I've got a 2008 FXD superglide 50000km, bought it new 6 years ago - no issues at all until now.....

Recently - intermittent for past 4 months when riding the bike will back fire and the engine just dies - the speedo goes to zero but all the lights and other electrics work. The engine would then fire up again by dropping the clutchand roll starting, sometime whilst going over 90kph. 

This problem occured and I got a new - cheaper brand battery, the problem stayed and got worse, took it to a HD mechanic, checked it all over, found a few codes, nothing really special to identify the problem, could not find a fault and the fault didnt occur for some 2 months. He retightened the battery terminals and just gave it a once over - said the battery was fine and I went on a 1500km trip without issue.

3 weeks ago it started to backfire when starting, and intermittently cutout whilst riding, like it did before I got the new battery. Took it in to get checked again, however it had got to the stage were it would just fart and carry on and die in the ass and back fire, have to roll start, the injecter pump would kick in and out whilt priming it before starting anf then it would run stop etc etc etc......

Took it back to my mechanic, he is a good one, I suggested to get a HD brand battery put in and toss the old one, this was done and the problem was still there. It would not run, not prime the injectors, then it would run intermittently and was at times ok then would play up again. they checked and changed relays and the like, did everything thoroughly.

I went to check if the bike was ok, the next day, started strait away,  they said it was fine, there was no real reason for the problem, a few wires had been squashed when the throttle body and things were moved (by mee about 3 years ago) but the wiring harnesses were connecting well with no deficit to power supply.

I rode home, got geared up for a good ride,  My son and I took it for a ride, filled up with pertrol, turned the key, hit the prime switch (kill switch) amd it would no do anything, it then started, then back fired and started to run like shit and do what it was doing before the battery and repars were done. 

We took it home, looked at it, checked the wiring on the bars etc, started it and took it for a short ride, no issues, then did a 50km trip up and down the highway, ran like a clock, took it to the mechanic, told him about the issues, and then went home, no issues. He said he'll have another look at it next week, I'll just have to drop it in.....

Next day, went to satrt the bike, now wont run, if it does it farts and carry's on, the injectors prime -sometines, its got code lights showing and cannot get to run for more that 5 seconds at a time. 

To me its like and Earth wire short or non-connection, it just seems to drop out, when you switch on the injector switch (kill switch), somtimes the injectors can be heard bulding p pressure amd other time not and sometimes they go on off on off..... I have checked all the terminals and where the earth type wires connect, but I was thinking could it be a faulty switch on the switch block on the handlebars....

Any ideas????

My bike is my life and my therapy.... help.

 

Thanks Hilly, I'll get that checked too, the thing is it is ramdom in the sense that the system seems to just drop our intermittently, but I will check the pump and the filter, thenks again, Dero.