a couple times lately while riding my motor cuts out.

it cuts out for only a second and when it does and I
look down at the speedo and it drops to zero and
pops back to my cruising speed...

the speedo drop makes me think I have a short or
something wrong with my electrical...

any thoughts?

(2009 nightster)

 

Check all your battery wire connections

Charge heck and charge battery, check voltage while runing stater.

Could be a few more things but check here first

 

Check your relays (system and starter) for corrosion. This was a common problem on the 07-09s. I have a similar problem on my 07 1200C....I would just be running down the road and it would do just as you described. The bike would either come right back to life or if it died would start back up. Turns out my system relay was all corroded up. I took it out, cleaned off the green and white oxidation, put some di-electric grease on it, and re-installed. No problems since. I went and bought new relays since corrosion could also be in the relay as well, but the connection was the problem on mine...solved my problem.
The part # they will give you is different and may be a 4 or 5 prong, but the 4 prong works as the 5th prong is a second phase on the relay which is not used. I replaced both my relays with HD part # 31511-01B, which will and does work for both the system and starter relays.