Stator plug wouldn't do that, and neither would the charging system in general. Sounds like you have a short somewhere or a broken wire. Tough to track down. Dim lights when it is acting up is the give away here. The dropping gas gauge is also indicating a lower voltage. This is an FXR? All the wiring runs to the headlight bucket like on a Sportster? Have you looked inside there? Also, wires at the neck. Look for any wire that looks like the insulation may be damaged. It only takes one strand of wire poking through the insulation to screw things up.

 

Thanks for the quick reply. Yes the wiring runs through the headlight bucket I've check the wires there but it's worth a double check. I'm pretty sure it's not charging system or ignition at this point so that pretty much leaves a broken/grounded wire. The hunt is on...

 

With the battery under the seat, check to be sure that nothing is contacting the battery posts. A custom seat fitting could conceivably do this and would be hard to trace, since it would only do it when you are on the bike. Long shot, but I'd check to be sure.

 

What type ignition does the bike have? Aftermarket single-fire "cone" ignitions are well know to drop a cylinder ...I had a crane hi-4 that would do just as you described...and it wasn't doing it when it got hot...it would go for days or weeks without doing it and then start again.

 

main circuit breakers get weak and you will loose all power if they break. when they reset you will get power back.

 

I would get some electrical connector grease and clean all the connectors, add some grease and plug them back together. Both mine (FLHTC) and my wife's (XL1200) had intermittent spark issues this year and both were connector issues. On her bike it was a not start issue. On mine it was all of the above, no-start, occasionally running like crap, backfires, etc.. It's quick and simple to go through the connectors. From now on I'll do it once a year.

 

Just my opinion but it is still the fuel. When it cuts off and restarts in a few seconds, it's the fuel. Crud runs back only till it's sucked back up. I have been into small outboard carbs 2 or three times sometimes to get it all out. Go through tank again. See crud? If you do, it can go thru broken petcock screens. Put an extra fine filter in line before carb. Go through carb again spraying Gunk carburetor spray through all the passage ways both direction over clean paper towels to catch the exiting spray till you see no sign of crud. Then go back to the electrical. Put you an old fashion induction timing light clip on plug wire and the power from you maintenance charger leads to it's line. Bungy cord it to the bars. You will know real quick if it's electrical. Be sure to use the carb spray that will go right thru a foam cup. Some of the name brand ones will not. If it will not cut the deposits off the exteriour, use that one for brake clean and get a professional one. My old supply of Gunk was by Soldier Seal. Not sure if you can still get it.

 

Hi... so what did you learn was the problem with your bike ? Your discription is the same we are having..
Cindy

 

What bike is it? What carb? Do you have a vacuum petcock?

 

Gas tank was starting to rust inside and I had big chunks of rust that were sinking to the bottom & blocking the gas from getting out of the tank and going to the carb.