I just went through the same thing a couple weeks ago. It was a loose battery cable connection. I found it by looking around the cables as I hit the starter. When I hit the starter I saw sparks. [] Tightened everything up and is good as new.

 

what sounds crazy about it? most car batteries don't either. if you want maximum life from your battery, you should put it on a charger first and give it a full charge (and not the fast mode either), whether it be car, bike or even lawn mower.

 

Move south, where we ride year-round. Putting machinery in storage through the winter does crap like that.

 

I just put a new battery on my other bike. It did the same thing that you are experiencing. I charged the battery on low amps. all day. Problem solved.

 

I agree usally where the trouble lies!!! There is a ground on my Ultra under the seat behind the gas tank check there there are two (2) nuts with the ground cable running from the battery and I'll bet thats where the trouble is....

 

If lights go dim when you try to start itand low wattage lights stay lit, it is most likely either a dirty battery connection, starter connection or ground.

 

I had a similar issue with my boat. Turned out one of the connections was loose. Check your connections both at the battery, where the ground connects to the frame, and where the positive connects to the circuit box and/or starter. Could just be a loose connection.

 

+1

 

the battery was a 4year old battery (probably due to die) , replaced with new but had problems stated above. Jumping did not work. Tried the starter trick with the starter cover off and push the plunger and still not enough to start. Took battery into shop and they tested and it was BAD! a new battery BAD? apparently ,"these things happen". They gave me a new battery - I put in and it fired right up.

Took it for a ride for about an hour. shut it off and started right up again. So I am on the road again. Thanks for the great advise! It probably would have fired up if i had a charger and charged it. but getting a hot charged one from the shop solved it too.

The shop owner and 2 techs (friends of mine) brought the battery to my house and got up and running in my drive.

NOW THATS CUSTOMER SERVICE!

 

Well, I had this long speech planned, never thought about a dead battery. GOOD JOB!!