda having trouble putting tank back on the main harness was in the way and I jammed the bolts to mount tank back on I’ll check there as well. But could that be enough for it to arch back and cause problems?

 

Yes, check that harness see it’s hitting the frame.
Then try the battery hook up with the tank off, if no sparks that’s the issue.