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Total shut down of electrical system

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Big John 57

Member
My 02 Ultra Classic is driving me crazy, bike started out this summer shutting down total loss of electrical power ( clock did not loss power ) I would on side of the road turn the key switch off and on couple of times and power would be restored the bike would run ruff for a few mins. then all was good.So what I have done to correct problem, I replaced the systems relay, replaced 40 amp main resetable breaker, also up this breaker to 50 amp, changed out the key switch assemble, what seams to happen now is when I turn on the running lights along with the headlight the 50 amp breaker will trip after riding for about 5 mins. it will reset with in 1 min and I restart the bike again running ruff. What could be pulling so much current. I use to ride with my driving lights and headlight on all the time with a 40 amp breaker with no problems.I have not added no new electrical items to the bike or had any work done to the bike this just started happening one day
 
Someone will come on and ask you some tech ??, but it sounds like you have a wire or wires that have rubbed the insulation off and is causing a dead short.
 
This one ought to be interesting. Hope it's the connectors like Glider said, but you got some kind of slow or intermittent load on it. A short I would think would blow another fuse before the main fuse blew. Usually for a main to blow without any circuit fuses blowing, it's a system overload but no individual circuit has been overloaded.
 
Could a grounded stator assembly or VR be the cause? 50amps is a bunch of draw. Especially because it does after 5min or so. Wouldn't a dead short pop breaker immediately?
wilks3
:USA
 
Last edited:
wilks3 said:
Could a grounded stator assembly or VR be the cause? 50amps is a bunch of draw. Especially because it does after 5min or so. Wouldn't a dead short pop breaker immediately?
wilks3
:USA
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Yes you are correct a dead short would be immediate or very close to immediate. Something is causing a lot of current to flow distributed over the whole system evenly OR there is a part of the system that is not indiviually fused and is only protected thru the Main fuse.

Your stator failure is an interesting item. I've never heard of a stator failure blowing the main fuse, HOWEVER all the other symptoms DO agree with stator failure.

One thing for sure if he doesn't find the culprit soon, it could cause the stator to fail even if it's not the problem initially.
 
Big John 57 said:
what seams to happen now is when I turn on the running lights along with the headlight the 50 amp breaker will trip after riding for about 5 mins. it will reset with in 1 min and I restart the bike again running ruff. What could be pulling so much current. I use to ride with my driving lights and headlight on all the time with a 40 amp breaker with no problems.I have not added no new electrical items to the bike or had any work done to the bike this just started happening one day
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If it only happens with the running lights ON, the problem is somewhere in that circuit. Check from the point the wires exit the bulb socket on back. Even a tiny chafe will do it. Tedious process but necessary.
 
How big a running lights are you running ? My stepson had some lights he referred to as 'spot lights' that he was running at night all the time. He did not have a blown main so not quite the same thing. But it did drag his battery down to the point where his lights started going dim.

He replaced the battery and it was ok for awhile until his stator went bad and he had to replace it.
 
Lights drawing over 50amps? Wow. You can weld with 50amps. Something drawing that much should get hotter than all get out!
Can you smell the primary oil? Maybe drain alittle out. Check color and smell.
This will be an interesting find and cure problem!!!
wilks3
:USA
 
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