Help!! Gremlins have attacked my Harley!!

[viperedvette]

I have been attacked by the ever elusive motorbike GREMLIN!!!:ack:

Problem:
Bike will not start, or intermitenley start and run for about 30 secs then die and then have no spark again. (with no ryhm or reason)...where's that bang your head against the brick wall emoticon???? ...oh here it is!

Things I have done:
Changed all connectors to battery, coil, starter.
Followed all wiring to see if broken/damaged ect and fixed any I found.
Found starter cap was very loose and almost falling off. Fixed/tightened but nogo!
Ran a direct wire from pos battery to coil (still notta)

Have Yet To Replace/Check:
Ignition electronic module
Coil

....any ideas why it will start for 30 secs sometimes then be dead??? any hints on how to check module and coil? or any other tips?.... It turns over fine and all lights ect come on....just no spark. 81 Harley Davidson Shovel Head Electronic ignition (no points)

 

[Fender]

Isn't that how Harley's are supposed to run?

 

[viperedvette]

Harley's

Isn't that how Harley's are supposed to run?

:swear::swear:.....but.....:agree:

 

[OBSESHON Mark]

Do you have a handle bar kill switch ?
Sometimes these can lead to intermittent voltage problems on the older bikes.
Also check out the numerous Harley forums.
Good luck.

 

[Fender]

Do you have a handle bar kill switch ?
Sometimes these can lead to intermittent voltage problems on the older bikes.
Also check out the numerous Harley forums.
Good luck.

The same could probably be said for the switch on the kickstand also.

 

[viperedvette]

Check, and check....but all is good at both places. Thanks though.

 

[Riley P]

Floats sticking in the carb?

 

[viperedvette]

problem solved

Yaaahooo! I found the little :swear:..... he was hiding in the run/stop swithch on the starter switch. I found it by accident though. I went to start it and as it was cranking over I accidentally hit the stop switch and of course there was no power but....it backfired!!....that meant there was spark. So I turned the switch back on and barely hit the start button and boom!! away she went. So I turned it off opened it up and sure enough, a little yellow wire was danglin' there innocently So I hooked it back up, and problem solved. Thanks for all the help everyone. :seeya:

 

[2mnycars]

well done. And thanks for sharing the fix.

Years ago friend had a problem. Gremlin wired his spark retard backwards. (truly.) So retarding advanced it, and it would backfire. Hard on arches.

x-police bike...pre '60

 

[viperedvette]

Do you have a handle bar kill switch ?
Sometimes these can lead to intermittent voltage problems on the older bikes.
Also check out the numerous Harley forums.
Good luck.

Thanks for the tip!! I thought if the switch would kill the battery, everything was fine!!....I guess I should have looked closer the first time