[Duffyh]

Help floundering here.
97 Vulcan classic wouldn't start by starter button had to push start to get home.

Died twice while riding home 13 miles, turned key off and back on then let clutch out while still rolling fired right up.

checked the ignition fuse was fine, could tap the turn signial relay and get console lights to flash on only for a second, what am I missing?
No electrical now, not even a flash.


Going to try to jump it now.


Duff

 

[Duffyh]

Intermittent electrical current Vulcan 800B

Checked the chassis ground from the battery this morning, everything seemed fine.
When I turned the key on the tank lights came on very dim then got bright and the running lights lit up, it seems like a bad ground somewhere.

I'll try jumping it tonight, if it fires I'll get a new battery in there in less than a hour, so I can ride tomorrow.


Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

 

[Uncle Bob]

You can just take the battery to the parts store, they should be able to check it for you. Don't think it's the battery, that wouldn't explain the bike dying, once it's running you don't need the battery.

Sounds more like a charging system problem or some other electrical short to me. These can be a lot of trouble to find but it's probably your best recourse to check all wiring on the bike until you find the problem.

 

[bikeaholic]

re

inside the headlight bucket there are several extra wires in there-make sure they all have sleeves over the ends so they don't short against the bucket-sounds like a short to me :wink:

 

[Duffyh]

Thank you both, I'll try them in a hour when I get home.


Duff

 

[Duffyh]

Thank you

I jumped the bike with my truck, it started right away, I pulled the cable it died, did this three time to prove it to myself, If it where a car I'd say the alternator was bad, so I went and bought a battery filled it, charged it and installed it, needless to say it fired up right away.

Guess I'll find out in a week if my charging system is failing.

Thank you both for your help.

:lol:

 

[joey]

I came across an interesting one just the other day. The guy came to me and said his bike wouldn't start. He had parked it in a heated shop all winter. He parked it right after he came back from a road trip- half way across the country and back. So anyway, I checked the battery and it was completely dead. I have never seen a battery this dead and dry. I installed a good battery and had no power to any of the controls on the handlebars. I removed the headlamp and fuel tank;(checking all the easy stuff first of course) I then proceeded to check to see that everything was plugged in and it was. I then began checking wires with a test light to see what had voltage and what didnt. Every wire had voltage in it and in places that would scare you. So I figured bad ground. I redid all the grounds and added a few and vroom evrything worked. Then I stood up the bike and was backing it out of the shop and it died. The main fuse exploded. Not just blown [email protected]#$ So I removed everything off of the bike and began un doing the tape on the main harness. When I got to the point between the headlamp and the frame there is a rubber tube that the harness goes through. The lower end was taped shut and when I began removing the tape I think I could have watered half the county. It was completely submersed in water. in the bundle there were wires that had to have volts going through them and ground wires all of which wre floating. And the connections were all taped with bad electical tape. So the moral of this story is do not try to overthink the problem because it will always end up being the thing you would least except it to be. Now you are thinking that that is not possible. Well folks I am here to tell you that it is possible just not probable. Thanks for your time. :idea:

 

[Uncle Bob]

That's why you're the king Joe.

 

[joey]

I dont know about that. But I like the sound of it :lol: