No Power Anywhere - Except Starter

Hi all, I was just hooking up my front turn signals and testing them when all of a sudden they started blinking slower, then stopped completely. Now I get nothing, no turn signals, no neutral light, no power anywhere...

Except my starter button that is wired direct works perfectly, so I know there is charge in the battery.

What could this be? Could it be my ignition?

How old is the battery? Start by testing the battery with a hydrometer. You can buy small ones at any auto store. They have balls inside, and if your battery is good and charged, then all the balls float. If any balls sink, it's weak. You need to make sure the battery fluid level is topped up with distilled water, then hook up the battery to a slow 1-2 amp charge. Check it again after the charge and let us know what you have.

You say there is power at the "starter button", or do you mean the engine turns over when you press the starter button??

Engine turns over when the starter button is pushed...

Check the fuses and connections at the fuse block.

Fuses are all good (all are automotive style) and every wire I can see has a good connection...Any particular wires I should check?

I would first check the ignition switch for signs of spontaneous combustion.

Is there a way to bypass the ignition switch so I can check?

Have you check the connections on the positive stud on the solenoid? Sounds like it might be corrosion on a connector there.

ratmeister wrote:

Is there a way to bypass the ignition switch so I can check?

Unfortunately no. You can open up the 9-pin connector behind the headlight and check it pin-to-pin to see if your ignition switch is working.

If you think about where the electricity is flowing, it's starting from the battery, going through fuses, then straight through the ignition switch before going to any lights or coils (I'm presuming the engine turns over and you have no spark?)

You must have bypassed something in the ignition switch to get the starter isolated. That'd be a suspect connection.

The problem is that the person who had the bike before me did all the electrical changes, so I am kind of at a loss as to where to look. The bike has an aftermarket ignition with only 2 wires connected to it.

This started after I had the blinkers running and they slowed to a stop, then I put the battery charger on and from that point I have had nothing. Isn't there a way to jump the 2 wires in the ignition so it is on all the time so I can check?

Yeah it's impossible to say what you can do next if someone has messed around with the electrics. An ignition with 2 wires tells me it may go to a relay of some kind. I'm just guessing at this point!

If the ignition has two wires, one is the larger gauge wire coming in from the main fuse. The main fuse is powered by the reg/rec power output or battery output. The wire coming out of the ignition switch is the hot out. It HAS to split into a bunch of subcircuits. I would buy an aftermarket ignition switch that functioned properly in splitting out the subcircuits at the switch as it is supposed to. Emgo makes such a switch and I suspect www.z1enterprises.com can sell you one. They are not expensive. Once you have the switch, I would restore the wiring harness to where it is supposed to be or buy a new harness (or a good used one) and get rid of whatever was done as there will be a LOT of hacks if a two wire ignition switch is used.