I tried to start my bike just now after a week of sitting in the cold. the temp is about 26f. The starter engaged for a second and then the whole bike went dark. No lights, no guages . . . nuthin! There is a one-second ticking sound coming from the ignition switch but no other evidence of electricity anywhere. Run switch is off. I checked the battery fuse, and it looks OK. Is this one of the two relays? Anything else you can suggest?

Bike is an 07 FXST Softail Standard, 96"
Thanks for any thoughts as to what might be messing up for me,
Conga

 

1. How old is the battery on your 10 year old bike?
2. Do you keep the battery on a tender when not riding it?
3. When you put the run switch to on, do you hear the fuel pump come on?

I would start by removing the seat and:
1. Make sure the battery cables aren't loose at the battery and at the ground on the frame
2. Charge the battery (with a battery charger not a battery tender) overnight and have the battery load tested. Any auto parts store will do that for you for free. If the battery is bad, it doesn't matter how old it is, you should replace it.

If that solves your problem you are done. If not, go to the link below and click on the "Charging System Testing" Stickys at the top. There are two of them. That will guide you on how to proceed further.

It could also be other less common problems like a bad ignition switch. It can be removed and cleaned. Just start with the simple stuff first.

https://www.hdforums.com/forum/elect...ting-alarm-43/

 

Thanks, Bone Doc!
Answers to your questions:
Battery is not original, but I bought the bike used and am not sure how old. It had been starting the bike well as recently as 5 days ago.
I usually ride the bike in cold weather, so I don't use a tender, I just start it regularly.
Normally the run switch/fuel pump whines just fine when ignition switch is on, but in this case, and only this time, all electricity to the bike seems to have stopped (no lights, no gauges, no run switch/fuel pump whine, no odometer or dash lights)
Battery cables appear to be tight and clean at the terminals
Battery seemed to have a good charge upon initial attempt to start, starter began and engaged.
Thanks again...

 

Well, you're right, Doc.
Tried the battery on my meter, and it barely made the needle move.
Put the bike on a good charger, and all lights came back on. Time to replace the battery!
One thing that is still weird is that the dash lights flicker and turn signals don't work. Is this still a symptom of a dead battery, or is there there something else I should worry about?
Thanks!

 

That's not a good idea, unless you let it run for a considerable amount of time to replenish the massive drain of the starter motor.

Good to hear that you've found the problem.

 

After an hour or so on the charger, the lights work -- kinda. The headlight is yellower than normal. The dash panel is flickering and the fuel pump does not run when I turn the run switch on.... I checked all the related fuses, and they all look OK. Is this just a symptom of bad battery, or is there something else I can check?
Thanks.

 

You start with the battery cables/posts. Clean and tight. There is a relay below seat and in front of rear tire that corrodes and falls apart.

 

You've more or less answered your own question.
Don't try anything until you have a fully charged battery. The fact that you had nothing, charged a little and now you have a little.
Fully charge it and load test it if you can or have it load tested. If it went dead due to cold weather, that's pretty common for a weak or bad battery.

 

+1

Don't forget that it takes just one deep discharge to ruin a lead acid battery, regardless of its age.

 

It's still a symptom of the dead battery. By your description, your battery is super dead and the charger doesn't generate enough amperage to make things work right, plus try to feed a zombie battery..

If your battery is that dead, it's most likely a dead or shorted cell. Replace it and be on your way. I'd also pull the battery out until you can get a replacement.