I have had problems with my Harley Ultra Classic not starting, it starts to cranks and then stops. It has been a on a trickle charger and states it is charged. My switch on the bars does not always work so my starter has a button to push in those times to start it. That button to has been sticking in when I try to start it and i loose all power. I took the seat off last night to check the battery and tried to start it and notice sparks flying off my positive connection. I took a closer look and noticed some of the wires were burnt and melted and the connection was loose. I am not great at electrical but I think i will be trying to fix the connections myself and hope that this fixes the issue.
Generally it’s pretty easy fix for a battery lead. Hopefully it hasn’t damaged any electronics. You didn’t specify the year of the bike.
Only real concern is whether you need to replace the end of the cable due to damage and if there’s enough length to do so.
Illegitemi non carborundum est!
@thane-lewis It is on my 96 Ultra Classic, the main power line looks ok but the other three wires look like they took the brunt of the damage. I think I can just trim them back a little and put new ends on them. I am not mechanically inclined so I will see what I can do.
Clamps for terminal ends are sometimes specialized. Might not be worth taking to a dealer if you have a decent wrench to use for the purpose. Some auto parts stores will have the tool to use for free if you need one.
When you say "the other three wires" does that mean accessories that are attached to the pole? There's often a reason accessory wires get abused in such a situation. Poor clamping of the lugs can make contact intermittent and overload the few wires that are connected to the lug. AMHIK.
Illegitemi non carborundum est!
You have to make sure your connection is done properly. I have one in now that the battery was install by owner who used to work for a motorcycle shop with the terminals not properly installed, which in time would have pulled the terminals from the battery. This seems to be a common problem.
Make certain you've got a good ground! A friend bought a 95 road king, brought it home and I went to check it out. He hit the start button and sparks flew out from under the seat. looked like a fireworks sparkler had been lit. Took the seat off and found the battery negative terminal was loose as a goose...
The short has been fixed and after a few days riding around town took a 230 mile ride and all went well.
Awesome, with the correct crimper, terminals and a few 'you tube' videos, most people can fix a wire terminal issue.. Just be fussy with the crimp, redo if necessary and make sure the connections are clean and tight.