Dead, No 12 Volts

I was riding and pulled in to fuel up, and shut my 1975 sportster off, and when I was ready to go , turned the key and no dash lites, head lite, nothing ! I walked my bike all the way home, and pulled the seat off and checked the new battery, and got a full 13 volts, also got it at the starer relay, and main to regulator. There is three 15 amp circuit breakers under the seat, and I did a continuity check across them, while still wired, and got the beep on my meter, but did not see my test lite, lite up with key on, while touching any of the breaker poles ! I'm at a loss, and if anyone can help,Thank you in advance !! I'm new to the forums, and sorry for the long explanation, just trying to get it all in. Blackhawk

Those little electrons are kinda tricky sometimes. If I were you and didn't have a company provided $3000 multi-meter I would get a fuse holder pigtail kinda thingy you can get a local auto parts store, put a 20A fuse in it and wire it across the breakers you spoke of earlier. One at a time. Alligator clips or push-on type like some Ford starter relays on the end or if you like crimp on some terminal connectors. If one of these by-pass shorts runs the bike then you have a bad breaker. If the fuse blows you have a pretty low resistance short that is opening the breaker. If the fuse pops you now have to sort out that circuit and find the short. Probably in the headlight. Not sure but a bunch of the older bikes ('80s FXR for sure) use the headlight bucket as a housing for a bunch of plugs (and maybe the odd twist and tape) for stuff stuff going to the bar controls. Might want to pop out the light and have a look first, actually. Might be obvious. Probably in there or in the bars or switches themselves. A shorted ignition circuit should not cause the headlight not to light (and vice versa) UNLESS they are on the same breaker. If you do make up the fuse holder jumper, don't leave it at home after this is fixed. I made one up with the push-on spring steel connectors and threw it in my bag. Never needed it but after push starting my buddys Softail three or four times one afternoon we pushed it on the offending breaker and viola! the easy button worked again. It may be nothing I've mentioned here. Could just be a bad ground cable. A jumper cable from the negative side of the battery to the engine will tell eliminate that possibility. Electrical problems are a bitch but once you become intimate with your particular bike it's not so bad. By then it'll be time to sell it though, if you're anything like me. After thought here... If the main power to the buss bar or jumpers connecting the supply side of the breakers to 12V + is loose or dirty, that could do it too. I think I understood you to say that you had no way of verifying 12V + at the breakers. Anyway, this could go on and on I guess. Just push it over to my barn and we'll pop a cold one and have it going in a week or two. If not, at least we had a cold one... Good luck. I hope this was food for thought anyway. k

Just re-read your post. Not sure about your meter/light or whatever you used but the 'beep' may have been telling you that there was voltage present while it was configured for a continuity (resistance) test. Might even have blown your internal meter fuse if this was the case. OK, I'll really stop now.

Do you have a wireing diagram...I have a 75 Sportty also,and I have a manual.Make sure your ground wire from the battery didn't break .I had that happen to me once...

First, I'd like to say thank you to you all for the fast response ! What an awesome group of fellow riders!!!! I applaud your willingness, and expertise in helping other bikers, like yourselves out !!! I've found a new home !! Well now to what I found so far,...when I got home last nite and read all the posts, I checked around with the ignition on, first by jiggling the wires under the tank, and the power came on....woohoo,...life !! So this evening when I get home , I'll take the tank off to find the culprit . Did'nt think to look under the tank until I came here and read the posts!! I will let you all know what I find and fix, thanks to all of you, as soon as I find it. Oh and, KDiddy707, thanks for the laugh just when I need one....I'd like to roll up and crack a cold one..hehe !!

I am a bit late with giving a reply. hopefully by the time timenyounread this Blackhawk, you already resolved the problem. I had a '74 Yamaha that had a similar problem with no voltage. In my situation the problem was a poorly grounded negative wire from the battery to the frame. I would think that if the primary ignition coil were the culprit, you might still have a clicking sound while cranking, indicating voltage. Hope your problem was as simple to resolve.

Come by any time Blackhawk. Key's under the mat and Beer's in the barn. Long push though. Better fix that wire first... Noticed your occupation. Any idea where Jimmy Hoffa's at?