Question for everyone.........I have an 04 1200 Sportster. Last time I rode was prob about 1 1/2 weeks ago. Since then its been sitting inside a garage (not heated) Yesterday I went to start it, now it always has started hard but yesterday it wouldnt hardly turn at all. Then finally it just stopped even tryin to trun over and when you tried to start it it would just click....My question is whats the problem??? I looked at my headlight when I had the ignition turned on and it was bright so Im not sure if its the battery. Maybe starter?? I dont know Im just guessing now. Any help would be great.

 

Go to Pepboys and get the $29 Battery Tender. Install it and let it cook overnight. Warm your scooter in the garage with a low power (no ignition source) heater. Try to start it after disconnecting the tender.

Trick is to watch the headlight while it is trying to crank or put a meter on the battery. If the headlight does not dim or the voltage does not drop and it does not turn over, then either your starting relay is bad or the wire to it or to the starting armature is broken. Or, the brushes are bad in the starter.

You should be able to hear the starting relay click under the seat if it is working. It won't work if the relay or it's wire is busted.

If the light dims and the meter drops and it does not turn over, your battery is history.

I know, not much help. I had the same intermittant problem for a long time. It turned out in my case that both the starter brushes were worn out and the starting relay wire was "broken" inside the connector at the starter - making poor contact.

Don't forget to check the main power wire to the starter. This gets pulled out of the starter sometimes.

Replacing the starter is an expensive ordeal. CHECK THE WIRING FIRST!

 

I would be surprised if your starter or bushings are bad on an 04. Clicking tells me not enough power in the battery to turn over the engine. As brokenleg said, charge up the battery, and see what you get. Although, if the bike has been continually stored over the cold months without a battery tender for the last 2 years. I'd bet it's time for a new battery.

 

My 04 starts hard when it's cold outside. My remedy....full enricher & three pumps of the throttle to shoot some gas into the carb and it fires up. G' Luck

Olesalt

 

I had the same problem today when I went out to start mine. It is currently 3 degrees out.... I went to the HD shop to get the battery tender... I guess everyone else had that same problem. They were sold out. Every other bike shop in town was also... I had to order one. I went and got a space heater to try to warm up my garage a bit and try to start it then. I think that the best thing for me to do now is just bring it in my house and put it in the guest bedroom.

 

Check the battery first, you may have voltage for headlight but not enough cranking power. Do you hear one click or few clicks? If you hear one click, it could be the starter solenoid contact, it is pretty common on those denso starter. If you do here a few clicks, it could be a weak battery, when you crank the engine, the starter was working hard but not enough juicy to activate the solenoid. It could also be back connection, do a voltage drop test with a multi-meter then go from there. A battery tender is always a good idea.