Electrical issues 07 K9

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Recently, I ran into some electrical issues that I wanted to make everyone aware with my 2007 K9 in the hopes that this information might prove to be helpful down the road. I was on a road trip with a friend in eastern Oregon in late September. The bikes had to spend the night outside and since we were in the high desert temps would drop into the mid to high 20's in the night. On the last day in the morning my bike failed to start. It appeared that the starter solenoid was the problem since it would not retract the starter and as a result the starter got stuck in the ring gear. After consulting with Curtis at Wild Steed Works the problem turned out to be the EHC. (We thought it was a bad starter which of course would not be that uncommon). The new EHC in the bike now is the third EHC in this motorcycle. The original one in the bike when I purchased it little under two years ago with about 3200 miles (the bike now has about 8k miles) - which was replaced almost as soon as I took delivery of the bike, that second EHC which was purchased from Curtis as well as the recommended complete new charging system - lasted not quite two years - and now I am on the third EHC which was just installed on the 28th of November 2023 in the bike. Curtis being the stand-up guy that he is provided the new EHC under warranty and shipped it right out to me. This new EHC looks a little bit longer and has what looks like a relay of some type attached to the EHC itself. I have some inquires out there to see why and how this new EHC has been changed. Once the new EHC was installed the bike fired right up but had to be started with a starter pack 1st. It now appears that the battery may have a bad cell. The folks at Rottweiler Motorcycle in Bremerton Washington did all the work and they did an excellent job at a fair price. If you have a Big Dog in the Pacific Northwest you may want to check these guys out. I would highy recommend them. What they said was that the electrical system in these bikes is very touchy - and they work on a lot of Big Dogs - and even though you may think your battery is good with a volt meter if it's off as little as say 20% it could cause problems. Did the battery issue have anything to do with the EHC and the starter not retracting - who knows right? The chicken or the egg...But supposably the EHC protects itself by shutting everything down. Both Curtis and Rottweiler called it as a bad EHC from the get go. So we were way off thinking it was a bad starter solenoid. Im hoping this is the last EHC that leaves me standing by the side of the road waiting on a tow truck but hey thats all part of the adventure...Right? (NOT)
 
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Mickmorris said:
What was the EHC code#? 58 was the EHC they determined had a flaw. Pretty sure Curtis figured it out. I do believe it was affecting the starting system from what I remember reading in other posts.
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Sorry, I dont have EHC code 58 in my paperwrok. Curtis was spot on calling out the problem. I have an email out to him asking for some more info on the EHC that failed. I am thinking that Curtis was aware that the starting circuit in the EHC was suspect as well. Im hoping that the mods to the EHC that I described in my previous post were redesigned to address this very problem. It would be great to know that replacing the EHC for the third time is simply not a bandaid and other issues are lurking causing the EHC to fail so often. By the way: The EHC that we replaced is a: Elektronik Model EHC 03-04-48. Once I hear back from Curtis, I will let everyone know what he has to say about this EHC. Happy Holidays and keep a keen eye out for A holes on their cell phones (LOL)
 
Mickmorris

Mickmorris

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Money said:
Sorry correction. EHC Model 03-04-58. Sorry bout that.
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So yeah the 58 is the one that had issues and obviously the one that failed on you. I think Axel had determined what was wrong but last I heard they stopped selling the 58. If you look on your EHC those #’s 03 / 04 / 58 are different models for different years. I have the ‘04 EHC your later model & year bike used the 58
 
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Mikeinjersey

Mikeinjersey

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Money said:
Sorry, I dont have EHC code 58 in my paperwrok. Curtis was spot on calling out the problem. I have an email out to him asking for some more info on the EHC that failed. I am thinking that Curtis was aware that the starting circuit in the EHC was suspect as well. Im hoping that the mods to the EHC that I described in my previous post were redesigned to address this very problem. It would be great to know that replacing the EHC for the third time is simply not a bandaid and other issues are lurking causing the EHC to fail so often. By the way: The EHC that we replaced is a: Elektronik Model EHC 03-04-48. Once I hear back from Curtis, I will let everyone know what he has to say about this EHC. Happy Holidays and keep a keen eye out for A holes on their cell phones (LOL)
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This is a pic of a "Lurking Cause" you could check out on your bike. Shavings from the throttle cable. Also a bad or shorted cell in your battery is a major league possibility for your headaches.
 

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Spot On Mike - the battery looks to have a bad cell. I wanted to reach out to all you folks especially up North who have to start these bikes in the cold - what battery you might recommend? Currently, I have the American-made Duracell Ultra. It's been a good battery (lasted about two years) but when exposed to cold weather it's less than great. I think those 20-degree temps at night on our late September run killed it for good.
 
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Mickmorris said:
So yeah the 58 is the one that had issues and obviously the one that failed on you. I think Axel had determined what was wrong but last I heard they stopped selling the 58. If you look on your EHC those #’s 03 / 04 / 58 are different models for different years. I have the ‘04 EHC your later model & year bike used the 58
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Thanks, Mickmorris - This makes me feel a lot better. I have suspected that the 58 might have a bad starter circuit - although I have not heard back from Curtis yet. Hopefully, this new design will eliminate these revolving EHCs, not to mention being stranded on the side of the road. I must add - that the last tow truck driver who took me and the bike home (about a 3-hour ride) was a great guy. He was an Iraqi combat vet and as a Vet-to-Vet was very open about his experiences. The only combat experience I had in the military was in the bars in Altus Oklahoma fighting with the locals usually over the local girls. It was my first time to really talk to someone about their experiences over there. I am so proud of our fighting force that I can't find the words to express my gratitude for all they had to endure. I salute all of you will all my heart and soul. Much love and Respect.
 
Mickmorris

Mickmorris

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Thanks, Mickmorris - This makes me feel a lot better. I have suspected that the 58 might have a bad starter circuit - although I have not heard back from Curtis yet. Hopefully, this new design will eliminate these revolving EHCs, not to mention being stranded on the side of the road. I must add - that the last tow truck driver who took me and the bike home (about a 3-hour ride) was a great guy. He was an Iraqi combat vet and as a Vet-to-Vet was very open about his experiences. The only combat experience I had in the military was in the bars in Altus Oklahoma fighting with the locals usually over the local girls. It was my first time to really talk to someone about their experiences over there. I am so proud of our fighting force that I can't find the words to express my gratitude for all they had to endure. I salute all of you will all my heart and soul. Much love and Respect.
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Were you stationed at Ft. Sill?
 
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In my efforts to obtain the perfect Battery for my K9, I spoke to the always informative Tim at the factory to see what they were using. They get their batteries from O'reilly auto parts. The battery is a Super Start PN: ETX20L with 310 Cold Cranking amps. The guys at O'Reilly weren't sure but he said most of their batteries were made for them by Johnson Controls. However, this isn't the news that I wanted to communicate. Tim also stressed to not buy the Lithium Batteries. He indicated that they have been known to destroy the bike's electrical system. That would really suck. Happy Holidays!
 
Mickmorris

Mickmorris

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Money said:
In my efforts to obtain the perfect Battery for my K9, I spoke to the always informative Tim at the factory to see what they were using. They get their batteries from O'reilly auto parts. The battery is a Super Start PN: ETX20L with 310 Cold Cranking amps. The guys at O'Reilly weren't sure but he said most of their batteries were made for them by Johnson Controls. However, this isn't the news that I wanted to communicate. Tim also stressed to not buy the Lithium Batteries. He indicated that they have been known to destroy the bike's electrical system. That would really suck. Happy Holidays!
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Yes if you live where it gets cold you definitely Do Not want a lithium battery in your BigDog.
I live in Florida and I use Deka in all my bikes.
 
FXDWG

FXDWG

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Mickmorris said:
So yeah the 58 is the one that had issues and obviously the one that failed on you. I think Axel had determined what was wrong but last I heard they stopped selling the 58. If you look on your EHC those #’s 03 / 04 / 58 are different models for different years. I have the ‘04 EHC your later model & year bike used the 58
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Axel is still and will continue manufacturing the EHC58. I verified this directly with him, they're in stock in Germany and Curtis can get them quickly as well. There's a lot of "misinformation" circulating in the FB groups stating that this EHC has been discontinued. It's not correct - they are available and will continue to be available.
 
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