Sportster Models 883, 883 Custom, 1200 Custom, 883L, 1200L, 1200S, 1200 Roadster, XR1200, and the Nightster.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Need Help - '96 883 Keeps Losing Power

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Apr 7, 2013 | 12:53 AM
  #1  
blacklabel213's Avatar
blacklabel213
Thread Starter
|
Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 141
Likes: 2
Default Need Help - '96 883 Keeps Losing Power

So I was out riding today after being gone six weeks and not having a chance to ride the bike. After a couple hours I start heading home. I'm on city streets when all of the sudden while in 3rd gear I can hear the bike turn off, it's as if I hit the kill switch. I coast for a bit, pull over check to make sure I have gas, oil is good, and my air filter hasn't become clogged since the bike was sitting over a month.

I try to start the bike and it doesn't want to turn on, I have some power because gauge lights are on. After two minutes the bike starts up, and off I go. After a minute the bike dies, this happens continually until I get home, luckily I was less than a mile from home. The worse part was dropping from 45mph to 10mph with a car about to slam into me before I pulled the clutch so I could coast to the curb. The bike did not want to start up after this latest shut down, I haven't gone down to see if it starts yet.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

The bike is 1996 Hugger 883.
 
Reply
Old Apr 7, 2013 | 02:34 PM
  #2  
blacklabel213's Avatar
blacklabel213
Thread Starter
|
Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 141
Likes: 2
Default

Is there any other info I could give out that may help you give a guess?
 
Reply
Old Apr 7, 2013 | 02:56 PM
  #3  
LONEWOLF44's Avatar
LONEWOLF44
Stage IV
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: wyoming
Default

who did the internal wiring for your bars? it almost sounds like you have a wiring problem that when it gets hot it seperates or grounds the kill switch circuit.
 
Reply
Old Apr 7, 2013 | 04:12 PM
  #4  
blacklabel213's Avatar
blacklabel213
Thread Starter
|
Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 141
Likes: 2
Default

Hmmm maybe you are on to something. I spent the day doing tight turns, and u-turns, it's possible something got lose.
 
Reply
Old Apr 8, 2013 | 02:47 PM
  #5  
1984_FXRT's Avatar
1984_FXRT
Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 533
Likes: 2
From: Virginia
Default

Also - check the "pinch clamp" connectors on your coil leads - though, if you recently touched the handlebar wiring, I'd strongly suggest spending some time looking at the last thing you touched.
 
Reply
Old Apr 8, 2013 | 03:19 PM
  #6  
John Harper's Avatar
John Harper
HDF Community Team
10 Year Member
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 8,621
Likes: 4,059
From: San Diego, CA
Community Team
Default

Possibly a heat induced ignition module problem? I think some years are susceptible to ignition module failure.

John
 
Reply
Old Apr 15, 2013 | 01:38 AM
  #7  
AaronG87's Avatar
AaronG87
Tourer
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 445
Likes: 19
From: Lynden, Washington, USA
Default

I ran into a similar problem when I moved back from Germany late last year. My bike would suddenly die losing all electrical to the gauges and engine while riding. Turned out to be a very simple fix just needed to replace the battery.
 
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Isai Martinez
Sportster Models
34
Jul 12, 2022 07:36 AM
Sid1200
General Harley Davidson Chat
14
May 31, 2016 02:23 PM
jeffwest5599
Softail Models
2
Jun 30, 2010 12:33 PM
Elvis13
Ignition/Tuner/ECM/Fuel Injection
6
Sep 12, 2009 02:52 PM
chrskrngl
General Harley Davidson Chat
8
Aug 25, 2008 09:52 AM




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:03 PM.

story-0
Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Becomes a Dark, Decepticon-Inspired Custom

Slideshow: Killer Custom's latest build relies on styling changes rather than performance upgrades, giving the cruiser an entirely different personality.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-03 18:28:05


VIEW MORE
story-1
6 Weirdest Harley-Davidsons Ever Sold to the Public

Slideshow: From military-inspired singles to scooters and three-wheel utility vehicles, these Harleys took the company far outside its comfort zone.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-02 18:34:10


VIEW MORE
story-2
7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson built its reputation on nostalgia, but every so often, the company took a hard left turn into the future.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-20 11:18:19


VIEW MORE
story-3
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 16:50:35


VIEW MORE
story-4
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: Not every Harley gets it right, but these are the ones that genuinely earned their reputation.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-15 14:23:21


VIEW MORE
story-5
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-01 20:01:09


VIEW MORE
story-6
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

Slideshow: Killer Custom's "Jail Breaker" build focuses more on stance and visual aggression than mechanical overhaul.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-18 19:20:32


VIEW MORE
story-7
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-07 16:15:30


VIEW MORE
story-8
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's new RMCR concept revives the café racer formula with modern hardware-and it may be exactly the reset the company needs.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-04 12:23:37


VIEW MORE
story-9
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-02-24 18:19:44


VIEW MORE