Dies and won't start

[Phunnybone]

Friday she died at 55mph - no sputter, just died. After a few minutes I got her started. Couple of miles down the road she died again but was able to downshift and pop the clutch to get it started again and made it to work. After work she started but when I shut the choke off she died. Wouldn't even turn over. Got someone to give me a jump and made it home. Put the battery on a charge and put it back in Sunday morning and she started. Went to Walmart and the gas station but she died 3 miles from home.

Recharged battery, replaced solenoid A by the battery.
In Neutral with neutral light lit:
- all lights come on
- lights go off when I presss the start button
- can hear/feel relays operating when starter button
pushed
- starter does not turn over

Suggestions?

[Rambozo]

I expect you have more than one problem. Something that caused it to die, then all the cranking has taken out something in the starter circuit.
Lights going off when pushing the start button is by design and normal.
Check with a meter or test light to confirm power going through the solenoids and to the starter.
Check all power and ground connections, especially near the battery.
With a 1500 a good first step is to start with a new AGM battery. They need lots of power to work right.
That should let you know why it's not cranking. Now as to why it keeps dying, that is something else. Could be power related or not.

[Phunnybone]

With a 1500 a good first step is to start with a new AGM battery. They need lots of power to work right.
That should let you know why it's not cranking. Now as to why it keeps dying, that is something else. Could be power related or not.

Won't crank at all even after the first time it died. It did crank after a jump then cranked 3 different times after I charged the AGM battery (only 8 months old) the first time.
Second time it restarted at 45 by downshifting to 4th and releasing the clutch. But it wouldn't restart that way when it died on Sunday.

[Rambozo]

What is the battery voltage? How about when you hit the start button?
Trace out the starting problem. Then if it will run check the charging system. So far it all sounds like low voltage, but there is too much missing info, and no test results.
Do you have the wiring diagram?

[Fiberthree]

Just because the battery is only eight months old doesn't mean it can't be bad. I had a cell short out on an AGM battery that was 32 days old. It showed 12.4 volts with a VOM but that didn't reflect what it did under load. (trying to start the engine) Have your battery tested with a load meter if you still think it's good. You also may not go very far on just the alternator alone if it is the stock unit and you have a bad battery.

[Phunnybone]

Got the manual and electrical manual but my testing meter is in storage where I can't get to it.

It willattempt to crank if Short a screwdriver across the posts of solenoid A.

[Rambozo]

Got the manual and electrical manual but my testing meter is in storage where I can't get to it.

It willattempt to crank if Short a screwdriver across the posts of solenoid A.

Ok, so you know the starter is ok. I can't see you getting very far without at least making a test light. Then you can see if the solenoid is getting a signal. If it is, it's bad, if it's not, you need to find out why.
Even a $7 volt meter from Harbor Freight would most likely be all you would need, and small enough that it could live on the bike with your tool kit for those roadside repairs.

[QATO]

I'm not GL1500 savvy, but in general, if it comes to electrical problems of this sort I would check for poor or loose ground cable connection. not from the battery side but from where it is mounted to the frame.

[Phunnybone]

Used a screwdriver on the solenoid A terminals and the starter cranked. Next thing I’m gonna try is to bypass the bank angle sensor.

[MikeB]

I read through all these posts and nowhere do I see a voltage check of the battery when it is not in use or when the engine is running.
If the alternator is not keeping the battery charged while the engine it running, the battery will be depleted and the bike will die. A jump start will get it going again but it will die again is short order.

Everything seems to point to an alternator that is not doing its job. Buy a cheap voltmeter from Harbor freight if you have to but you really need to know what the voltage is with the bike static and with it running. Static the voltage should be about 12.7 volts. Engine running above 1000 rpm the voltage should be 13.7 to 14.4 v.

[Phunnybone]

Major problem is that it won’t start. Just got a load tester via Amazon. Shorting the terminals on solenoid A will cause the starter to crank over. I’m starting to wonder if it’s not the bank angle sensor. Gonna try to bypass it to see if it’ll start.

[Phunnybone]

Load test is good. CCA listed as 350 and test comes out above that. Leaning toward bank angle sensor. Lights work (and headlight goes out when start button pushed). Starter works when shorted across solenoid posts.

[MikeB]

Has the Run-Stop switch been tested?

With a '998 through 2000, the engine will not turn over if the Rus-Stop switch is not in the Run position.

To check it, turn on the ignition key. With the Cruise On Switch engaged, the CRUISE light should come on. If the CRUISE switch does not come on, there is a problem with the Run-Stop circuit.

[Phunnybone]

Has the Run-Stop switch been tested?

With a '998 through 2000, the engine will not turn over if the Rus-Stop switch is not in the Run position.

To check it, turn on the ignition key. With the Cruise On Switch engaged, the CRUISE light should come on. If the CRUISE switch does not come on, there is a problem with the Run-Stop circuit.

Cruise light does not come on. Is there a way to bypass run-stop to check it?

[MikeB]

You will need to open the right switch quadrant to get access to the switch.

On the off chance that it is just a little oxidation on the switch contacts, rotate it back and forth multiple times. If that does not work, there may be a loose connection in on the switch itself.

[Phunnybone]

You will need to open the right switch quadrant to get access to the switch.

On the off chance that it is just a little oxidation on the switch contacts, rotate it back and forth multiple times. If that does not work, there may be a loose connection in on the switch itself.

Had it open yesterday, everything looked good but ai didn’t test the tightness of any of the screws. Will check that tomorrow before I try anything else.

[Phunnybone]

You will need to open the right switch quadrant to get access to the switch.

On the off chance that it is just a little oxidation on the switch contacts, rotate it back and forth multiple times. If that does not work, there may be a loose connection in on the switch itself.

Thanks to MikeB I now have a running wing. One screw was loose and just had to wiggle the kill switch a few times after I tightened it.

Thanks to my own impatience I now have a spare battery, solenoid A, and alternator.

[MikeB]

It is always good to have spare parts. Glad you got it taken care of.