Friday started off pretty good, I set off from Corning CA. at about 10am, no rain and moderately warm.  The first stop of the day was for gas in Woodland California in the Central Valley .  I filled up at the Chevron station and went to start the bike up and…nothing. Dead battery. A couple guys in an old pick up acted quickly and gave me a jump.  I hit the road and the bike was running great, but at the next gas stop the bike would not start a second time. So I got another jumpstart and I hit the road a bit perplexed.  The bike was running perfectly after the jumpstart so my inclination is that the battery is shot but the charging system is functioning fine.  As it started to get dark and cold I fueled up the last two times without turning the bike off.  Upon arriving in LA I parked, turned off the bike, then hit the ignition. Boom, it starts without a problem.

The battery is under warranty from Cycle Gear so I pulled it out today and took there to be tested. The kid tells me, “This battery is in perfect shape,” wanting a second opinion I take it to the local auto parts store and this guy tells me the same thing.  This stresses me out because now I don’t have a clue as to why the bike is only starting with a jump start but running perfectly for hours on end even with the passing lights on.  I buy some abrasive cloth to clean the connection to the battery, maybe it is loose cables or a bad connection.

As I am cleaning the battery cable connectors I notice that a group of electrical wires on the positive site that have completely worn through the housing on one side due to vibration of the years.  I head back to the auto parts store for parts to repair the wiring.  Upon completion I start the bike up and turn it off, then I head out on the hwy with my cousin Holly for some test riding, no problems.

At this point everything seems fine and I am fairly convinced those bare wires were the problem.

I have been rained in for two days but the weather is clearing and I will be heading to Joshua Tree in the morning. I’ll let you know if the bike starts next time I stop for gas.

My cousin Holly after our test ride