07 K-9 Tries to Start but won't Turn Over

[stlmikie]

Outside of the bike actually running the best part is knowing that you can now get your hands dirty and take care of business if needed. Very gratifying.

FINAL STATUS!!

Installed new Braille battery this evening, the BigDog roared to life!!

I am a convert now of these batteries, my bike has never cranked so vigorously at the first touch of the Start button...

Thought I'd let everyone know the outcome!

Ride safe All and THANKS for the help! :choppersmiley:

Details for those that want them:

1. Battery delivered today, I put it on the charger first to top-off, Braille came in 88% charged, most likely would have Started the Dog OK with no charging top-off I'll bet.

2. Once 100% charged I took the POS second 'New' BikeMaster TruGel and the new Braille B2015 batteries into town to the same Advance Auto Parts to load test the batteries. The TruGel (rated supposedly at 330 CCAs) only tested at 265 CCAs!! (265 is LESS than my original 5.5 Year old AGM battery from factory BigDog tested 3 weeks ago at 267 CCAs!!! WTF???)
Moral: BIKEMASTER TRUGEL Batteries (even when NEW) are Pieces of SHIT!!!

3. New Braille B2015 Load Tested at an amazing 627 CCAs and a factory 'Test' sheet shipped with the Braille had it rated at 646 when it was QA tested and factory charged before shipping... Holy Shizz Nuff said...

4. Before leaving town went and bought Stainless Steel 10mm fine threaded #6 Hex Bolts, Washers, Lock washers for the install, along with some rubber padding to cut/place on Braille to protect it in the battery well from rubbing/vibrations against frame mounting bolts, etc.

5. Came home and installed the Braille, re-burnished all connectors POS/NEG and re-installed them rubbing down generously with Dielectric grease, all looked so silver and shiny I was already getting a potential "Dog is Gonna Start-Up" boner in anticipation. Checked the resting DC Voltage at the battery and it was a spicy 13.54 DC volts. I can feel the pulse starting to race a little in my forehead, I am getting excited like a school girl getting her first bra... (Should I admit that?? )

6. Just so as to not be too cocky, I proceeded with my first 'post-Braille installation' Cranking test BEFORE putting the Seat back on. I did NOT want to be so bold as to assume it would start up... I turned the key, waited the normal 2 sec for the Speedo to do its thing, hit the Run Button, then, hit the Start button and
WHAMMO! The K-9 Started so GD fast and vigorous it made me almost piss myself...

7. Just to be scientific (hell I have already done more maintenance on the K-9 in the last 10-12 weeks as the whole 5.5 years all total prior to this so why stop now??) So I checked the charging/Voltage while running at the battery POS/NEG terminals and it was at a healthy 14.45 volts DC!! Good to go...
(Next I will check the resting voltage after a decent ride, and the DC voltage drop off 'during' a Crank-up but what the Frak... I say Hellz with that for now - I am going for a ride!! :up

Took the K-9 out for a 1-1.5 hour evening ride, felt good to ride out most of a tank of gas without worrying if the Bike will crank or not and leave me stranded. So after coming back close to home, I stopped 3 times within 15 minutes at the end of the ride, cutting off the K-9 at each stop and the Bike cranked back up like Hellz Bellz each time! I am sold on Braille's now, wondering why the holy crapfest I did not buy one of these YEARS ago!

Here is my Braille pitch:
I have owned this 117ci BigDog since the day it came from the factory almost 6 years ago, and NEVER, ever since I first cranked it at the Big Dog Dealership the very first day has the K-9 ever cranked so hard and vigorous on the first instant of depressing the Start button!

Note to self: Still need to have Compression Releases checked/serviced/cleaned at next tune-up/servicing BUT, a Braille with over 600 CCAs will most likely crank right THROUGH the compression if I keep it on the Tender religiously (and I always do, which is how I got 5.5 years out of the original BigDog factory AGM battery).

I did just buy a brand new Deltran Battery Tender Jr. and was shipped a few days prior to the Braille, many have said these should be changed every few years, I got 5.5 years service out of my first when I bought this K-9.

THANKS to all for your help, I learned many new lessons and finally 'popped my cherry' doing my own maintenance on my Big Dog with this Forum's help, it was fun, invigorating, and somewhat ego bolstering all at the same time!

Next Projects:
- Buy a K&P Stainless Steel Oil Filter and the 'Oil Scavenger' and start DOING MY OWN GD OIL CHANGES!!
- Buy and install the 'DeadOne's' Big Dog Charging System Battery Fault Light as mentioned earlier in this Thread!
- Replace my original BigDog 'Vibrating/Fogging' Speedo with a Dakota Digital or Medallion Speedo!
- Keep Praying over my original Factory EHC Harness!! HAHAHAHA

 

[joey1158]

Just finished reading BigMack73's story from start to finish. Even had my own issues with the battery in my '08 K9 so the whole story fell on sympathetic ears. Your problem was such a great experience I think it's movie material. We all learned a lot from your experience.
Thank you.

 

[DemonK9]

Well sir nothing a gas can and a match couldn’t handle….. ohhhhhhhh ahhhhhhh pretty. “Like a good neighbor state farm is there!” lol

 

[BigMack73]

OverDue "One-Year Later" Status Update

Following the install of the Braille B2015 battery in spring of 2012 I had the BEST SUMMER OF NON-STOP STARTS and Error FREE riding I have EVER experienced in 5-6 years of being a satisfied Big Dog owner!!

By far this purchase was the best thing I have ever decided to do, and if anyone experiences sluggish starting, flashing lights at attempted crank-over, or any weird 'cut-off while riding' issues I would say you should make the purchase of a battery with verified tested over 600 CCA's your NEXT PURCHASE! You will not be sorry.

Now, to add full disclosure, while I put more miles riding on my Big Dog K-9 in the wonderful errorless starting summer of 2012, on Labor Day weekend Mrs. BigMack73 had a massive stroke and nearly died. She has had a long recovery after a miraculous survival from a double-sided brain stroke due to a massive clot in the left rear of her brain which caused a bleed in her right frontal lobe and massive damage in the left rear brain (we now believe caused by YAZ birth control usage as a prolonged hormone therapy treatment!!) so I followed the BEST Big Dog summer of my life with the least Big Dog riding winter of 2012 in my life. In fact, I did not even START-UP the K-9 in Sept/Oct/ OR Nov 2012. It just sat under cover, in my back barn for 90 plus days. I have put less than 500 miles on my K-9 in the last 14 months, which is just GD pathetic, and criminal, but is explained by our circumstance.

However, after NO trickle charging, NO starting or riding for over 3 solid months, after which I finally got my beloved wife back home from prolonged stays in north central Florida hospitals for weeks and weeks I finally tried cranking my Big Dog in Early December 2012. Took one or two crank-over attempts and a few coughs/sputters and 'rust blows' but SHE CRANKED RIGHT UP big as hell on the third turn-over cranking attempt!! That Braille battery cranked the shit outta my K-9 after MONTHS of sitting with NO trickle charging!!!

Now if that doesn't convince you to buy a GOOD battery with 5-600 CCAs for your Big Dog, I don't know what will. I had already pulled out my battery cleaning tools, battery charger, and all the usual 'Dog won't turnover' tools and had NO NEED for them. The Braille cranked the hell out of a rusted, abandoned, and abused Big Dog. I wanted to tongue-kiss my Braille, but, after realizing that was a sicko idea - I abstained. Instead I took my poor old K-9 girl out for a much needed spin, to circulate some tired oil, use up some stale gas, and put some air in some half flat Avon tires.

Well, unfortunately Mrs. BigMack, while doing OK and recovering amazingly from at first having 4 barely usable arms and legs to later having a good left arm and leg, a weaker right leg and a really weak and barely usable right arm and hand so she is functioning OK, but unable to drive and work, but worst - UNABLE to ride/balance on the Big Dog at all. A devastaing state of affairs for our favorite hobby, and one that has left me wondering what to do with the K-9 as I can barely ride her without thinking of the wife I am leaving behind unable to participate in the ride.

But, don't weep for ole BigMack, we are lucky she is alive and doing well, and able to go to rehab and getting slowly better day by day! I will figure out what to do with the K-9 and maybe turn her into a K-9 custom trike?? (I did contact a custom cycle builder in Jacksonville who said he would if I had the $$) or trade her in for a reliable Harley with a big wrap around rear seat that maybe my wife can sit in safely. Who knows but life sometimes takes weird turns and we either survive and adapt, or pout and let life pass us by.

Either way I wanted to let you all know that the Braille B2015 battery was STILL the best purchase I EVER made for my Big Dog. No more unexplained EHC problems, No more weird tachometer issues, flickering speedo issues or non-functioning odometers, sudden cut-offs while riding, no more strangely flickering headlight at night, nor especially ever any more sluggish starting issues EVER again. Even after stupidly letting my beautiful K-9 sit completely forgotten and un-tended to for over 90-100 days in winter time.

Buy a battery capable AND suitable for the electrical draw/drain and massive sized S&S engine you have purchased in your Big Dog! Keeping a small/undersized battery in your Dog is like 'farting in the wind' and calling it a hurricane... :loony:

Gary "BigMack" Mack
The luckiest Big Dog owner in N Central Florida, USA! :up:

 

[francoblay1]

Awesome

 

[Mickeetwo]

Glad to hear your wife is getting better Gary.....Sounds like she's in good hands. She's a lucky women :2thumbs:

 

[Dog 10]

2007/K9

Like you I am a 07/K9 owner and former U. S. Air Force and well educated in electronics. These K-9's are something else ...............

PM me with your e-mail address and i will send you "PDF" service manuals,
updates, mods, and electrical schm's.

 

[JDog]

Hey BigMack did you say your Dog would just cut off riding down the street? I'm having that problem now?????

 

[Skater]

i have a v-twin and did like u sed the one side i can feel its pulling but the other side its not half as much as it pulls on the other side