Big Red light issue

[oldtime3wheeler]

Can't get the headlight and taillights to work on my 86 big red. Checked the fuses I know of and they are good. Any other ideas?

[Scootertrash]

Silly question, but did you check the bulbs to see if they were burned out? The only other possibilities I can think of would be a bad switch or broken wire. You can check the headlight and taillight circuit for continuity to see if a wire is broken

[matt22895]

Make sure you have the voltage regulator if not your bulbs will burn out.

[oldtime3wheeler]

I put a charger on the battery and after a few seconds I have lights. Figured the lights should would when the bike us running even if the battery is stone cold dead. No lights though. What's not working right?

[dustrunner]

i would buy a new battery. most of my big reds will have lights with a dead bat. but i got 1 that doesnt.... i put a bat. in it and works great... but thats me..

[kb0nly]

Disconnect the battery, if your battery is a dead short it should blow the fuse though, but even without a battery you should have lights. I would check the alternator output from the stator, it might have died on you. If there is output from the stator then it might just be a bad regulator/rectifier not charging the battery so that the lights just run off the battery until its dead.