From what I read in some searches in the NGW forums, I have a few possible issues to work through:
- Weak Battery. I'll get her fully charged. I'm not convinced this is the issue.
- Solenoid/30 amp fuse. I'll pull it, clean the terminals, insert a new fuse for good measure.
- Loose connection up at the ignition.
If there's another one, please do offer it up.
I've had some other issues this week and have yet to really dig into the problem.
First time I lost power was Tuesday morning. I've occasionally jumped it to start on cold mornings, as I've not been diligent with the trickler as temps have dropped. And it's been cold at night. OK. Did that, and she roared to life as normal. I noted some odd bucking about 1/4 mile from home, and she died. While rolling, I pop started her. By the 1/2 mile mark and approaching a stop, she died. No lights. I pushed her to the corner station.
I thought 30 amp fuse. Pulled it. Looked good. Put it back in. Bike started right up. Smiles. Not wanting more trouble farther from home, I rode back to the house. When I got there, she was sounding awful. I should note that it was so cold that I couldn't get the starter clutch to do the job on my '82, even though it'll often kick in after the second or third try in frosty weather. As my ST's rear brake still needed attention before I could ride it, I took the truck to work. (Joy.)
After work, I tried again. Lights on. Good. Cranked. Not enough juice to start. Then no lights at all. I pull 30 amp fuse. No issue. Put it back in. Lights on. Hmm. Strange. Maybe a fuse with a tiny crack in it, or perhaps the solenoid has corrosion in it that creates issues. (It's natural habitat is not all that well protected from the elements.)
Wednesday morning I hooked up my booster again because it was cold. Mind you, I'm not spending much time with the pack on the battery. I start the bike, reach down to disconnect the leads, and I notice the negative terminal is melted! Whoa. I'm guessing some sort of short occurred in the way I hooked up the leads. I'm also thinking it's more coincidence than symptom of the problem I had with the power failures. (I use that same pack whenever I have a low battery situation on a bike to get a quick start; it's pretty reliable.) But anything could be related to almost anything.
Today she fired right up without issue - and on the battery. No evident issues at the terminals.