July 27, 2009 6:08 PM PDT
Hello group...I ride a recently-purchased '90 FLHTC bagger. she has 32K on the clock and runs like a champ. The previous owner added several lights to the rear of the bike that active as running/brake lights, and I am noticing that when I apply my brakes (front and/or rear), the voltmeter will drop substantially from 13-14 v to 8-9 v. Additionally, I have noticed a pegging of the voltmeter needle at 0 when I spool up the starter. This all came about about 2 weeks ago when i tried to start the scoot after sitting for about a week, and got NO action on the starter. I put her on an overnight trickle charge, and the next day she started just fine. There is a split-second hesitation when I depress the starter button before she turns over, and this is when I've noticed the meter peg to zero.
I am thinking that there should be a relay in the lighting system to relieve the load of the extra lights, and am at a loss on the starter situation. Any guidance on either or both issues would be appreciated.
I'll be checking back in daily, so thanks in advance. Chardagha