[Saxon 1]

Help iv a 500 bullet I pulled it out the garage for a last run out,the bike started within a couple of kicks,it ran fine then started misfiring and back firing then cut out.
I then discovered I has no power at the ignition no lights or horn with it switched on,iv replaced the battery and checked the eaths and fuse,any advice would be much appreciated 👍

[AzCal Retred]

Is this a Pre-Unit, the Electra, or a UCE?

First of all make sure the battery ground is good, clean connections, tight, greased, no paint/rust under the ground lug on the frame.

If it has points, start with checking & "ohming out" the main switch and kill switch circuits. Verify power gets to the coil (+).

If it's electronic, the chassis ground is a good start, but the rest is more complex. Often part substitution is required.

Model info & a picture?

[Saxon 1]

2002 model pre unit points buddy

[Adrian II]

Indian wiring can degrade over the years, a few years ago one of mine lost all power when the wire from the battery to the ammeter broke where the wiring loom had been flexing around the headstock of the frame. I replaced the wire and everything was back up and running.

A.

[Adrian II]

Indian wiring can degrade over the years, a few years ago one of mine lost all power when the wire from the battery to the ammeter broke where the wiring loom had been flexing around the headstock of the frame. I replaced the wire and everything was back up and running.

A.

[mrunderhill1975a]

I agree with Adrian, wire break or other short.  I had a similar experience when the power wire to the taillight shorted where it passed through the fender.  The short happened when I hit a bump then cleared up momentarily. The problem was compounded because someone had placed a 30 amp fuse in place the of the factory 15 amp fuse.  Fuse never blew, only wires melted.

Check all the usual suspects where the hot wires rub against metal, (headstock, nacelle spaghetti bowl, anywhere wire passes through metal parts or rubs etc).

[AzCal Retred]

A 2002 Bullet has AC lights that only operate when the engine runs, so skip those.
You have double checked the fuse & fuse holder? Mine disintegrated on all my Bullets. Napa saved the day.

Disconnect your battery. Put your VOM/Multimeter on resistance and read (+) to (-) on the battery leads. Switch OFF, it should be near "infinite" ohms.
Switch ON, it should be somewhere between 2 to 12 ohms which correlates to a current draw of 6A to 1A.
Your fuse is rated at 15A for fault duty. Point/coil are the "big" load, mine are usually 3A-5A depending on the coil type.
Resistances under 1 ohm are a good indication of a high resistance short, and less than that a dead short.
Read resistances as you poke & prod the wiring, move the forks left & right, etc., look for a deflection from the nominal 2-4 ohm level. If it's pegged at under 1 ohm, some (+) wire has managed to short to the frame or a black (-) wire in the harness or under seat.
Occasionally (rarely) the Reg/Reg can fail, but unplug it as a test check to see if that changes the readings.
Good Hunting - ACR -

[Willie]

Indian wiring can degrade over the years, a few years ago one of mine lost all power when the wire from the battery to the ammeter broke where the wiring loom had been flexing around the headstock of the frame. I replaced the wire and everything was back up and running.

A.

This is so true that it ought to be a scheduled R&R on the maintenance schedule.  I was having intermittent start problems that I diagnosed and fixed, one after the other, rather than just replacing parts.  Fix one, ride a little, find and fix another.  I finally dissected the wiring harness bundle at its thickest part just in front of the fuel tank.  As I pulled the casing apart there were literally dozens of shiny bare spots on almost all the wires where the insulation had split, cracked, or otherwise failed.  The bare spots glittered in the glare of the flashlight like lights on a Christmas tree!  I cannot fathom how the bike even ran or functioned electrically with all the damage.  I am replacing the harness, which gives me a good opportunity to clean-out and refresh the fuel tank, pump, and level sensor.  The amount of junk (paint flakes, metal shards, and rust) is astounding, and most of it appears to have been caused and left in the tank at the factory.

My take away - if you start having serial electrical issues, take a look inside your wiring harness.  You will probably find several break-downs just waiting to happen.  If you have fuel related problems, then a filthy tank has probably gunked-up your filter, pump, fuel line, or injector.  My G5 Bullet is a 2009 make.  Quality control can only have improved since then.  So far, it is a labor of love.  If it gets to be merely labor it will be thinned from the herd.

[Carl Fenn]

Use a test light trace the wire from battery find out where is goes dead could be a break in wire up to ignition.