no headlight

[F6RDR]

stopped for gas shut bike off gassed up,started back up and no headlight?????

[Earl in Pensacola]

Check your fuses first--then if still no headlight--you may have to do "the starter switch maintenance".  Of course it may be the headlight, but I think that is highly unlikely.

[redflash]

WIth the red emergency stop switch off (to keep the engine from starting) poke the starter button a few times and see of the headlight flickers on and off or on at all. If so, it's the starter button. If your driving lights are wired driectly to the headlight, you need to fix that by adding a relay to them. See the Shop Talk pages for that operation. I had to do the same, but my bike wouldn't start was the problem. Thanks to this site for a "quick kill" solution to that problem!

[F6RDR]

Funny thing was "All" the other lights worked and the bike started and ran fine. I checked the fuses, Changed the bulb, played with the bullet connectors, pulled the ignition switch, looking for a short. I found nothing.
I was not looking forward to pulling the gas tank in the parking lot and checking the wire bundle the whole way back to the fuse box.

While I was on the phone to my buddy who was on this board with you guys I was playing with the positive battery connections and the light came on. They were not loose, they were very snug but not "tight". That turned out to be the problem. 

God steps in again, this did not happen when I was going 75-80 northbound on 93 in NH (10mins previously), but after I stopped for gas.

Morale;  After you turn 100k on the Valk. Check for loose battery connections. I'll have to remember that next time too. 

Steve

[Mr.BubblesVRCCDS0008]

I stopped my I/S for gas one night and when I fired it back up  I had no headlights at all. It was a moon lit night so I turned the 4 way flashed on and headed to the house. About a mile or two up the road the lights all came back on and it hasn't happened again. I figured it was the relay had gotten shut.

[Chrisj CMA]

I try to either check/adjust something or clean something on the bike EVERY DAY....no surprises that way.  So, I grabbed a 10mm socket and took the seat off........wouldnt you know it the terminals were much looser than I like them.  I wasnt having any problem, but probably had it gone unchecked it wouldnt have been long.  Funny how you forget some of the basics on a bike that goes forever with no maintenance issues.

Other things to check regularly:

brake pads
battery
cables (throttle)
tires/presure
fluid(s)
levers/pedal movement
lights
air cleaner
kill switch
horn


Valkyrie specific:
header nuts
intake runners
starter relay&button
seat release
rear fender wiring connector
petcock
shifter seal

[NobleOne]

Thanks VRCC Tech Board!!

Had the 'no headlight' issue and checked the bulb - nope, the fuse - nope, the switch - nope so I turned to the VRCC Tech Board ...

I tried the 'starter switch' test and guess what? ... HEADLAMP on!!

Morale of the story .... go to the VRCC Tech Board first ... well, maybe after at least after checking the bulb and fuse

Scott

[donaldcc]

   Good idea Chris.  Most days, even if I work and don't ride, I will sit down on stool next to bike a clean a small section and try to go over all the parts, connections, nuts, bolts in that section.  every now and then I make a small adjustment, tightening, etc. 

  recent long rides with friend and we had to repair a broken throttle cable 75 miles from home on his Triumph..  Jerry rigged it for his 500 mile trip home. he was asking me, "why doesn't your bike ever break down?" as we had repaired some malfunction on his bike on a previous long trip. I certainly have had occasional problems, but I think your maintenance method is very productive.