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[Ironhorse]

It stopped working today.

It worked last weekend when I rode from LA to San Francisco last weekend. The indicator turns from red to green when I try to engage it, but the bike won't hold speed.

Any ideas or suggestions where to start?

Mark

[Twolanerider]

Just my own experience Mark so it's only worth that much.  Since the light is going from red to green you know the switch is working and it would suggest the cruise module is thinking it's working.  I've had the same thing happen on bikes twice over the years.  Once the stepper (cruise control) cable had simply come off the bellcrank on the throttle body.  Other time the cable had broke.  In my case it was right at the end where the little attachment-thingy connects to ribbon-like cable in the cruise module so I didn't find the break until taking the cable off the module.

[Ironhorse]

Just my own experience Mark so it's only worth that much.  Since the light is going from red to green you know the switch is working and it would suggest the cruise module is thinking it's working.  I've had the same thing happen on bikes twice over the years.  Once the stepper (cruise control) cable had simply come off the bellcrank on the throttle body.  Other time the cable had broke.  In my case it was right at the end where the little attachment-thingy connects to ribbon-like cable in the cruise module so I didn't find the break until taking the cable off the module.

Two lane,

The cable is still attached to the Bell Crank on the side of the throttle body. I will assume there is no repair of the ribbon thingy cable that goes into the cruise control brain. Is that an easy change out? Do I need to pull off the seat and tank to change it out?

Mark

[SHRADER]

Does the light stay green?
If not check to make sure the brake light switch(s) particularly the front, is/are working properly. If either is stuck it could cause the system to think the brakes are being applied turning cruise back off immediately.

[Twolanerider]

Two lane,

The cable is still attached to the Bell Crank on the side of the throttle body. I will assume there is no repair of the ribbon thingy cable that goes into the cruise control brain. Is that an easy change out? Do I need to pull off the seat and tank to change it out?

Mark

I've never heard of a breakage of the ribbon cable that is inside of the cruise module.  But have seen that one of my own on a prior Road King where the stepper cable's connection point to it broke.  The stepper cable is easy to change.  The connection at the bell crank is obvious.  Just be careful not to lose the E clip that holds the cable body itself just above the bellcrank.

At the cruise module end the plastic body of the stepper cable untwists (1/4 turn if I remember right, but it's been awhile) from the cruise module.  If you're careful about unhooking the stepper cable from the ribbon inside the cruise module you won't despool that inner part any and won't even have to go through the handlebar button procedure to reset the cable lash.

All that is assuming of course that the cable is the problem.  Since you see the green light (it stays on?) the cable would be my first thought.  But I'm wrong about chit a lot.  So who knows....

[Chains]

Does the light stay green?
If not check to make sure the brake light switch(s) particularly the front, is/are working properly. If either is stuck it could cause the system to think the brakes are being applied turning cruise back off immediately.

Mike is correct check clutch side too.  Easier to check than digging in to the module.

[Twolanerider]

Mike is correct check clutch side too. 

No clutch interlock switch yet in 2006.  Wasn't added until 07.

[martys]

My 2000 SERG had a similar Problem a few years ago and I found it was the speed sensor  Just a thought.

Marty

[Rhetor]

You might wan to check out this thread . . . particularly near the end @ http://www.cvoharley.com/smf/index.php?topic=64242.msg1221213#msg1221213

I had the same problem on my 03 SERK when I bought it with only 3700 miles on it . . . working red and green lights on the cruise, but the cruise would not engage . . . after getting good advice I here, discovered the problem . . . a new cruise cable solved it simply.   There is a small piece of foam in the cruise cavle connector leads (in in the middle where the cable runs under the middle of the gas tank on the right side) that has a tendency to break down over time.

The red and green lights still work on the cruise controls, but the cruise will not engage.

Another forum member reported in the thread a quick fix with an old piece of tire plug that I wish I would have first tried first.  But I kept my old cable to try his repair as a backup.

I am not sure whether the same kind of cavle was used on tourers in 06 as is on my 03.

Hope you solve the problem.

[Twolanerider]

My 2000 SERG had a similar Problem a few years ago and I found it was the speed sensor  Just a thought.

Marty

If the speedo sensor fails you also lose the speedometer and turn signal cancelling.  You lose cruise at the same time but not by itself with a failed speedo sensor.

[grc]

Locate the wires that connect to the throttle cable just forward of the fuel tank on the right side of the frame.  There should be two wires that connect to the cable, disconnect them and then try the cruise to see if it will engage.  This is one more possibility, and it's not uncommon for the roll-off switch located in that cable to fail over time.  If that turns out to be the problem, you have two choices.  If you don't want to maintain the extra safety factor the roll-off switch provides, you could just tape off those electrical connectors and run the bike as is.  Or you could replace the throttle cable that contains the roll-off switch.

Jerry

[Twolanerider]

Locate the wires that connect to the throttle cable just forward of the fuel tank on the right side of the frame.  There should be two wires that connect to the cable, disconnect them and then try the cruise to see if it will engage.  This is one more possibility, and it's not uncommon for the roll-off switch located in that cable to fail over time.  If that turns out to be the problem, you have two choices.  If you don't want to maintain the extra safety factor the roll-off switch provides, you could just tape off those electrical connectors and run the bike as is.  Or you could replace the throttle cable that contains the roll-off switch.

Jerry

Jerry, it's been quite awhile since I had to troubleshoot one of these.  If the roll off switch has failed the system won't trigger as active will it?  So the light wouldn't go from red to green and stay green?

[grc]

Jerry, it's been quite awhile since I had to troubleshoot one of these.  If the roll off switch has failed the system won't trigger as active will it?  So the light wouldn't go from red to green and stay green?

That was my thought as well, but I have seen reports where people claimed the roll-off switch was the culprit even though the light stayed green.  So just in case, I thought I'd throw this out there.  At least it's a very simple thing to check.

Jerry

[Twolanerider]

That was my thought as well, but I have seen reports where people claimed the roll-off switch was the culprit even though the light stayed green.  So just in case, I thought I'd throw this out there.  At least it's a very simple thing to check.

Jerry

You're right in that possible and even improbable fixes that take the ten seconds it takes to unplug the switch and cost nothing in the attempt are always worth trying.  I had a Road King years ago that had a bad roll off switch.  Left it unplugged for many miles and never gave it a second thought.