Starting Problem on a 1965 Electra Glide

[dustrider225]

I am having a starting problem with my 1965 Electra Glide. It started this morning. I rode the bike from Clarksville TN to Nashville and back. Stopped at a friends work to drop off paper work. Went to start the bike by pushing the button and nothing happened. No clicks, Nothing. I went a head and Kicked started the bike and made it to work. At lunch time i took the battery out and had batteries Plus charge up the battery. Picked the battery back up at 4PM and put it back in the bike. Still nothing, no clicks Nothing. I am taking the battery back to battery Plus in the morning. Possible Bad battery. If the battery gets replaced than what could be the problem. Please Help email me at dustrider225@yahoo.com

Thanks
Glen Pederson
Retired US Army:42:
101st Airborne Division:42:

 

[glider]

You're going to have to do a point by point assessment of the problem.

I would start with checking the battery cables on both ends for a good connection both power and ground. After that I would jump the solenoid connection from the starter relay on the solenoid to see if the problem is in the bike wiring or the starter/solenoid area. You can shortcut here by using a jumper from the + of the battery to the small wire on the solenoid, if all is good in the starter/solenoid, it will crank doing this. Make sure the bike is in neutral before doing this.
Next comes the starter relay itself, you can bypass it or replace it to check out the function of the wiring to and from it to the solenoid and the bars. To bypass it you go from the #30/51 terminal to the #87 terminal with a jumper wire. If it cranks doing this with the key on, the relay is probably bad and you just checked the integrity of the wiring in the start circuit. You could also have a problem in the start button circuit to the bars. Check this out with a meter that you should show a circuit to the bars with the start button depressed at the #87 terminal of the relay.
Here's a schematic of the relay for more info and to test the different terminals for ground/power.

http://www.hdtimeline.com/electrical_and_lighting_systems/1021-starter_relay_wiring.html

Your best bet would be to run through the wiring in the service manual and check it at various points to see where you are loosing the circuit.