Need Help with Lurching 2005 883C

Hey all,
I've been riding a 1993 883 for the past year, and just convinced a buddy to get a bike. He picked up a 2005 883C with about 2800 miles on it. We rode about 200 miles the other day, and he mentioned that the bike seemed to lurch when he was up around 70-75 MPH. I figured it was just the fact that it was a stock bike (no after market mods of any kind).

Yesterday, we changed the oil and now the damn thing lurches like a motherf**ker. It doesn't do it at any set RPM/load. Just seems that if you roll on the throttle sometimes the bike hesitates, lurches a couple of times and then gets going. Also, the speedo resets when this happens (the needle sweeps the dial and the lights go out).

Any ideas? His battery IS VERY WEAK, but I'm getting good voltage readings when the bike is on. Ive checked for loose connections at the battery or blown fuses, and haven't found any.

Thanks.

im probably wrong but, charging system or stator maybe.

Seen a lot of people buy a Bone stock 883 just to find out that it is a 1200, sounds like carb to me, does it have power? I really need to start reading the whole post, maybe just bad battery, loosen power someware.

i had a tear in the rubber diaphragm in my carb. had the same problem.

Originally Posted by bigdaddy

i had a tear in the rubber diaphragm in my carb. had the same problem.

thats what I would have thought first but then I read the rest of the post and thought why would the carb have anything to do with the gauges? and then I thought why would a carb be on an 05?

Id swap in a known good battery, being an 05 there's more sensors and electrical stuff that may effect it than you'd think- if nothing else to eliminate the option

Weak battery + electronic ignitions =


Get the battery staightened out then see what happens. Check your ground.

Thanks for the advice...heading down to pick up a battery today. Already tore apart the carb and checked it out...it was pretty darn clean...but bike is still acting like Christine.

I'll update after we get the new battery installed. Thanks again!

Originally Posted by gyro

thats what I would have thought first but then I read the rest of the post and thought why would the carb have anything to do with the gauges? and then I thought why would a carb be on an 05?

Fuel injection wasn't til 07. All 05's ( sportsters) have a carb. I guess I should have read a little closer. I didn't see where it mentioned the gauges. I guess that's what I get for not reading. Good luck with the fix!

i thought they went to efi in 03 or 05 i am probably wrong though it happens all the time

either way the gauges would mean simething else I think

EFI started in 07. My 06 is carbed.

Weird part about your issue is the lurching worsened after an oil change.

loose ground on the battery?

im with hbsteve. your battery cables are loose and the connection making a spark off and on causes the bike to shut off and back on before the motor dies....hence resetting the speedo

worse after the oil change is just ad timing....let us know what the deal was

well what happend? did you guys get it figured out?

Everyone pretty much got it right. It was the battery. apparently the previous owner decided that he was going to try and bury the terminal bolt into the terminal, instead of using a spacer...the result was a loose negative/ground connection...also did it to the positive, which resulted in breaking off the head to the bolt in the terminal.

Once we got the new battery in...PRESTO! No problems at all.

Thanks for all your input. Keep the rubber-side down!

I thought that was the first thing you ckecked. good shit though. thats why I love this place.