I did a bunch of heavy trail riding this weekend, turning the bike on/off frequently while checking maps and discussing directions. About 3 hours into the ride, I stalled it and the speedo goes blank. I turned the key on/off a few times, tapped on the battery, checked wiring harnesses, looked for damage; nothing identified. I bump started it, but it ran rough and wanted to stall again. For a while, the computer flashed on/off rapidly, came on briefly, then died completely again. Any thoughts on the cause? My gut says battery. My head says it’s a charging system issue. Has anybody seen/heard of these symptoms before?

 

And how old is the ba'ery? My money is on it, taking all bets.

 

I second that battery idea. Especially if it's more than a few years old. Sometimes the inside can short and draw the system down making it seem like a charging issue when really the battery is bad.

 

And as always, check the battery connections.

 

Battery connections checked. I'm going to put a charger on it tonight to see what happens.

Battery looks like it might be original to the bike; it's a '12.

 

When my battery died, the computer did crazy things while riding, like flashing between a blank screen and normal, replaced the battery and everything was fine.
Found the video...
http://vid1359.photobucket.com/album...ps1787b8c8.mp4

 

That video is it exactly. Thanks for the reference!

 

The battery is good. Borrowed one from a friend, and the bike is still dead. Turn the key, nothing. I checked the fuse under the seat and it's good. Are there more fuses? I'm googling and not finding much.

 

OK... with a good battery

Do the front/rear/brake lights work? If they do, you have an electronic issue.

Does the battery drain down overnight? Maybe you have a short somewhere in the wiring or one of the components is done & draining the battery down in addition to not working? If it is it may be easier to find the broken component. I have an 07, so not much help with the dash/FI.

I would assume your dashboard is not run from the engine control system.

 

If i put the key in and turn it, nothing happens. no dashboard, no horn, no lights, nothing. nada. zip.