Speedometer and Check Engine Light
 

My blinker wouldn't cut off, speedometer quit working and engine went dead when I released the throttle. I was told it was a sensor that would cause this. Anyone else experiencing this problem?

Speedo/turn signal cancel fail are almost 100% guaranteed to be the speed sensor or a bad connection in that circuit. It is fairly common for them to get fowled by metallic "fuzz" while breaking in the transmission. For FREE, you can pull out the speed sensor, wipe it clean, reinstall and see if the speedo and TS cancelling return to normal. How many miles since your last transmission lube drain and refill?

The engine dying at idle sounds unrelated to me, but clean the speed sensor and see what happens.

Definitely need more data here as you mention a check engine light, but give no details. IS you're bike throwing a check engine light now? Have you looked to see what code it's throwing?

Speedo sensor will definately cause issues with turn signals and speedo not working as btsom has stated...

Hello and welcome.
Please give use an idea of year, model, history of ownership(last time bike worked OK) and any modification from factory.
Did you change handlebars or anything else?
If you are riding something made within the last 20 years with an electronic speedometer then the blinkers get a cut-off signal from the speedometer.
The speedometer gets a signal from a speed sensor to indicate speed.
The engine went dead is something different or is another symptom in the line of same problem that caused everything.
But a speed sensor should not shut the motor OFF.
How is your charging system? Battery cables? Voltage at rest (off) ?, Voltage cranking ?, voltage at high idle?
What have you reviewed?

I agree.
BEFORE anything else, always check that your battery cables (and ground at the frame) are tight and that your battery is fully charged.
The newer (EFI) bikes require a minimum amount of voltage in order to fire up and operate correctly. Not like the old days!

FWIW, my riding partner installed a new battery in his bike ('10 Ultra) in Oct, '16 and had put less that 400 miles on the bike before putting it in storage later that month.
He had the Battery Tender connected and had started the bike in December to move it out of the way to get some other items out of storage.
He went to get the bike out last week and his battery was totally dead.
The battery supplier told him that a small number of batteries will NOT hold a full charge, even when kept on a Tender.

Variable Speed Sensor....... VSS. Pretty common.

If you have fuel injection, then the VSS does provide info that keeps the bike running/idling. The bike probably wants to stall when coming to a stop or down to an idle. Clean/replace the speed sensor.