April Called… And Your Motorcycle Didn’t Start
It happens every year. The first warm day hits. You roll the bike out, hit the starter… and nothing. Or worse… click, click, click. At Wilkins Harley-Davidson, April isn’t just the start of riding season. It’s the start of no-start season. Based on the last two years of real customer calls, here are the three most common reasons your motorcycle won’t fire up and how to fix them before it ruins your first ride around Vermont, New Hampshire or New York!
1. You Hit Start… And Get Nothing (or Click Click Click)
If your lights don’t come on or you just hear that dreaded clicking sound, this is almost always one thing: a low or dead battery. After sitting all winter, batteries naturally lose charge, and if the bike wasn’t on a battery tender, it’s not a matter of if it dies, it’s when. The fix is simple. Plug your bike into a battery tender for 48 to 72 hours. Do it today! Please!
If you bought your bike from Wilkins, you already have a battery tender pigtail installed, so you can plug in immediately and let it charge fully. It costs less than a penny a day to keep your bike ready all winter. It costs a lot more in missed rides, tow bills, and replacement batteries if you don’t. We keep battery tenders in stock for a reason. We also keep a ton of Harley-Davidson Batteries in stock. They are expensive. They do last, yet, they have to be maintained.
2. Your Turn Signals Are Flashing… And It Says “Enter PIN”
This one confuses a lot of riders. Your signals are alternating, your screen says ENTER PIN, and your bike won’t start. It’s not broken. It’s your security system doing exactly what it’s supposed to do.
The real issue is usually a dead or weak key fob battery. We get three to five calls every single week in April from riders dealing with this. What’s happening is the bike can’t detect your key fob, so it assumes someone is trying to steal it and locks you out. The fix is straightforward. Replace your key fob battery or enter your PIN if you remember it...... The reality is a lot of riders either forget their PIN or didn’t even realize they had one, so if that’s you, you’re not alone. Swing in and let's go over a similar year motorcycle with you so if you need to enter the PIN, you know how. Also, while you are here, bring your keyfob with you and we can put a new battery in it!
3. “I Just Put Handlebars On… Now It Won’t Start”
This one usually shows up after someone installs their own handlebars. We know it's not a difficult job, but it is time consuming. At first, everything works, then after a ride or two, the bike won’t start and electrical issues begin. The cause is typically wiring that wasn’t properly extended. Wires get stretched, connections weaken or break, and the bike loses critical electrical function. Handlebars aren’t complicated, but they are precise. You need proper slack at full lock left and right, and nothing should be pinched or under tension. What we see is these bikes rarely get fixed in a driveway. They show up on a trailer, on a flatbed, or we go pick them up.
The Bottom Line
Most April no-start issues aren’t major failures. They’re preventable. A battery that wasn’t maintained, a small key fob battery, or a wiring mistake during an install all lead to the same result: you’re not riding.
Want to Avoid All of This?
Stop in and we’ll get you set up with a battery tender, help you with your security PIN, or make sure your bike is ready before the season starts. The first ride of the year shouldn’t start with a problem. It should start with the engine firing up and a smile on your face. Let us know how we can help!