My RK just Died on me.

[tradrockrat]

Well, I guess since I finally got my Yamaha running it's time for my RK to take a shit on me.


Went to go to work today and when I went to start it, the lights flickered and the bike just died - almost exactly like a terminal connection was lose on the battery.

Connections are NOT lose.

turn the switch to ACC and the bike lights up, turn the bike to IGN and now I get nothing at all.

Have checked all fuses - fine

Switched the relays in the fuse box - no change

Pulled switch, disassembled, cleaned and reassembled - same problem persists = plenty of juice on ACC , none on IGN.

any ideas? I need this bike up and running ASAP

[GzrGldGeo]

Did you try to jump it. You may be getting voltage out of the battery but it can't handle the current. Crazy guess. I just know that 90% of the time for me it has been a bad battery so I start there unless it is new. Jumping it and if it worked would prove the battery.

[speed]

My BMW sedan had the same problem and as George mentioned above it was the battery. It would still power all the accessories, but wouldn't turn the starter over.

Good luck.

Cheers,

Speed

[tradrockrat]

my multi-meter took a shit on me last night so I can't test it, though my battery tender is flashing green indicating 80% or greater charge - it is also only one month old.

Still - I suppose there are bad batteries. Wish I had another to use as a tester.

I removed the battery and attached a 12V 6 amp charger to the terminals and got intermittent juice - dash flickers like a bad connection. I'm leaning towards a short somewhere

EDIT - actually, you guys have got me thinking now. If the battery did nothing, and a basic charger at 12/6 made it flicker, maybe my one month old battery IS bad. i gotta get a multi-meter...sigh

[FATboy05]

You should've bought a Fatboy :mrgreen:

[firestarter]

You should've bought a Fatboy

Ouch, LOL
Good luck Trad, nothing like a bike that won't start.
Been there, got the Tshirt. hehe

[FATboy05]

Well.........what's the verdict Dan??? Have you called Curley??? He's only been a Harley Mechanic for about 30 years........

[tradrockrat]

Verdict - you all rock! TFB came over, we applied the multimeter to the battery - viola - 6 week old battery went bad overnight. Replaced it and I'm on the road!

[curley725]

That's good new's..... If it does it again in a short period of time your regulator/rectifier is out...... It's zenier diode that gates excess voltage to ground has crapped out and is trickling all the battery voltage to ground... New batterys will do that and will drive you nuts knowing you just put a new battery in the bike and becomes less suspect in the hunt...

Curley

[mrpiff]

Glad you're up and running Dan. Hope it was just a defective battery.