It was a really nice day today. Gonna go for a ride. I turn on the bike, a 1996 FLHP RK and I see that the high beam indicator is on. I never start the bike with high beam on, I always turn it to low beam before shuting the bike off. I try to turn the high beam off and the indicator won't go off. After turning the switch off and on a couple of times, the indicator goes out No problem.
I ride for about an hour and start to notice a burning asbestos smell like brakes. Very faint. Thought it was the cars around me. I keep going for a while and at a stop light, I notice that there is no reflection of my headlight on the car infront of me. The headlight was out. And now the high beam indicator light won't go out. WTF
I rode home and checked the bulb. It did not look burnt. Did the light switch on the handle bar burn out? All the other lights work, left signal and horn work. But the indicator light won't go out. Any ideas?

 

pull the nacelle and check your connections to the hb switches. left side, blue is power to your H/L beam, white is H/B output, yellow is L/B output. should have continuity from blue to yellow or white when switch is set to that position and open when set to other.( on handlebar side of conncetor) if that checks out, plug it back in, turn bike on and check for power at the headlight connector, same colors at switch positions, if that checks out, you got a funky bulb.

P.S. high beam inticator should only light on high beam, if you unplug the bulb and this works correctly, def a funky bulb.

 

Had the RK repaired today at Orange and Black HD Watertown. A great guy. It was a quick repair at a great price. The plactic plug for the headlight melted.

 

Yes, the ground wire melted and it was seeking a ground through the high beam light.