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Last night I was out riding my 2001 sportster 1200 xl when all of a sudden I lost all power. No headlight, nothing. I got her off the road and could not get her started again. She cranked right up when I left and had only been running about 10 minutes into the ride. This has never happened before. She always cranks right up and runs like a scalded dog!! I got us picked up and on a trailer to take home. We decided to get some dinner before we got home. The bike sat around an hour while we were eating. Of course when we were leaving I figured Id see if shed fire up, and of course she did!! What the hell?
Carbureted motor, newer battery , never let me down till last night. Any ideas??
Always tighten battery cables first. But that year may have had a main breaker that can reset. Not sure what XLs had but FLHs had the breaker. $30, I wouldn't be afraid to replace it just cause it is old.
Ignition modules, would not cause lights to go out. But I am for replacing 20 year old parts in general.
Got some good advice Patrick. Check that battery connection. Since it cranks, probably not that. And if it's ignition module getting hot and leaving you, you need to be ready to check for spark next time. Carry an extra plug to hold to ground and crank it.
If it's fuel, could be your vacuum petcock failing. There a safety item and at that age should be part of your riding season check. Make sure it will hold a vacuum.
PS. Welcome to the HDFORUM. Only as a suggestion by me as a USER just like you, make your next new thread over in the newmember welcome area to say hello.
Don't venture far from home.
My bike did that one time. I discovered it would run with throttle held open. Turned out to be bad fuel. I messed with it for two weeks. A couple fresh tanks of ethanol fuel finally cleared it up.
I had filled up that evening on the way to work. About a week or so after it had healed it self, the gas station was closed and they were pulling the tanks out.
Last edited by Jackie Paper; Aug 24, 2024 at 12:01 PM.
My understanding, is it went dead all electric. Stopped and restarted. If that is it I would look at main power sources. Battery cables, igntion switch, and main breaker. Also could be indvicual fuses, maybe some stuff was on you didn't know about.
Trying wiggling cables and wires when idling. Jiggle what every you can,
Could be a bad ignition switch, when you pulled over to restart you probably cycled it. Loose battery cables usually don't fix themselves until tightened.
Its tough to do when you die in traffic, but trying to keep track of what died, and what you did, can help figure out clues.
From: In the foothills of southwestern NC - US of A
I'd also check your earth ground, where your negative battery lead is bolted to your engine case; check for tightness, and if loose remove the fastener, clean it and the cable lug mating surfaces, and tighten properly.
Many electrical issues can be traced to a bad ground, which is often overlooked but easy enough to check.
Not sure he has an earth ground. That would be a ground rod pounded into the ground.
Its funny we focus so much on grounds, when it takes two to tango. But I agree checking for loose wires is good. While I kinda doubt loose wire, is because it started up again. But still could be.
If you suddenly lost everything electrical then it's can pretty much only be something common to the entire electrical system so I'd be concentrating on battery and main ground connections.
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Loss of all power while riding
