Update:

The bike is still sitting at the dealership "waiting to be looked at". Its been over a week and still waiting in line to go on the rack. I hate the dealerships.

Problem:
turn the key to on position no electrical power at all no start.
-battery checks good
-cables and connections all good
-no blown fuses
-no electrical power (no headlight running lights starter etc)

 

I am having the exact same problem with my 2007 883XL and I am going crazy trying to find out how to fix it. I feel your pain.

 

Only thing that's left is the actual ignition switch. I'd check the voltage output from the ignition switch.

 

Let us know how it goes for you as I recently came across the same issue. I'm stumped on this issue so hopefully one of you can give me some suggestions or flip the switch in my head on something I might have missed.

I recently customized a 1989 FXLR that for the most part just needed cosmetic work to be done and restored. All along, the bike would crank right over on the first try without any problem. I noticed in the last few months the 4 yr old battery started to sound like it was on its last days and would barley crank over the engine. Sometimes I ended up having to boost the battery using a jump box to get the bike started.

So I finished the bike up a week ago and decided to go ahead and buy another battery and replace the old one. This bike has a pretty simple hook up (2 cables to the positive and one for the negative. Upon putting the new battery on, now the bike doesn't even start and what I mean is it has no power whatsoever! No lights, no horn, no clicking, nothing. Just as if the bike was sitting without a battery in it. WTH? I had the new battery checked and replaced with another new one and still the same thing. Cleaned the cables and readjusted them, but still nothing. Checked all the wires on the center switch and traced then back and forth to the circuit boxes and they are all intact and secure. I tested the circuit fuses using a circuit tester and they are passing electricity correctly.

I am at a loss on this one. I will be honest with you, this is only my second Harley so I and looking to see if anyone has ever experienced this or has a clue of what I might be missing. I used to work on Sports bikes before but never came across a problem like this. I must loosing my mind. The weirdest thing is that I have NO power and I'm sure its something that is looking right at me. I have heard that the Voltage Regulator could be the issue but then again I figure the lights should still come on if that was the case.

 

I doubt the voltage regulator would zap all the power unless there's a dead short in it. And if there was a dead short anywhere you'd get a massive arc when you put the last wire on the battery terminal.

The last time I had total failure it was the ground lead. The heavy duty terminal lug that grounds the whole bike had broken. My ground wire attaches to the starter mounting bolt and it was just hanging in mid air having snapped the whole bolted down part of the ground terminal lug. Since I didn't have another lug, and the wire was now too short to reattach to that point, I stripped it back and used one of the frame bolts on my saddle bag's protective bars to ground it. I made it home that night, a little late and just ahead of a big rain storm.

I later checked the dealer and my ground cable was not available anymore. I went over to the auto parts store and bought a universal cable for about $7 that fit right in and has worked ever since.

There are fuses and breakers that could be failing too but I'll bet when you tugged the cables to reattach them to the new battery something came loose ... has to be from the way you tell the situation it was running fine and all you did was put in a new battery.

Good luck and be sure to let us know what fixed it.

 

Litereally had the same problem this morning, (See my thread "Bike had a cardiac arrest") Would be really interested to see what it was. Mine happened while driving...literally got a mile from my house when it happened.

 

Update:

I just got the bike back today from the dealership. It was the ignition switch. I also had the POS starter motor replaced. The ignition switch had to be keyed to my original key because it is also used for the steering column lock. $860 later it is starting smoothly.

 

no juicr, what's the use?
check your ignition switch. most likely you have a heavy keyring that has caused wear on the switch itself, causing a bad connection.

 

It was fixed seven years ago . Actually it was the switch .