Battery High terminal short to frame

[Killer2600]

All your observations are in hind-sight and hind-sight is 20/20, if an engineer (human) was able to determine and account for all possible failure modes of a device/system still in the conception phase then A) development costs would be crazy and B) repair shops would largely go out of business because cars and bikes would never break, EVER.

As for stator or R/R failure in 18 months, is that the fault of the maker of the bike or the supplier that made the R/R and stator? Likewise, the cracked dash issue in the late-90's to early '00's dodge rams, is that a fault of the designer of the truck or the supplier that made the dash?

I tell this to anyone that thinks they can do it better, don't tell me you can do it better please just go to the source and have them let you do it better or if the source is local just go do it better and then I will decide if you have indeed done it better. Outside of that it's all talk and talk is cheap and gets nothing done - I'm a not a politician so I don't believe talking alone accomplishes goals or is worthy of a paycheck.

[posplayr]

All your observations are in hind-sight and hind-sight is 20/20, if an engineer (human) was able to determine and account for all possible failure modes of a device/system still in the conception phase then A) development costs would be crazy and B) repair shops would largely go out of business because cars and bikes would never break, EVER.

As for stator or R/R failure in 18 months, is that the fault of the maker of the bike or the supplier that made the R/R and stator? Likewise, the cracked dash issue in the late-90's to early '00's dodge rams, is that a fault of the designer of the truck or the supplier that made the dash?

I tell this to anyone that thinks they can do it better, don't tell me you can do it better please just go to the source and have them let you do it better or if the source is local just go do it better and then I will decide if you have indeed done it better. Outside of that it's all talk and talk is cheap and gets nothing done - I'm a not a politician so I don't believe talking alone accomplishes goals or is worthy of a paycheck.

I see planned obsolescence.

[Killer2600]

I see planned obsolescence.

Everything Rusts, Corrodes, or Decays. No matter how well you engineer something, you can't beat mother nature. She always wins in the end.

[badeaslava]

Thanks again for all your helpful comments and suggestions. I've managed to get the power issue sorted out by connecting the ground lug of the solenoid directly to the battery negative. Now i get power when i turn the key, i get lights and everything working fine. I need now to charge the battery back to 12V and try to start it. There's one small (or maybe big problem) when I connect the ignitor into the electrical system I get a large current draw, such that all my lights, indicators dim significantly. Is this normal when the motor is not running? the ignitor shouldn't be doing anything when the motor is off, maybe there's a short.

meanwhile I'll try to get the battery charged somewhere and try my luck starting it... wish me luck...

[Steve]

I've managed to get the power issue sorted out by connecting the ground lug of the solenoid directly to the battery negative.

I was not aware that there is a "grounding lug" on the solenoid.

The whole solenoid case needs to be grounded, but that only affects your ability to push the button to start the engine, nothing else.

There's one small (or maybe big problem) when I connect the ignitor into the electrical system I get a large current draw, such that all my lights, indicators dim significantly. Is this normal when the motor is not running?

It's not the ignitor that is drawing the system down, it's the coils. Each one draws about 4 amps, so you have an 8 amp draw if the key is on and the engine is not running.

Actually, it's more than that, because the headlight is drawing another 5 amps or so, as well as the tail light and the instrument lights. The total draw will be closer to 12-13 amps when the key is on.

the ignitor shouldn't be doing anything when the motor is off, maybe there's a short.

The ignitor might draw just a little bit, but as pointed out above, it's not the ignitor that's drawing the system down.

.

[posplayr]

Thanks again for all your helpful comments and suggestions. I've managed to get the power issue sorted out by connecting the ground lug of the solenoid directly to the battery negative. Now i get power when i turn the key, i get lights and everything working fine. I need now to charge the battery back to 12V and try to start it. There's one small (or maybe big problem) when I connect the ignitor into the electrical system I get a large current draw, such that all my lights, indicators dim significantly. Is this normal when the motor is not running? the ignitor shouldn't be doing anything when the motor is off, maybe there's a short.

meanwhile I'll try to get the battery charged somewhere and try my luck starting it... wish me luck...

I think you must have a bad ignitor as you previously indicated a short that disappeared when you removed the ignitor. That is probably drawing down the battery. Why is it not blowing a fuse?

I would not fix ground problems while you have a bad ignitior.

I cringe a little when you said you moved a ground lug from solenoid to directly to the battery. The B/W ring lugs are how current gets back to the R/R(-). I would not willy nilly move them around unless you know what you are doing.

I assume this is the B/W ring lug from the harness that went to one of the -mounting bolts for the solenoid?