Ok guys im fairly new to harleys but love my '97 sportser, anyway after losing a battery terminal bolt off my bike during a recent ride i got a random bolt and fixed the problem, til i got my hands on a proper bolt.  Now today i got the correct bolt and was in the process off swapping them out when i arced the spanner across battery terminals,  YES IM A TOOL I KNOW!! now i have nothing!! no lights or ignition nothing.. ive checked fuses they are fine, is there anyway of checking the circuit breaker?? or anything else i could check?  Any help would be great, thanks in advance guys!

Nathan

Does the 97 models have a master fuse? If so, check that - its usually not with the other fuses.

If the spanner shorted the battery terminals it should not affect any of the fuses - check that the battery has not gone open circuit.

If you don't have a voltmeter try a 100watt 12volt test globe across the battery.

ok guys thanks for all the input! found the problem this morning.. after going over all these things you blokes mentioned i was still getting no where fast only when i was about to hit my beloved bike with a hammer i noticed the positive power wire to the battery was loose, apon further inspection the wire has broken from the connector!! so problem solved!!

thanks heaps for the info, no doubt you'll be hearing from me again

nathan