So. I finally got my bike put back together and tried to start it. when I turned the key everything lit up and the needles swept the odometer came on but when I hit the start button everything died but the headlight. I put the trickle charger on it for a week and a half, turned the key and nothing but the headlight/tail light came on
I put the battery on the big charger and it won't even take an amp.

This means I need a new battery. Right?

Could be a few things. FIrst thing to check are the connections to the terminal on the battery. Be sure they're good and clean. Remove any corrosion with a solution of baking soda and water and a wire brush, a tooth burst will work in a pinch. Repeat until the solution stops foaming and rinse well with clean water. When you're done, use something abrasive like emery cloth, sandpaper or steel wool to clean the terminals and connectors. Next, see if the water levels in the battery cells are low. If they are, top them off with bottled water, not mineral, and preferably distilled. If the connections are good and the water is fine and it still doesn't take a charge, you can take it to your local auto parts store or shop and have them test it. They can tell you if it's dead or not.

If they say it's OK, try charging the battery without anything connected but the charger, just in case you have a short somewhere. You could be grounding out and draining the battery. Lastly, I'd check all the connections beginning with the battery terminals, then work your way down the line to see if there are any loose connections. You may also want to use some emery cloth or other abrasive on any other electrical connections that look dirty.

Best of luck...

Doc_V

it is a sealed battery and the connections are clean I took the battery out of the bike to charge
I have never had a battery not take a charge before

Even sealed batteries can be opened. Just use a screwdriver to pry the top off. Just be careful you don't splash the acid when removing the top and don't over fill the cells. If there is no fill line on the side, just pour in enough to cover the plates with about a quarter inch of water. I had to do this on my battery, which was a sealed battery, and it solved my problem. In fact, I've done it a few times over the years with various batteries.

Good info! I've never tried this before. Thanks!
Doc_V wrote:
Even sealed batteries can be opened. Just use a screwdriver to pry the top off. Just be careful you don't splash the acid when removing the top and don't over fill the cells. If there is no fill line on the side, just pour in enough to cover the plates with about a quarter inch of water. I had to do this on my battery, which was a sealed battery, and it solved my problem. In fact, I've done it a few times over the years with various batteries.

Tug wrote:
it is a sealed battery and the connections are clean I took the battery out of the bike to charge
I have never had a battery not take a charge before
if it's a gel battery, don't try and open it.
your battery is toast. probably one of the cells is dead.
After charging the battery, disconnect from the charger and let it set (rest) 24 hours.
After 24 hours, take a meter and measure voltage of battery.
If it isn't 12.8 then your battery isn't charged.
12.6 is 75% charged
12.3 is 50% charged
12.0 is 25% charged
11.8 is 0%

Tug wrote:
So. I finally got my bike put back together and tried to start it. when I turned the key everything lit up and the needles swept the odometer came on but when I hit the start button everything died but the headlight. I put the trickle charger on it for a week and a half, turned the key and nothing but the headlight/tail light came on
I put the battery on the big charger and it won't even take an amp.

This means I need a new battery. Right?
Reading your post Tug I would say your battery is okay. If it was bad and the starter was getting current the headlight would have dimmed to nothing.

Check the voltage at the starter and see if anything registers when you push the start button. If not then check the connections at the relay and see if it's working.

Just because the battery won't take a charge doesn't mean it's bad. If the charger is automatic it may be that it determined that the battery is already fully charged. And if it's an AGM battery you won't see any solution if you open it which shouldn't be done anyway, it's all absorbed in the glass mats. Unless something happens to raise the pressure in the battery none of this solution is ever lost.

Sounds like there's a bad connection somewhere.

Let us know what you find.

How old is it?

Sounds like an internal short. Take a voltage reading with the battery out of the bike or do a load test.

greenpus wrote:
if it's a gel battery, don't try and open it.

Greenpus is correct, if its a gel battery, don't mess with it! My suggestions above only apply to wet cells. If it is a gel battery, then just take it to be tested. If you determine the battery is not the problem, then that's when the real fun begins. It's always best to eliminate the simplest possibilities first, because chasing electrical gremlins is a *real* pain in the arse!

If this is the case, it could be any number of things, like the starter, relay, etc. At which point, that is where I gracefully bow out and let the other Roadie pros here take over.

Best of luck...