Hello & issues with my bike

[rthrasher03]

Hi I just stumbled across your site while looking for some answers as to what is wrong with my bike. You folks seem to be pretty knowledgeable, so maybe Ill just ask you. Ive had my bike, an '07 Vstar 650 Classic, for about three years now and havent had an issue. Its my first bike and I dont really know anyone who knows much about Yamahas.
Two days ago I was pulling my V-star around to the garage. I get off to open the garage and my light bar shuts off, But not the headlight. The light bar draws power from the headlight. Ive had the light bar on almost as long as Ive had the bike, never an issue. The next day I go to check out what was wrong, now the headlight wont work and the second time I try to start it it wont start. Its making the noise when you try to turn it over with a dead battery.
So I check the fuses, and the wires for the headlight and lightbar. Nothing is busted, burnt, or feels lose. Im stumped, so I roll it back in to the garage and put the battery tender on it until it has a green light(charged). Now I turn it on, turns over fine, the head light works. Just the light bar isnt on. I start it up a couple more times, just to be sure it will and everything will stay the same. It all does.
Now I sit on it and pull it up level and start it up. After a second the light bar comes on. Then I lean it back on the kickstand, the light bar shuts off. I try this a few more times with no results. I turn it off then on a few more times to check everything again, and I realize my engine light is blinking. Ive owned and worked on enough of my cars to know an error code, 1 slow 2 fast. Any help would be much appreciated.

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[Easy Rider]

I get off to open the garage and my light bar shuts off, But not the headlight. The light bar draws power from the headlight.

Some guess work will be involved here.
You need a meter to check voltages on the wiring.

Did YOU install the light bar or somebody else ?
They usually operate through a relay and not directly bridged with the headlight.

At this point, without any measurements, I think that your light bar might be exceeding the charging capacity of your bike and S L O W L Y causing your battry to go dead. As the voltage reaches a critically low point, the relay drops and the light bar goes out.

Probably need a new battery and then some measurements on the charging voltages. Increasing your idle speed might help some.

The intermittant nature of the light bar, even after charging might mean a wiring problem, maybe a loose wire going open OR a bare wire shorting out to the frame.

[rthrasher03]

Went to check it again. Turned over just fine. Looked things over again, took the lights out, no loose wires that I could find.

I did install the lightbar the instructions said to splice into the headlight and came with the parts to do so. I has worked with no problems for the 3 years it has been installed. And the only time my battery has run dead were the 2 times I left the key on.

[Easy Rider]

I did install the lightbar the instructions said to splice into the headlight and came with the parts to do so.

That splice might be going bad. Where did you connect the negative wire (ground) ? Either side could be loose.

Doing it that way is a BAD idea though as the headlight goes through a switch to turn it off while cranking (on most models).
That is usually a set of contacts in the start button. It wasn't designed to carry that extra current and it is common for those contacts to wear out .......just with the normal headlight.

BUT.....your headlight stays on, so it's got to be in the wiring or both the bulbs decided to go bad at the same time.
You NEED a meter or a test light.

And finally, if your battery is over 3 years old and you have run it down dead twice, it's probably about done for.
You might be having a combination of 2 problems here; weak battery and loose connection.

[rthrasher03]

Well I fixed it. All it was, apparently, was one of the female connectors that attaches the power cord to the lightbar's on/off switch.

[Easy Rider]

Well I fixed it. All it was, apparently, was one of the female connectors that attaches the power cord to the lightbar's on/off switch.

Great. When you put it back on, was it good and tight ??

That does NOT, however, explain the failure to start.
I still see a new battery in your future........and the charging voltage should be checked too.
If your charging system isn't keeping up with your added lights, you might go through batteries fairly often.