My first electrical related trouble last night.

Hello: I removed my seat on Saturday. Checked battery connections and coolant level just as a precaution before our annual Run to Sturgis. Used my battery tender overnight. Checked tire pressures and inspected anything else my heart desired. Put the bike away on Sunday. Got the bike out last night. Did not notice anything wrong. Rode west and partnered up with fellow VR member Patrolman 46. He wanted to change oil in his RSV. Met at his rural workshop. Had to ride a few slow miles on a washboard gravel road to get there. Pulled in the overhead door and went to work. Finished quickly as rain approached. When I went to leave I noticed my Headlight and taillights did not work. Had dash lights, brake light and Horn.

Not sure when the headlight quit. I feel I would have noticed it when I left my storage unit, but the sun was blasting in to my west facing unit when I backed out. Possible I could have missed it? I suspect the rough road was more likely the cause? Found a burnt 15a fuse? I inspected the wiring under the seat for a wear or pinch spot as well as the dealer installed driving lights. No problem found. Replaced the fuse and chose to ride 20 miles home with only the stock headlight just incase the issue is in my driving lights. The trouble shooting delayed my ride home and put me in early darkness. Just wanted to be on the safe side. Purchased mire fuses and stashed them in my side bags. I rarely ride in the dark, but curious to see if the issue returns. First real issue since so purchased the bike in 2007.

I will tell you where I would start looking next. Does the bike have passing lights installed? Are they on a relay. Look up under by the front forks. The wires for the signals and fog/passing lights run sort of under in front and go in an area that is by the turn stops for the forks. Mine got pinched in there and shorted out the lights.

The dealer wires in the passing lights with a guillotine lock to the headlight, so if something goes wrong with passing lights and shorts out it takes the headlight with it.

Don: Thanks for the suggestion. The dealer did not install the driving lights on a relay. I too suspect the source of the issue is in the driving light circuit also. Brought on by the rough road. It will likely reappear. I have since learned about the relay install and may consider that if it does. I will keep looking for the source to the problem. Thanks for the suggestions. This site rocks!!!

take a look at the connections at the fuse box and see if the old fuse had hot spots at the contact points? I had this same concern several years ago and ended up installing another fuse holder because the contact points were damaged too much to use and kept blowing due to poor connection.

Wow, does that sound familiar. I installed my passing lamps a couple of weeks ago, and all was fine. The next day I installed the lamp visors, which meant splitting the fairing again, and after I got it all back together, I tested it, all ok. Went to ride the next morning, and my lights were dead. Once I got home, I checked the fuse, and it was blown. I checked the current before installing the fuse, and it was around 10 amps with all lights on, which is well below the 15 amp fuse value, so I put another fuse in, and it was fine. Went for another ride later that day, and it popped again. Upon further investigation, I found that the very last screw I put in to re-assemble the fairing (the one that goes in the headlight bezel) went right through a wire in the extension harness they give you with the light kit. So I got that fixed, and it worked fine after that for a couple of weeks. Last weekend it popped again. This time I could find no obvious cause, so I taped up all the harness wiring that goes to the lights just in case there is a pinhole sized cut in one of the jackets. It is currently working, although I haven't tested it in a few days. I do not have full confidence in this yet, and am not willing to ride in the dark, just in case.

Dale.

Wow, does that sound familiar. I installed my passing lamps a couple of weeks ago, and all was fine. The next day I installed the lamp visors, which meant splitting the fairing again, and after I got it all back together, I tested it, all ok. Went to ride the next morning, and my lights were dead. Once I got home, I checked the fuse, and it was blown. I checked the current before installing the fuse, and it was around 10 amps with all lights on, which is well below the 15 amp fuse value, so I put another fuse in, and it was fine. Went for another ride later that day, and it popped again. Upon further investigation, I found that the very last screw I put in to re-assemble the fairing (the one that goes in the headlight bezel) went right through a wire in the extension harness they give you with the light kit. So I got that fixed, and it worked fine after that for a couple of weeks. Last weekend it popped again. This time I could find no obvious cause, so I taped up all the harness wiring that goes to the lights just in case there is a pinhole sized cut in one of the jackets. It is currently working, although I haven't tested it in a few days. I do not have full confidence in this yet, and am not willing to ride in the dark, just in case.

Dale.

Check out this thread, it may have part of the answer to your problem:

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=85002