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[gflvette2]

The other day I changer the engine oil, trans oil, air filter and spark plugs. Since then(and it may have nothing to do with the changes) I have had an intermitting problem. What happens is while riding, all of a sudden the bike cuts out. It's like your turning the key off and on. It also could be described like your running on one cylinder. BUT, just last night as it was getting dark I saw the instrument lights dimming and getting bright , back and forth. Also as the engine was puttering, I saw the tach jumping say from 2K to 5K to 3K back and forth. My Bud Hoist said to start new with a new battery as the one I have is probably 2-3 yrs. old-One possibility. My other bud, 103thunder(Brian) said maybe its the regulator. Thats a second possibility. My other buddy, who's an auto mechanic and has his own shop says it sounds like it could be the Primary Ignition Pick Up. He thinks it could be that but not absolutely sure. But because the tach jumps high and low without the engine reving any higher, it could be that. He also had another reason that I don't remember, lol--duh. I brought the bike to a shop to  have the tire replaced and they checked all the wire connections and found nothing wrong. It seems to happen after riding for awhile. The repair guy said I should bring the bike back ane he'll ride if for 20 25 miles and see if it happens to him. I'm set to try the primary ign. p/u but would hate to spend $170.00 @HD if it's not the problem. Hoist, Maybe Jim in CA could give advise?? Does anyone else have any Ideas???         
Thanks in Advance, George

[Fired00d]

Stator or voltage regulator??

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

[Hoist!]

Stator or voltage regulator??

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

Get the battery first. Check your plugs. Could be the coil. Or bring it to Vern!

Hoist!

[FXR2evo99]

".........I brought the bike to a shop to  have the tire replaced and they checked all the wire connections and found nothing wrong......."

even though they checked all the wires....I would check the wires leading to your coil in the back, the eyelits could be coming apart or frail there.....get a huge light and a magnifying glass and look there first....make sure those nuts are tight to those leads in the back of the coil.

Next you have very few sensors on this bike but one you do have is the cam position/vehicle altitude Sensor that's relating back to RPM's you may have an issue here.

The key is this is happening when it's warm, not cold.....so if I were you.....get a long sleeve shirt on with gloves and get a "poker' stick to poke around a bit and when it starts doing it on the road pull over safely and while the bike is idling see if you can poke around at some of the wiring and see if you can recreate the missing or if you can stop the missing....ie: cause then reverse the cause persay.

This is going to be a process of elimination so let's begin the attack.....keep us posted we will get this figured out.

Regards,

Tim

[Fired00d]

Get the battery first. Check your plugs. Could be the coil. Or bring it to Vern!

Hoist!

He already mentioned that you said that in his first post along w/asking for any other ideas. I mentioned stator because I know when my stator went bad on my Fatboy I noticed weird electrical things going on.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

[Hoist!]

He already mentioned that you said that in his first post along w/asking for any other ideas. I mentioned stator because I know when my stator went bad on my Fatboy I noticed weird electrical things going on.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

You've just got a phobia to changing batteries!!!

But you can't troubleshoot anything electrical til you know you have a good battery!

Hoist!

[Fired00d]

You've just got a phobia to changing batteries!!!

But you can't troubleshoot anything electrical til you know you have a good battery!

Hoist!

Negative don't have any phobia's at all. He was asking for other ideas and I was giving them. I'm not stuck on certain things like some people.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

[Fired00d]

You've just got a phobia to changing batteries!!!

But you can't troubleshoot anything electrical til you know you have a good battery!

Hoist!

Add to that a bad stator or voltage regulater can kill a battery. I know that for a fact because when my stator went bad it ruined the battery.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

[Hoist!]

Negative don't have any phobia's at all. He was asking for other ideas and I was giving them. I'm not stuck on certain things like some people.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

Seems ya are!

Hoist!

[Fired00d]

Seems ya are!

Hoist!

Again your ability to read interpret the written word (yours or others) is failing you. I never said that it couldn't be the battery I was giving other ideas like the original poster asked. But again I know you'll have some comment/post after this, because that's what you do. You talk a lot but you don't listen, and because I have a more respect for Neal's house (forum) then obviously some do then I'll not post what I really think nor will I comment any more on your ridiculous posts. Have a great day.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

[Hoist!]

Again your ability to read interpret the written word (yours or others) is failing you. I never said that it couldn't be the battery I was giving other ideas like the original poster asked. But again I know you'll have some comment/post after this, because that's what you do. You talk a lot but you don't listen, and because I have a more respect for Neal's house (forum) then obviously some do then I'll not post what I really think nor will I comment any more on your ridiculous posts. Have a great day.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

Finally!

Hoist!

[gflvette2]

Hello All, Thanks for all the advise as I like to get all sides of all opinions. Really, Thank You All! Now, I just got off the phone with HD and they stated it sounds like there could be a short in the wires leading up to the tach. He said check that first. Also, see if the battery is charging with a volt meter as you all know.  So the search begins and I'll keep you updated and sincerely appreciate all the advise I can get. You guys are the best. Thanks Again, George

[gflvette2]

UPDATE:  I just removed the three wires to the tach at the tach. I started the engine and ran it for a few mins. The engine was already warm. After a few mins. at a high RPM it happened again. The lights were dimming and the engine was running and sounded like a "brrrrrr".  I did what HD told me to do. I checked the battery before I started this and it was charging. Between 13.5-14.5 V. All the wires looked good, no freying. The regulator felt hot. I wonder.........? How do you check a regulator?  Thanks, G.

[110tHunDer]

 
George, the voltage regulator getting warm in and of itself is not unusual.  It's mounted where it is (on the front of the bike) and with cooling fins on it for just such a reason.  Still, the symptoms you're talking about and the deal with the headlight dimming makes me think the voltage regulator is the problem.  If it was the stator I don't think you'd be getting good vaules at the battery like you are.  I'm sure there are some values you could check going into/out of the regulator, but the service manual I have doesn't specify anything.  I would also say, it's sorta rare for a regulator to fail, but you never know.  Could also explain why it's working fine until it heats up.

Maybe your local dealer or another shop has a known good one you could swap it out with to see what happens?

[RedFXR2]

George.  Go back to your first post.  All of the symptoms you describe happened to me last year and I was completely convinced it was an electrical problem.  But it wasn't.

I discovered that I had some rusty gunk (from a gas can I had been using to top off my tank) in my tank/filter screen/petcock.  Apparently the tach jumps when the engine misfires, but there was nothing wrong with my tach or anything else electrical.

After several miles of pregressively worst skipping and missing, and tach jumping all over the place, I coasted to a stop on a rural highway.  Finally got it started again and rode home--only missed a couple of times.  The problem was very intermittent.  Once I discovered what it was it all made sense.  I was clearing the petcock by turning it on and off (like I did on the side of the road). The gunk was very fine and liquid-like so it mostly made it through the filter screen, petcock and even the carb, but not always.

It won't cost you a dime to drain the gas tank and pull the petcock off to check the  filter screen.  If you find anything, dismantle the petcock also to check it.

Reading your post makes me remember how totally convinced I was that I had an electrical problem....that I didn't have.


[edit to add]  It looks like batteries are a sensitive subject ( ) but you mentioned that yours is 2-3 years old.  It might be overkill but I replace my battery every two years.  I ride mostly in the boondocks and don't want to hike home so I figure the cost of a new battery before it's necessary is cheap insurance.