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bike dies

lagrato

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i ride a 1988 electra glide classic. when i disconnect positive lead on battery the bike dies. what could cause this to happen? and what would be the remidy?

Thanks.
 
if your serious..that would indicate a bad Alternator ..at least that how we use to check cars when ya could check em under a shade tree..if the car would still run after the battery was disconnected the Alternator was ok...Ahhhhhhhh remembering the good old days...lol
 
As Fourdogs said, BUT that is a very DANGEROUS method of testing, reason being, the battery is a HUGE electrical energy storage device, and your alternator is trying to produce voltage between 18 to 26VDC (please tell me you did not rev the engine while testing) with the poor regulator trying to shunt the excess voltage to 12-14VDC max, so without the battery absorbing the voltage transients of the alternator with only the poor regulator trying to suppress them, your electrical system could literally try to destroy everything that cannot handle 18-26V once the regulator cooks itself open and is no longer capable of supressing ANY voltage.

If you did this on an eletronic ignition or electronic fuel injected equipped bike, you have just roasted all your electronic micro-processor controller TSM/TSSM, and ICM in very short order. There is also a module that reduces 12V to 5V logic to run digital electronics would would also be redueced to ashes. You are VERY lucky you are working with an old enough model that hopefully you have not done irreversible damage! When I read what city you lived in I guess you must be used to risk, but please do not troubleshoot that way, especially on new vehicles.
 
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well i thought u would get a kick outta that. but had to check. im old school too. long for good ol days..... hopin it might be different in bikes. first one i owned so bear with me.....yea keep jumper cables hin one bag and a charger in the other.....thanks and hope you all got a big laugh.
 
Actually the old shade tree trick was used when cars had generators on them .Trying that on any vehicle today you risk frying the ECM.No computers back in the old days.
 
Actually the old shade tree trick was used when cars had generators on them .Trying that on any vehicle today you risk frying the ECM.No computers back in the old days.

Correct!...Generators....triode and dio-bridges etc..where we could drop in a new set of winding's,and brushes.....remember I said the "Old Days"...Don't try this at home...lol..NOT NOW WITH COMPUTERS!
 
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