Late nighters---unite!!!

Still a little ticked off about the bike not starting. Hoping the tender has it charged up enough to start in the morning. Maybe I can take a good ride where it will charge the battery up some more. I suppose I'll need to take it to the dealership to check it for replacement. It shouldn't be losing charge in the warm weather like this. Good thing my warranty allows for a battery replacement.
 
Still a little ticked off about the bike not starting. Hoping the tender has it charged up enough to start in the morning. Maybe I can take a good ride where it will charge the battery up some more. I suppose I'll need to take it to the dealership to check it for replacement. It shouldn't be losing charge in the warm weather like this. Good thing my warranty allows for a battery replacement.

It might be the battery or it might be a ground that is getting corroded. I'd check the end of the ground that goes to the frame as well as the starter ground.:Shrug:
 
Holy crap...that sounds complicated. Do I need to fly in a mechanic?

Ha ha ha. Not that difficult. But you do have a trike so I'm not exactly sure just how difficult it is to check. Removing the side cover may work but not sure. The thing is, if your battery died it's either old or you don't ride long enough at a time for it to recharge from a start(10-20 miles). With extended warranty and battery tender on in-between rides, my last battery lasted 8 years.
 
Ha ha ha. Not that difficult. But you do have a trike so I'm not exactly sure just how difficult it is to check. Removing the side cover may work but not sure. The thing is, if your battery died it's either old or you don't ride long enough at a time for it to recharge from a start(10-20 miles). With extended warranty and battery tender on in-between rides, my last battery lasted 8 years.

Yeah. I about croaked when the thing wouldn't start. I kept a tender on it this fall and winter until I took it to the dealership for my 'free' storage. They are supposed to put a tender on it there, but when I came to pick it up, I followed the guy to the storage area, and there wasn't a tender on it.

I seriously doubt that would've killed the battery though, and most likely it would've happened before now. And no, I don't ride that kind of distance from a start usually.

You said, 'you do have a trike'. What do you ride?
 
Yeah. I about croaked when the thing wouldn't start. I kept a tender on it this fall and winter until I took it to the dealership for my 'free' storage. They are supposed to put a tender on it there, but when I came to pick it up, I followed the guy to the storage area, and there wasn't a tender on it.

I seriously doubt that would've killed the battery though, and most likely it would've happened before now. And no, I don't ride that kind of distance from a start usually.

You said, 'you do have a trike'. What do you ride?

I have a Indian Roadmaster. Getting as many two wheel miles that I can before going with a conversion.
 
Scott, sounds like your battery has at least one dead cell. Hope your warranty pays for it to be replaced. I just replaced batteries in my 94 Cadillac(90k miles) and the Harley. Neither were what I'd call reasonably priced. The Harley was the most expensive.
 
Beautiful bike. Do you plan on converting it when the time comes?

That's the plan. I didn't think it would be worth adding at least $12,000 onto my 07 Ultra. And figure I only have a couple more years max before my ankle replacement says, enough. Days like the last two make me wonder if I'll make that long. I'm really liking the RM though. I don't want to jinx it but I do think it's the best riding bike I've ever had.
 
Rode the beast in tonight. Tender show full charge. At Rhino's advice, I unhooked it, started it, shut it down then started it again. Fired up both times without any hitch in its giddy-up. Let it run after I started it the second time, went in the house and gathered my stuff. I only ride 5 miles to work, so I was trying to make up a little bit of run-time so the battery would charge.

We'll see if she starts up in the morning. :AGGHH:
 
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.
I usually leave my tender on mine when it's sitting at home, unless I forget to plug it up.

I had to replace my battery over the Winter. It was not a Harley brand battery that was in it, so it was at least the second one put in. Wouldn't start. I charged with a regular charger overnight. Voltage read 12.7 volts and still only one click and lights dimmed when I hit the starter. I read the voltage again 12.7 volts. It read full charge, but wouldn't pull any load. I finally bit the bullet and got a new battery. It's been fine since then.
 
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.
I usually leave my tender on mine when it's sitting at home, unless I forget to plug it up.

I had to replace my battery over the Winter. It was not a Harley brand battery that was in it, so it was at least the second one put in. Wouldn't start. I charged with a regular charger overnight. Voltage read 12.7 volts and still only one click and lights dimmed when I hit the starter. I read the voltage again 12.7 volts. It read full charge, but wouldn't pull any load. I finally bit the bullet and got a new battery. It's been fine since then.
Well, mine read around 14 both before I started it, and during the ride. The only time it went down to 12 was when I put it in reverse for a few seconds...realized what I was doing and let off of it real quick. That was at work. I let it run for the few minutes that it took for me to get my helmet off, and to unload my stuff to go inside. Hopefully, I'll be okay. If not, I'm gonna have a pissed off wife cometh the morn.

You were talking about your lights dimming...mine didn't...but they are the LED lights, so that may have something to do with it.
 
That's the plan. I didn't think it would be worth adding at least $12,000 onto my 07 Ultra. And figure I only have a couple more years max before my ankle replacement says, enough. Days like the last two make me wonder if I'll make that long. I'm really liking the RM though. I don't want to jinx it but I do think it's the best riding bike I've ever had.

Man, that will make for a beautiful trike!! I wish I could afford to buy one and do the conversion, but I just can't. Would have to borrow the money to buy the bike, then the money to do the conversion, and I'm pretty sure banks won't loan on a future conversion. I'd have to wait until I had the cash, which would be NEVER. That's why I went with the TG. I could get the money on the value of the already built bike. Don't like my payment, but it is what it is. Every. Single. Month.
 
Rode the beast in tonight. Tender show full charge. At Rhino's advice, I unhooked it, started it, shut it down then started it again. Fired up both times without any hitch in its giddy-up. Let it run after I started it the second time, went in the house and gathered my stuff. I only ride 5 miles to work, so I was trying to make up a little bit of run-time so the battery would charge.

We'll see if she starts up in the morning. :AGGHH:

I keep mine on a tender any time it's parked in the garage. And I'd suggest you do the same if you only ride 5 miles on each start. You need to ride about 15 miles to recharge from one good start where it fires up the first time.
 
Well, obviously I made it home. Stopped at the grocery store on the way home. Had to use reverse. Drained the amp gauge WAY down and the battery light came on.

Sounds like I need a new battery for sure.
 
Sounds more like you need a new voltage regulator or stator plus maybe a new battery. Did you check the voltage output with a voltmeter? I'd do that before just throwing a new battery in there. No use throwing parts at the problem.
 
Well, obviously I made it home. Stopped at the grocery store on the way home. Had to use reverse. Drained the amp gauge WAY down and the battery light came on.

Sounds like I need a new battery for sure.

When i had the electric reverse at times it would do the same, So i would keep the revs up a little while backing up.....My findings were it wasn't the battery , It was the reverse motor drawing too much power....
 
When i had the electric reverse at times it would do the same, So i would keep the revs up a little while backing up.....My findings were it wasn't the battery , It was the reverse motor drawing too much power....
But paired with the fact the battery went dead for no good reason, I'm thinking its a good possibility it's bad.
 
But paired with the fact the battery went dead for no good reason, I'm thinking its a good possibility it's bad.

Thats a good bet... A good lode test will confirm it one way or another!...
Always check the easiest part first.... ;Occam's Razor's Theory..:D
 
B4 you take it to work tonite, check the bats voltage just for giggles , should be 12.7 volts. Reality you should do a load test. Also elec reverse motor could be drawing high amps. Or take it to work and don't use reverse at all, check the bats voltage b4 you come home :Shrug: Gota DO SUMPTIN!

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I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.
I usually leave my tender on mine when it's sitting at home, unless I forget to plug it up.

I had to replace my battery over the Winter. It was not a Harley brand battery that was in it, so it was at least the second one put in. Wouldn't start. I charged with a regular charger overnight. Voltage read 12.7 volts and still only one click and lights dimmed when I hit the starter. I read the voltage again 12.7 volts. It read full charge, but wouldn't pull any load. I finally bit the bullet and got a new battery. It's been fine since then.

+1

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When i had the electric reverse at times it would do the same, So i would keep the revs up a little while backing up.....My findings were it wasn't the battery , It was the reverse motor drawing too much power....

+2

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Thats a good bet... A good lode test will confirm it one way or another!...
Always check the easiest part first.... ;Occam's Razor's Theory..:D

+3
 
Thats a good bet... A good lode test will confirm it one way or another!...
Always check the easiest part first.... ;Occam's Razor's Theory..:D
I'll find out for sure either tomorrow or Wednesday, as I'm taking to the dealership for the lode test.
 
Got out today and rode about 60 miles. Hope that puts the battery up to where it'll be alright until I get it to the shop either tomorrow or Wednesday.

Had my youngest daughter with me, which was enjoyable until the very end, as she was squealing and dancing to the music playing. Then suddenly I felt her hands go into the hair on the back of my head and she yanked as hard as she could backwards. She actually managed to tear some scalp out too. This was quite a feat on her part considering I had a 3/4 helmet on. She darn near ripped it off of my head. Where I wasn't expecting the first pull, all I knew was searing pain, and instead of looking at the road, I was looking at the sky. I'm just glad I was actually wearing a helmet so she couldn't have reached the hair on top of my head and pulled me completely backwards!

Luckily, I was within a mile of home when this happened, so she only ripped out a part of my scalp the rest of the way home. I literally had to pry her fingers back from behind my head to get her to let loose from my hair. And then she kept fighting to get her hands back into my hair.

This makes me so sad...we bought this trike specifically to take her on rides. But now I'm really spooked. If she was to do this while I was traveling on a busy highway at 60mph, things could get dangerous in a heartbeat, especially because I wouldn't be expecting it.

Sorry folks if this is TMI. Just need to ramble a little bit to get it off my chest. Not looking for any sympathy or anything like that.

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Oh, and some good news. Put the tender on right after I got home and the light went from amber to green within an hour.
 
It's been another slow night here on the old thread.

Maybe Frank The Tank will stop by in here not long...unless he's been into the honey whiskey again. :cool:
 
It's been another slow night here on the old thread.

Maybe Frank The Tank will stop by in here not long...unless he's been into the honey whiskey again. :cool:

How did you know? Was that your drone flyin around?
Usualy hit the crib 1/2 hr after sunset like park closing
 
Had my youngest daughter with me, which was enjoyable until the very end, as she was squealing and dancing to the music playing.

Sounds like she may have realized you were headed home and wasn't ready. It would definitely be a concern for everyone's safety.
 

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