OK, take off one afternoon for a ride, hot weather. Everything works. 30 miles later stop for a drink, get back on the bike and it won't start. Cranks, chugs, but won't start. Fuel pump working, dash lights and headlight not. Try everything - swapping relays, etc. Nothing. An hour later it mysteriously starts and I head for home. I pull into a local HD dealer for a second to make a call home. Now bike does not start again Battery acts near dead - clicky, clicky starter.
The tech manager throws in on a charger for 15 minutes starts right up. Checks voltage at the battery between 1000-3000. 12.5 volts. Damn, bad regulator. Order same, install, still 12.5 volts. Now I suspect a bad alternator.
Looking at shop manual it appears the charging circuit runs through the voltage idiot light on the dash and I'm getting no light, horn, or tach. Low voltage - no the battery was recharged at home to top off???
I start playing around with relays and relay connectors. After swapping a few and checking the wires I get the idiot lights, horn, and tach working, and check the voltage and Voila - 14.7 volts at 3500rpm.
Please tell me the there is not an interdependency between the charging circuit, idiot lights and the light relay??!!
Now everything is working fine, out for a ride a day later and the low fuel light comes on. Stop for a while a friends house and its the same start issue all over except this time the idiot lights work. There is a little fuel in the tank I can see shaking the bike around.
Now I'm wondering if perhaps there is a fuel feed or pump issue, however I can hear the pump loud and clear - maybe it's only feeding from one side? Suspecting this I lay the biker almost on it's side and back and she starts up (this is ~20 minutes later) and I make it (into a station 5 miles down the road. She takes 4.3 gallons. Starts fine and purrs (growls) as normal.
So now at this point do I have an independent issue with fuel supply, vapor lock, or could this be related to the earlier electrical problem?