smoken the mouse - Harley Forum

buby78 · #1 06-01-2007, 11:43 PM

Just had to go through the hassel of reregistering Wiped out my old user name and traded up, Oh well . Great to be back any way, still wonder what it was all about?
Ok on to a bike post.
Got a real nice suprise when I went to start my 78 FXS this spring, pushed the button to fire it up and the starter kept turning, just wouldn't stop cranking the poor beast over. threw the kickstand down pulled the key out and it just kept cranking, now I'm going nuts to think of a way to shut it down while holding the key in front of my face.
Ran to the gerage got a 7/16s ran back to the bike (still cranking) pulled the seat off and disconected the ground wire on the battery and finnaly killed it.
needless to say I was more than just a little POed .
And for the next two weeks and $75 worth of parts I thought were bad, I should have remembered the phrease " It's always the little things you least expect to bite you in the butt".
The starter button was sticking and not all the time.
I replaced it...took the old one over to the vise and put a hammer to it a few times while saying " remember the little things", over and over again.
buby78

#2 06-02-2007, 02:48 PM

I know what you mean. I just went through that too, plus my new laptop is on the fritz and I'm back on my son's laptop. I'll let my wife try and sort it out- she's more patient with the things.

Buzz Kanter · #3 06-02-2007, 04:52 PM

I cooked the starter button on my 1965 Panhead (AIM Rustoration series of articles last year). Figures that it's the only electric starter old bike I owned.

I suspected the starter or relay was fried, but they both tested fine. Narrowed it down to the actual button on the handlebar.

Oh well, time to replace the original 42 year old button with a new one. 42 years is pretty good service for a starter button.