sudden death

[chaklid]

Hi Y'all. had a lot of help here to help me keep my two(2) 79 SFs going.

So, now I need some help again: riding along normally, like I always do. Suddently, the engine stops; just like I had cut off the main or kill switch. No electric at all. Main switch does nothing. I switched it out; no dice!?

Battery is at full power; no fuses blown at all. As far as I can see no wires are separated. WHAT CAN IT BE????



CHAKLI

[DiverRay]

move the kill switch back and forth, then make sure it's centered. If that's not it, start in with a VOM, checking for voltage from the battery on through the main switch.

[HobbyMan]

check the connection running to the main switch. it is on top and a little aft of the battery on the right side of the bike. It should have a red braided sheathing over it. It is a single blade connection and the plastic gets brittle. I am bettin that it is it.

[81xsproject]

If you still have glass fuses, replace them all. They can look fine even when they are blown. Then get yourself one of TC's fuse boxes . If nothing else pull those fuses out and check them for continuity.

[Hired_Goon]

I stopped on the side of the highway the other day to help a guy on a harley that had the exact same problem.

Turned out that vibration had broken the earth from the battery. Check for loose bits under the insulation.

Stripped it back and wound some fencing wire around it to get him home.

Broken Harley held together by fence wire. No surprises there.

[mro]

No electric at all

You did check the main fuse on the left side......


mro

[skids]

Ya godda love it!

Originally posted by Hired_Goon

Broken Harley held together by fence wire. No surprises there.

[dntemp_ca]

My 78E hasn't missed a beat in the five years I've had her, but the same thing happened to me without warning the other day. Luckily, she started up again and I was able to limp home. Found three of the four pickup coil wires "hourglassed". See repairs section for the fix.

[cajun31]

Harleys

You know I thought the same thing about Harleys when I first bought the Midnight, however having owned my Harley for 5 years now I can honestly say they are not unreliable. When AMF owned them the quality went way down, it is back. They don't leak oil and are very reliable mechanically.

[The Lorax]

Check the cluster of wires behind the headlight. there's a connector with three wires in it mine went bad and gave the same symptom, I got by for the better part of a year by grabbing the wiring behind the headlight bucket and giving it a good shake. usually, I got power back and was on my way before the bike ground to a halt. have a nice day and ride safe.

[mro]

Ya godda love it!

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Hired_Goon

Broken Harley held together by fence wire. No surprises there.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
!

Wouldn't that constitute as an up-grade

_________

They don't leak oil and are very reliable mechanically.

Actually my old 67 XLCH would allways start, ......eventually......
Really only problem was not carry enough tools if I left town,
around town nothing ever fell off.


mro

[Czekus21]

Had a simular problem on MIYAMI a few years ago. Found some corrosion inside the kill switch. Took it apart, cleaned it up, reassembled, been working fine ever since. If you take the kill switch off to check for corrosion, and have to tear it down further, Be carefull about not loosing the little springs, Don't ask how I know that, but, it add a few hours to the reassembley looking for stuff that flew away.

[skids]

Yeah...there is a detent ball in there also, isn't there? Yamaha just knows that we silly Americans are crawling around on the garage floor, looking for those little run-away balls.

Originally posted by Czekus21
Had a simular problem on MIYAMI a few years ago. Found some corrosion inside the kill switch. Took it apart, cleaned it up, reassembled, been working fine ever since. If you take the kill switch off to check for corrosion, and have to tear it down further, Be carefull about not loosing the little springs, Don't ask how I know that, but, it add a few hours to the reassembley looking for stuff that flew away.

[chaklid]

sudden death

thanks for all the leads on the subject.

it turned out to be the main fuse connector. when i took it off and turned it around, the connector had been running very hot?! and melted the plastic causing an interrupt in connection.

It is the weakest electric link on these machines.

thanks again

Chakli

[mro]

main fuse

Hmm...
Learn something new every day


mro