why is my King not starting?

[KING 2000]

I just got my first Harley one month ago. It is a 2000 Road King Classic with 80,000 miles. i purchased from a well known dealer in oklahoma so i could feel more comfortable about the condition. just yesterday it would not start all of the sudden. I cranks and cranks with an occassional back fire. What could be wrong? the dealers service just tells me to bring it over, but that's a 2.5 hr drive and $150 in gas. budget tight. any thoughts?

 

[hargun2]

my 02 Standard quit on the road and it would just crank and crank and pop once in awhile. I had all my lights so it wasn't the master circuit breaker, the next thing I tried was the crank position sensor and shes purring like a kitten again.

 

[KING 2000]

i,m not able to work on it myself. do you mind telling me what that could cost to replace the crank position sensor? thanks

 

[Jack Klarich]

I just got my first Harley one month ago. It is a 2000 Road King Classic with 80,000 miles. i purchased from a well known dealer in oklahoma so i could feel more comfortable about the condition. just yesterday it would not start all of the sudden. I cranks and cranks with an occassional back fire. What could be wrong? the dealers service just tells me to bring it over, but that's a 2.5 hr drive and $150 in gas. budget tight. any thoughts?

Harley Davidson Community here is a good place to start, then you will know what is causing the problem so the dealer can not give you the wrong info, just a thought:s

 

[wannaride]

King 2000 where abouts are you. I am in Colorado, I have a spare crank & cam sensor & am able to help.

Toby

 

[Hoople]

i,m not able to work on it myself. do you mind telling me what that could cost to replace the crank position sensor? thanks

~$50 for a crank sensor and maybe 3/4 hr labor (flat rate). Based on if that is the problem. Might want to see if you have any codes. You did not say if your carb or FI.

 

[KING 2000]

thanks to everyone's replies. This is very helpful. thanks Toby, i am in Oklahoma near enid. I will try to find out what part is bad first. i dont' feel i can replace the sensor on my own. but now...........i was about to push it up on the trailor and decided to see if it would run to drive it up. It started right up like nothing was wrong! Drove it around a bit, turned it off, started right up again! letting it sit for an hour or so to see what happens. Does this confirm what's wrong to anyone?

at least i feel it's something more minor to repair. glad i didn't spend bookoo $$$ driving to tulsa now.

 

[R. Lewis]

thanks to everyone's replies. This is very helpful. thanks Toby, i am in Oklahoma near enid. I will try to find out what part is bad first. i dont' feel i can replace the sensor on my own. but now...........i was about to push it up on the trailor and decided to see if it would run to drive it up. It started right up like nothing was wrong! Drove it around a bit, turned it off, started right up again! letting it sit for an hour or so to see what happens. Does this confirm what's wrong to anyone?

at least i feel it's something more minor to repair. glad i didn't spend bookoo $$$ driving to tulsa now.

Just my thoughts here --- your scoot is a 2000 model , does it still have the org. battery in it? If so , Thats where I would start looking. Have you put any kind of amp,ohm,volt meter on her and checked that end? Are you batt cables ( both ends) clean and tight??

 

[KING 2000]

it does appear to be an old battery but the cables are clean and tight. can it be a weak battery if i hold the start down and it keeps crankin' without gettin' weaker? i thought of the battery but figured it would wind down if that were it.

 

[R. Lewis]

it does appear to be an old battery but the cables are clean and tight. can it be a weak battery if i hold the start down and it keeps crankin' without gettin' weaker? i thought of the battery but figured it would wind down if that were it.

JMO - But if the battery is 11 years old and your expeirencing this problem,my bet would be putting in a new one. Also when you have the battery out , check your cables for "the feel" of broken wires inside the wire jacket. If you do buy a new batt. make sure BEFORE you install it that you put it on a charger and bring it up to where it needs to be. And as always , make SURE both ends of the cables are clean and tight.