I have a softail custom chopper, bought it used. The wireing system wes a mess, home wired hack job. My battery was low, so on the bad advice from a friend, I jumped it from my van. Fried the solenoid points, also they were worn. I put in a new rebuild kit and a new battery. Took a while to figure out the wireing to the relays, but finally got it started. Took it for a short ride, got back, it smelld like something burning. Next day I tried to start it, almost started, then heard what sounded like a short, then nothing! Solenoid does not even click. Checking wiring, I noticed that the bolt that holds a contact in the solenoid and comes through the case to hook on the battery cable is touching the oil tank. Could this have caused the short? Or could I have hooked the wires up in wrong combination to the relays? I have lights and battery, but nothing from the starter, no click ar anything form the solenoid.

 

If that bolt was touching the oil tank it was a dead short. Which wire was it - small one that energizes the solenoid, large one from the battery, or large one to the starter?

 

I found the problem. When we did the solenoid rebuild and reassembled it, the plunger crimped one of the internal wires and pushed it against metal, the wire was fried. Hope that is all there is to it.
Thanks,
zen