I've been scratching my head for the last 24 hours going all over my bike and I can't figure out why it's dead. It was fine when I parked it Saturday afternoon but yesterday morning it was completely unresponsive when I turned the ignition switch on - nothing, no dash lights, headlights, tail lights, horn, starter, no whining, clicking, or any indication of power anywhere.
I have checked the battery with two different meters, a Fluke T1000 and a Radio Shack 22-812, both fine digital instruments. The battery registers 13 volts across the terminals as well as from positive to ground at many different locations. I've also already disassembled the ignition switch and got 13V there across the white and brown wires. The ignition switch appears to be fine as well, with no continuity in the off position, continuity from brown to white in the accessory (left) position, and continuity across both white to brown and white to red in the on (right) position. I tried jumping the white and red and white and brown wires and got no response.
It took me a while to locate the main 30A fuse but it and all the others behind the right side panel checked out OK with the multimeter. I also get 13V across the posts at the main fuse. The connections on that component weren't perfectly pristine but oxidation was minimal and I see no connection issues there. Positive connection at the starter and ground connection to the frame also appear clean and tight, which is corroborated by the good voltage measured at various other locations.
I'm obviously missing something but paint me pink and call me Sally if I can figure it out.
The bike is a 2000 Vulcan Nomad 1500VN EFI. I believe I'm the 3rd owner. The original owned a tire shop and had a stable of bikes so it was extremely well maintained, though he only put about 7000 miles on it. He died a couple years ago and another old guy bought it and he only put another 1000 or so on it over the course of the two years he owned it. It appears to have always been garaged. It took some detailing to get it shining when I bought in July of 2014 but it's in excellent condition with virtually no rust other than a few hard to reach places in the chrome and on the cheap mirrors and under the headlight hoods. I've ridden it some so it's now at about 13,500 miles, with regular oil changes (Mobil1 full synthetic, K&N filters) but not much else because it hasn't needed it. I guess I did repack the mufflers right after I got it and new tires last winter but that's about it. It's never given me a lick of trouble until now.
This seems very much like a fuse problem to me but I've been all over it and can't find any other than the ones under the seat and behind the right side panel. It has had some minor accessory wiring done, namely a few vest power outlets that are fused and connected directly to the battery so not involved in anything else (they have good voltage as well) and a 12V accessory plug on the handlebars that gets its juice from the driving lights, which may possibly be aftermarket but were well done and have always worked great. I can't locate any issues in any of those areas other than the fact that power just doesn't seem to be getting past the ignition switch.
I'm very reluctant to pull the tank, especially since I filled it just before parking it on Saturday. I imagine the next thing I need to do is trace the blue and red wires from the ignition switch to where ever they go through the tank.
If I can recall anything at all unusual about my ride Saturday, it would be that at one point I was trying to find neutral and couldn't get the green light to come on. I finally found what I thought was neutral without the light but then when i took off it turned out I'd been between 2nd and 3rd gears. Could this all be somehow related to the neutral safety switch? I see how that and several other things including the kickstand and kill switch might keep it from starting, but why no power to dashlights, horn, etc?
Sorry to be so long winded but just trying to answer all the questions that seem to get asked in these threads by people trying to help. Any pointers from you old salts that have been tearing into these bikes for years would be greatly appreciated.
I have checked the battery with two different meters, a Fluke T1000 and a Radio Shack 22-812, both fine digital instruments. The battery registers 13 volts across the terminals as well as from positive to ground at many different locations. I've also already disassembled the ignition switch and got 13V there across the white and brown wires. The ignition switch appears to be fine as well, with no continuity in the off position, continuity from brown to white in the accessory (left) position, and continuity across both white to brown and white to red in the on (right) position. I tried jumping the white and red and white and brown wires and got no response.
It took me a while to locate the main 30A fuse but it and all the others behind the right side panel checked out OK with the multimeter. I also get 13V across the posts at the main fuse. The connections on that component weren't perfectly pristine but oxidation was minimal and I see no connection issues there. Positive connection at the starter and ground connection to the frame also appear clean and tight, which is corroborated by the good voltage measured at various other locations.
I'm obviously missing something but paint me pink and call me Sally if I can figure it out.
The bike is a 2000 Vulcan Nomad 1500VN EFI. I believe I'm the 3rd owner. The original owned a tire shop and had a stable of bikes so it was extremely well maintained, though he only put about 7000 miles on it. He died a couple years ago and another old guy bought it and he only put another 1000 or so on it over the course of the two years he owned it. It appears to have always been garaged. It took some detailing to get it shining when I bought in July of 2014 but it's in excellent condition with virtually no rust other than a few hard to reach places in the chrome and on the cheap mirrors and under the headlight hoods. I've ridden it some so it's now at about 13,500 miles, with regular oil changes (Mobil1 full synthetic, K&N filters) but not much else because it hasn't needed it. I guess I did repack the mufflers right after I got it and new tires last winter but that's about it. It's never given me a lick of trouble until now.
This seems very much like a fuse problem to me but I've been all over it and can't find any other than the ones under the seat and behind the right side panel. It has had some minor accessory wiring done, namely a few vest power outlets that are fused and connected directly to the battery so not involved in anything else (they have good voltage as well) and a 12V accessory plug on the handlebars that gets its juice from the driving lights, which may possibly be aftermarket but were well done and have always worked great. I can't locate any issues in any of those areas other than the fact that power just doesn't seem to be getting past the ignition switch.
I'm very reluctant to pull the tank, especially since I filled it just before parking it on Saturday. I imagine the next thing I need to do is trace the blue and red wires from the ignition switch to where ever they go through the tank.
If I can recall anything at all unusual about my ride Saturday, it would be that at one point I was trying to find neutral and couldn't get the green light to come on. I finally found what I thought was neutral without the light but then when i took off it turned out I'd been between 2nd and 3rd gears. Could this all be somehow related to the neutral safety switch? I see how that and several other things including the kickstand and kill switch might keep it from starting, but why no power to dashlights, horn, etc?
Sorry to be so long winded but just trying to answer all the questions that seem to get asked in these threads by people trying to help. Any pointers from you old salts that have been tearing into these bikes for years would be greatly appreciated.
