i bought a sportster a few months back and everything has been great with the bike but i just ran into a starting issue.... when i try and turn the bike on it will try and turn the motor but id get nothing or the starter would just spin and spin ive replaced the battery twice and nothing but if i hook up a batterypack the bike will fire right up.. any ideas if its just a relay or the starter ?

 

I have an 87' 1100 anniversary sporty as well. Have you cleaned and checked all battery and starter wire connectors? What brand batteries are you using? Sounds like solenoid may be bad.

 

Remove your battery and charge it up properly, off the bike, using a battery charger, not a tender. New batteries are not fully charged and tend not to give their best straight out of the box.

Adding the batterypack to boost power indicates that your new battery isn't fully charged. An alternative is to use the batterypack to start your bike, then go out for a long run - say a tankful, to give your battery a good charge.

 

I havent cleaned the battery wires since they look good no rust or anything on them.. Tomorrow is my first day off in a few weeks so ill work on it and charge the battery since it will start clicking after about 2 quick tries of trying to start it......i did buy a new starter (good deal so said why not) but looking up what its doing with the constant spinning said the starter was bad and not grabbing. ..also I work about 40 miles away and have ridden it there and once i turn it off and cools down for 10 mins it will do the same thing

 

That clicking confirms my commment above about new batteries not being fully charged. A further tip is to disconnect both ends of both your main battery cables, to clean them and refit, preferably using dialectric grease. Corrosion can build up over time, out of sight in the connection(s), and greatly increase electrical resistance, which saps battery power while attempting to start.

 

Ok so i went on a 80 mile ride got home shut the bike off went to start it and got a slight spin of the starter and then clicking . tested the battery and its dead after getting it running the voltage on it doesnt change its in the 11 volt range. Havent been able to check all connections but what i see they look decent cleaned off the battery terminals.. Any idea if it could be a regulator or stator?

 

In the Tech Electrical section there are a couple of Stickies for checking your charging system. Use them, which should confirm where the problem is. It's dead easy to buy new stuff and miss what is actually wrong, so don't buy anything just yet!