Mine did the exact same thing, I had put steel braided oil lines on it, and that's when I found out my starter was shorted out. The lines would rub against the starter and trip the circuit breaker. Other things to check would be clean connections on your ground cables. There should be one from the battery to the frame somewhere and then from the frame to the starter. The ignition switch would be another place to look if it's not tripping the circuit breaker. I'd try starting it up and start wiggling the key in the ignition and see what happens, and also when it dies on you, move some of the wiring around. Hope that helps.

 

Okay, I didn't read the whole thread, but how can you base a statement like that on one bike, that is nearly 30 years old?

 

Don't feel bad for me. I've had my AMF bike for 17 years. I can ride it anywhere, anytime, with zero worries....I bought mine of the original owner in 1992 with 11k miles on the clock. Best 2500 bucks I ever spent.

 

You might want to check the gas cap to make sure it's vented. Next time it dies take the cap off and see if it'll start, this happened to me when I got my '92 5 years ago and it took too long for me to figure that one out.

Off topic: There's nothing wrong with AMF bikes, sure some are a little ugly but we should be thanking them for not letting it become Honda Davidson!

 

Well now. I just got thru reading a post about a guy whining that someone was ranking on his poor little girly sportster. Next thread we got sportster guys ranking on a lowly AMF ironhead. Pieces of junk. The scourge of Harley Davidson. Shameful. The "dark days" of Harley. Let me tell you clowns something. Ironheads have more character than you will ever know. "Oh he shut up when he heard me crank up my mighty sportster with it's wonderful v twin sound". You want sound? We got sound; and it's not just exhaust. There's clicking, whirring, tapping. It's ALIVE. Drop it into first gear with a loud BANG! The people in the car alongside you will look over and wonder what that noise was.

I can't believe that sporty riders would make crappy comments about old sportsters. Who's shoulders are you standing on? The EVO has it's roots in the ironhead.

To the guy who's having the trouble: Get rid of that ignition and put a Crane Hi-4 in it. Single fire. Get the complete kit and make sure you change out everything including the coil and plug wires. Post your technical problems in the "ironhead" forum below. Lots of good help there.

Hold your head up when you talk about that old dinosaur. It will break down. It's gonna need some care. It will also be the most rewarding ride you will ever own. Ride it every chance you get. Don't give up on it. The latest model ironheads are now nearly 25 years old. Seen a 25 year old Honda lately? I saw a half dozen just last weekend. Except they said "Coors" on the side of the tank.

For you clueless ironhead bashers out there; you don't deserve to be riding a sportster.

 

sell me that HONDA! i want it!

 

If I read correctly you said electronic ing. switch it out for points and see if your problem goes away....the heat from older engines are hell on electronics...

 

i keep saying do your research.a 26 year old bike might have seemed like a good deal at the time.or did it go from the ground up that is alway's the best thing to do. then you know what you got.

 

If you dont find the answers here that you need check out the XL Forums (link below) there is a big Iron head section there by the way that is a sweet looking Iron head ya got my friend

http://xlforum.net/vbportal/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=7

 

10 bucks says if you pull the ign wires off the coil and squeeze them with some pliers and reinstall them... thats what it is...