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Solenoid 'chatter' but what to do next ?

Thanks RR for getting back to us and glad we finally located the problem. Be sure to let the shop know what you did and what the problem is so they don't take you for a ride and replace the starter or something.

My guess would be the connection in front of the battery where the two cables join together.:s
 
I haven't seen troubleshooting like that by anyone in a Long time.

I "know me" pretty well, and I would have replaced the starter at least once before I found that poor ground. This one deserves a click on the "Scales of Judge Judy"!. Nice work Glider. :s
 
Thanks Hoop.

It's difficult at best doing the trouble shooting over the net because as you are aware of the steps furnished to troubleshoot a problem can return results that aren't accurate such as this case.
The testing of the cables in previous posts should have revealed this problem some time ago but they didn't for some reason.

Much easier with a hands on instead of over the net. :D
 
... and so we move to the final chapter in this epic saga of lost power and endless head scratching.
The 'split' lead (original HD, on the bike from new) from BATT. NEG to frame / engine has been replaced by 2 new leads fulfilling the same purpose. All is now as it should be :) ... bike starts / runs just fine.
The lead which was removed has been tested and has no measurable resistance ... it just doesn't work !!!
How can a piece of wire just not work ? I don't really know, perhaps there are changes to its actual molecular/atomic structure over time ... now that IS deep :s The only comment I've really heard coming from a couple of auto electricians is that ... "earth leads can do funny things" ... indeed.

So there you have it. You can disassemble/clean/reassemble contacts 'til you are blue in the face. Bypass leads and components and measure resistances but this lead just simply had to be replaced, even though there is apparently nothing wrong with it.

It's done, I'm on the road. A million thanks to everyone who contributed and if this story helps anyone in the future it will all have been worth it.

cheers

RR
 
Hmmm clutch cable handlebar end started smoking? With the engine to frame to battery grounds being isolated by rubber mounted engine and poor/no ground strap(s)...imagine the 250A starting current sneak path...flowing thru the clutch cable, and ultimately thru the handlebar/triple tree stancion...bizzare to say the least! When I was inspecting my Sporty I noticed all those copper straps going between engine and frame (3)...now I know! Another thing to watch out for, you are making connections with dissimilar metals, tin, lead, copper and steel...all elements that make a chemical battery when moisture is added to the mix...resulting in white, crusty corrosion. That is the stuff Hobbit refers to as white fur on the contact areas. Thank you for the nice followup!
 
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RR

One thing I have to ask here is with the removal and cleaning you did of the cables , have you ever done anything to that connection in front of the battery at all where the two cables join on the stud? My theory is that the connection between the two leads on the stud was bad and not so much the cable itself at all. It's the most overlooked connection on the baggers and that's why I made the post I referenced in the self help area in 2007 because of this problem.

Lubing Clutch Cable Too Often? - Harley Davidson Community

Thanks for the follow up on the post.
 
glider said:
RR

One thing I have to ask here is with the removal and cleaning you did of the cables , have you ever done anything to that connection in front of the battery at all where the two cables join on the stud?
Click to expand...

... Glider: yes, this was one of the connections I disassembled / cleaned / reassembled. It made no apparent difference at that time but I suppose it is not at all impossible that another connection could also be causing problems at the same time ... perhaps a compound problem. However the apparent / actual action which cured the problem was the cable replacement. Of course it is now impossible to tell with any certainty but what is clear is that the systematic, diagnostic schedule we worked through here was IMHO a sound approach and ultimately found the answer :)

cheers

RR
 
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