Alright: Here's what's going on.
Tried to start the bike a while back, and all I got was ONE "click" when the starter button was pressed. Nothing else-no buzz that I could hear or anything like that. Worthy of note was that the headlight and idiot lights did NOT come back on when I released the starter button-it was as if the key was turned off. Repeated presses of the starter button did not yield any more "clicks" or any of my lights.
Battery is pretty new, but the bike hadn't been ridden in quite some time, so I figured I'd put it on the battery tender to top it off as it SEEMED like a battery issue. I did this with the battery in the bike. Battery charged up quickly, and I tried the sequence again. When I turned the key on, there were no lights or anything and the starter wouldn't work-not even a click.
I know about the starter button problems on this bike-in fact, I replaced it several years ago due to that problem. So, I disassembled the switch and cleaned it all out. With the switch still disassembled, I jumped across the contacts for the "starter out" position. No headlights initially, but they eventually came back on, to full intensity after "jumping" across those contacts several times.
I then reassembled the switch, and proceeded to have the same problem with a single "click" on pressing the button followed by no lights afterwards.
I took the battery out (frustrated), and stuck it back on the charger (again-but this time removed from bike), figuring I'd leave it alone for a few days to see if I had an epiphany (no luck). The lights on the battery tender indicated it was charged in a very short period of time.
Several days later, I re-installed the battery and tried to start the bike. Fired up just like normal! I tried this several times over several days without actually riding the bike. Started up each time. (Worthy of note was that I didn't "rev" the engine much-so the battery shouldn't have been getting charged much-if at all-during these short periods of running, further convincing me that the battery was/is OK).
Well, I decided to take the bike for a short ride, and it felt great to get back on after a long time not riding. Thankfully i didn't go too far. It ran great the whole time I was riding it. I made a short stop though, and when I got back on the bike I had the same problem with the bike not starting-just one "click" followed by nothing, and no lights when the starter button was released.
Had the missus come and fetch me, then I rented a trailer and towed it home.
Took the battery out, stuck it on the tender and brought it to a full charge. Then brought it to discount auto where they did a cranking amps test-which is passed well. They couldn't "load test" it there though. The auto zone next door had a machine called a "bear" that could. I had it load tested there, and it passed just fine.
This brings me to today: I'm back at the house, bike is DOA in the garage, and I don't know where to go next.
Any suggestions?
