What happened here?

xraytoken · #1 14th June 2009

Road my 05 1200 Roadster to a small event about 320 miles from home. About a week and a half prior to the trip I installed a new battery, since the old(original) battery didn't seem to hold a charge. Road up, no problem, checked into my room, took a shower, layed down for about an hour, then started the bike and rode over to the event. Hung out for about two hours, fired up the bike and rode back to the motel with the brights on, a distance of about six miles. Got up the next morning, started the bike, stopped at Mickey Dees, started up, stopped at Dunkin Donuts, and when I went to start the bike, dead as a doornail. No lights, nothin'. Checked the kill switch, battery connections, everythings OK. Called a coupla guys from the event, they came over and we tried to jump it, it just barely turned over. Another guy offered to start it with his car battery, NG. So I make arrangements with another guy from the event to load the bike onto his trailer and he'll give me and the bike a lift about halfway home and there's an HD dealer just down the road from him. He shows up about six hours later(I had gone back to the motel) and we're lining up the bike to load onto the trailer and I decide just to try and start it. It fires up like there was never anything wrong! I put it on the trailer anyway. We unload when we get to our destination, I try starting it again and it fires right up! I stay over that night and the next morning it starts right up and I rode it home. I can't figure out why it wouldn't start and wouldn't accept a jump, but later on it started. Any ideas?

jharback · #2 14th June 2009

Sure sounds like a cable to me.

Oldwrench · #3 15th June 2009

+1 on the cables. It's a connection somewhere, and it won't heal itself. It might work for a while, but then it will bite you if you don't fix it.

KWJams · #4 15th June 2009

Check the battery posts. Some batteries have a steel insert in the lead post that the bolt threads into. The bolt could be tight in the insert but the cable could be making an intermittent contact. Put a washer on the bolt so it doesn't bottom out in the steel insert.

ReddTigger · #5 15th June 2009

Cables to me as well..

however, Take all of the fuses, and relays out of the fuse box, clean each contact with some emery cloth and put di-electric grease on each one. making sure each has good contact.. (this tip from the Master Mech at my dealership) Those rubbermounts are a pain and they CAN drain a battery just from sitting..

xHDrider · #6 15th June 2009

clean the electrical connections

I would use ox-out or another brand of electrical grease that prevents corrosion. lowes or home depot should have it. you use it for aluminum to copper connections.

FoxsterUK · #7 15th June 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by xHDrider

clean the electrical connections

I would use ox-out or another brand of electrical grease that prevents corrosion. lowes or home depot should have it. you use it for aluminum to copper connections.

..or just use Vaseline, does a perfect job, costs next to nothing and you can find some easily

xHDrider · #8 15th June 2009

the ox-out is more conductive then a lot of products. the NEC requires it in residential and commercial wiring. I even use it on autos, trailers and bikes.

even though its required on dissimilar conductors its a good product to be used even on high wattage lighting conductors. when resistance goes up from bad connection, current goes up too.

xraytoken · #9 16th June 2009

Well, I cleaned all the connections and used the grease, we'll see what happens. Nothing looked exceptionally corroded or oxidized. I do want to meet the guy who designed the location of the negative lug on the engine case. I want to beat him like a rented mule.

wilbur · #10 16th June 2009

You can use my bat!!!!