Boulevard S83 Electrical Problem Symptoms - Any Thoughts?

[cyberbiker6]

I'm sitting in the desert near Interstate 8, 11 miles west of Yuma. AZ with an electrical problem. I am hoping some here might have had experience with a similar electrical problem and can steer me toward a solution. For decades (first bike in 1969) I have relied on repair shops and supported the repair trade for electrical, internal engine and transmission work. I may find that necessary this time; however, since I am on a trip to Guatemala and points further south, It seems like a good time to learn more about my 2007 Boulevard S83's electronics than just to rely on someone else to solve it, yet again.

Here are the facts:

- The lights and ignition spark on the bike started quitting the other night on Interstate 8 at 70mph.
- As the bike decelerated to around 25-30, the power and lights would kick in again. However, after resuming high speeds for a couple minutes, they would quit again. This went on 4 or 5 times by the time I reached an exit Shell station.
- Once I turned the ignition off, then tried to start after filling the tank, there was no power whatsoever - no lights, no sound, no ignition.
- I recharged the battery to 12v at the Shell the next day. My newly purchased VOM indicates it has held that charge, however, there are still no lights and no ignition.
- Possible causal factor: about 120 miles back a very old lady backed into the bike at a gas station and pushed it off the kickstand as I was paying the bill. It sustained a small crease in the tank from a post and a slightly bent left foot peg. Perhaps the shock shook something loose.
- The bike mileage is 34K. I bought it with less than 2K on it and it has worked flawlessly.

Any suggestions or thoughts would be appreciated. Will PM my cell number, if a call would be easier. Thanks

[The_AirHawk]

Barring a blown main fuse, you probably have a bad/intermittent ground (try tracing the neg. cable to the frame), a main connector that has shaken-loose (look near the battery, or under/around the frame near the headstock/beneath the tank), and also check the backside of the ignition switch - and try fiddling the key in it a bit, see if anything electricky happens doing so.

Good Luck, that's all I can think of off the top of my head. I gotta go - I'll try to check back on you in a bit.

[The Spaceman]

I'd check the safety cut-outs, like the switch on the clutch lever and the sidestand. You can easily bypass them with a jumper wire.

[The_AirHawk]

Originally Posted by The Spaceman

I'd check the safety cut-outs, like the switch on the clutch lever and the sidestand. You can easily bypass them with a jumper wire.

Those would kill the engine - but unlikely to kill power to the entire bike.

cyber - any news? Hopefully this finds you on the road, with a simple fix.

[cyberbiker6]

Thanks for the helpful suggestions. I checked the cutoff relays on the clutch and the kickstand and they seem fine. Anytime the kickstand goes down or the switch closes when the bike is in gear and the engine is running, it kills the engine, but then it wouldn't have restarted as it did decelerating through 30 mph. It also would not have stopped power to the lights when the the ignition key is on and the battery is fully charged anyway. The Emergency cutoff switch would have killed the engine at any time, but again, it would not have taken off again as it decelerated.

It seems the bike was running on battery power rather than the mag charge for a good distance before before the power began cutting out. It takes more from the mag generated power to run at high speeds than low ones, which may have been why it would cut out at high speeds, then kick in again when the speed dropped to 25-30.

Some disconnect is keeping any power from getting to the lights or anything else now that the battery is fully charged when I turn on the ignition. I have gone over the wiring without the seat and fuel tank on to see if I could find any loose connection.

I may have to remove the mufflers to get underneath, but without a lift of some sort it will be hard to see anything anyway.

Tomorrow I'll try to refollow the wires off the battery into the other circuitry. If it is a bad alternator, stator. rotor or celenoid, a shop will have to deal test it as those require load testings.

The service manual states that a shock can demagnatize the magnito rotor. However, I would still expect the lights to go on when I turned on the ignition and before I tried the starter.

[cyberbiker6]

Final outcome: I went into Yuma and asked a few bikers who the best electronics guy was. They all said Mike and Performance Sports. His shop put in a new voltage regulator and a new battery. $403 all in.

Thanks for the suggestions.