bike acts like you turn off the key

[Ken Sabo]

Long story, looking for ideas, 2007 superglide custom....8,500 miles
pulled bike in garage, turned bike off with kill switch, forgot to turn off key....rushing around, forgot to turn off.
battery went dead, and since its original from 2007, would not take a charge.
new battery installed, after 15 miles, during the ride...it literally acts like I turn off the bike, but only for a split second, then it keeps running....spits again, off-on-off. Sometimes goes for 10's of miles with no issue.
what I tried: had the new battery load tested...all good, cleaned all fuses, cleaned ignition switch contacts and prongs, replaced coil (waste of $110), double checked all grounds (fender and motor), unplugged computer, unplugged throttle positon sensor, checked for codes (nothing). I notice if I leave it in gear and let off the throttle, after an acceleration to use the engine as a brake, it seems to trigger it. When this all happens, I can see the speedometer drop and the headlight goes off, so its a complete electrical kill of the entire bike. So.....Bad ground wire off the battery? Bad power wire off the battery? Did something get hot/melt because the key was on with the kill switch off (I find that hard to believe)? Could the battery be bad inside (its a Deka, not junk)? The bike has not been all monkeyed with, so its not like sloppy workmanship. I don't want to play swaptronics.....and I just cant seem to think what else it may be. I think its simple since there are no codes.

 

[Breeze3at]

Symptoms of a bad/loose ground. Many years Dyna's had a short ground wire to a frame lug, then another to the starter. Check to see if ground is tight on starter, then on frame lug.

 

[gator508]

Agree with Pete here, battery related almost for sure. Check and recheck all connections especially where the battery grounds on the frame and to the starter.My old sportster had very similar symptoms and was found to be a bad ground on the battery.

 

[flusher]

Welcome, have you checked to make sure you did not pinch a wire while installing your battery? I did it myself that is why I ask

 

[Ken Sabo]

Symptoms of a bad/loose ground. Many years Dyna's had a short ground wire to a frame lug, then another to the starter. Check to see if ground is tight on starter, then on frame lug.

I'll re-check the grounds....I didn't look at that one on the starter....that may be suspect, as once when it was happening more frequently, when I went to re-start the bike.....I got the dreaded "click". I triple checked the install....but I do need to make sure the ground wire from the battery is not corroded under the heat shrink....I have heard on cars that is an issue, and while they look fine...they are not.