Starting problem

Hi All
Pleased if you would let me have your views on this.
Rode for 250 miles then parked the bike for two days. When I went to start it there was no power at all. I could mot even disarm the alarm.
I got a jump start and the bike fired up and ran fine first time.
I then set off for the return trip (250 miles) and when I stopped for fual I had to turn the bike off. after 30 mins I started the bike and set off after another stop of about an hour we set off, again without a hitch. On arriving home and the bike standing for about three hours The problem had returned no power whats so ever.
The question is Do I just change the 2 year old battery or is there a deeper problem?
(Heritage Softail 2004 {26000 miles})

Hello Charlie. It's a rather tough call, as to try to fix something that's intermittent like this. I'm guessing the battery post is broken loose inside the battery, causing complete circuit or nothing at all. My experiance with batteries on a bike have been 3 years, or 30,000 miles and they need changed. Age or miles of vibration will kill them either way. I can't speak for the newer gel type yet, I have one but it's only 2 years and 26k on it too. If it were mine, I'd buck up for a new battery if you cannot catch it in the act of malfunctioning.

When it's dead as you say, check voltage on the battery with a voltmeter. That should tell what you need to know. It sounds like you are getting zero volts at times. If the bike ran up to that point, you had to have had voltage to have run it. With the bike starting up ok, like it did the one time, you had to have voltage then too. For it to have a ground that discharged the battery completely in 3 hours, something should have popped a fuse or worse (like caught fire). That's a lot of discharge in a short time. From what you said, the battery seems the most likely thing wrong.

I Agree, My Simular Experience Was My Cable Kept Coming Loose From Vibration. That Would Be The First Thing I Check, Make Sure All Your Cables Are Secure.

A Big Thankyou

Hi Goats hogs / Sporsterboy
Problem solved Removed bat from bike cleaned all terminals and replaced. System is now as new. Little problems, like vibration are such a pain when you don't have a clue what you are looking for but with a little help from those who know they are so easy to put right.
A big thankyou to you both. Ride free and easy
Aye Charlieharley0057

Charlie,

I was going to suggest that the battery possibly had a dead cell, but glad to hear that this was not the case and was something much less expensive.

Glad you got it going, and happy to have offered help. Bikerjim1, I thought about the dropped cell too, but the bike should not have been completely dead if that was the case. I'd think you could shut off the security with only the 10 volts from the 5 remaining good cells also. Should have mentioned it though, as much stranger things have happened.

Glad To Help