Hey folks. Just wanted to ask a question reguarding a problem i am having with my 1200 xlc. When i go to start it ( waiting for the engine light to go out) and hit the starter button, sometimes it turns over other times it just clicks once and all power to the bike goes away( headlights and all). To get power back i have to rock the bike in gear and it will come back on. Sometimes i can get it started others not. Like right now. Actually have a call to have the dealer pick it up on wednesday. Anyone seen this issue?? I have checked all cables to battery and they are good and tight. The bike only has 2900 miles on it. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Dave

 

Check your grounds.

 

bad connection at battery or bad connection at grounding points.

 

Well guys thanks for info. All grounds are good solid connections. I was able to get it started and got it to the dealer. I noticed when i grabbed the main harness that runs to the ecm (right where it splits and goes down towards fuse box and towards the front of the bike and then back to ecm) and jiggled it, I got my power back. Played a little more and was able to start the bike. Luckily once i got it to the dealer its still doing the same thing. I will post what was found when i get it back. Thankfully its under waranty.

 

Well I got the bike back from the dealer tonight. They said it had a loose relay?? I thought the relays were pressed into the fuse panel? But anyways. The bike started fine. I drove it 20 miles home. Stopped for a bite to eat and went out to get on it and start it and click!! same problem. Dead bike. No power what so ever. Jiggled the harness, power came back, bike started up.So tomorrow, I am making a very nice phone call to the service department again. Not sure whats causing the problem.

 

My wife's 07 883C had a similar issue, the day after delivery the battery was very low (~9v) and she just got clicking (of course). We weren't sure whether she might have left the key in the ACC position, so we charged the battery overnight. The next day it started fine.

The following day it had the clicking again, but then would start a few minutes later. We sent it back to the dealer and they returned it a day later (with 22 miles worth of testing) and told us they had replaced the voltage regulator and the battery. We've had no problems since.

Don't know if this is at all related to your issue but the symptoms are very close.

 

Well... After the dealer got their *** chewing today, they admitted that they did nothing at all except reseat the relays on the fuse panel. Said it took them almost an hour labor. So I was suppose to take the bike back in on Sunday, but tomorrow is suppose to be awesome weather for riding. So tonight I took the battery out of the bike and found that the negative terminal was arching on the frame. I hooked the battery up to the bike and it fired up right away.so i proceeded to put the battery back in and it looks like the dealer(when they put it together) routed the cable out the side near the oil tank, instead of down towards the ground. So when i rerouted the cables and got it all hooked up the bike works fine now. I took it down one of the bumpiest roads i could find to see if i could get it to screw up again and all seems to be doing well. So much for my dealers mechanics.I know i wont be heading back there for service at all. I will drive an extra 50 miles to find another dealer.

 

Holy heck! this is exactly what is happening with my '05 can't believe that I found this thanks for all the info y'all already put out there. Any issues crop up again later on?

 

My findings were connecting the negative cable to the engine first and then the battery meant it didn't hang down straight but was at an angle. The terminal then probably hit the back of the battery box causing it to come loose.

By following the FSM gets the cable sitting as it should.