If the battery is new, throw it on a charger while you go through and clean the starter cables. Pay special attention to the ground wire. Make sure both ends AND the metal they attach to are shiny clean and bolted down tight.
For your turn signals, your bike should (IIRC) have two always-on running lights in the front that also function as turn signals plus two dedicated turn signals in the rear. A typical relay circuit is going to go Battery-> fuse box-> flasher relay-> switch-> L or R lights-> ground. Without activating the signal you can check for voltage at the fuse and relay, but the flasher relay itself will not pass voltage unless the switch is engaged and the bulbs are in good shape. If you suspect a short, check the turn signal fuse. If it is still intact you do not likely have a short. If that fuse is blown, you will need a multimeter to check resistance to ground. This involves isolating a wire at both ends, then measuring its resistance to the battery negative terminal. With the wire disconnected, your meter should return a reading in the megohms or, more likely, "OL" for "open line" or no connection. Kurt On Sep 21, 2015 12:25 PM, "David B" <[email protected]> wrote: > Thanks for the advise! The new battery isn't charging the starter enough > to turn over. I get it to turn once, then just click...click...click...The > lights are bright, although the turn signals work but don't blink. Could I > have a short? If so, whats the proper way to check for a short? Thanks for > all your help! > > > On Saturday, May 2, 2015 at 1:13:58 PM UTC-5, Paul wrote: > >> Hey David, welcome to the group. Was there any gas in the tank during the >> time it sat? I would check the inside of the tank for rust and other >> nasties. Also, rubber tires become brittle over time and even though they >> have good tread left they can be very dangerous after sitting for long >> periods. Those are just two things to check before riding. >> >> >> *Paul LeBoutillier * >> *www.hondanighthawks.net <http://www.hondanighthawks.net/>* >> Honda Nighthawk Lovers Email group >> <https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/nighthawk_lovers> >> >> On Sat, May 2, 2015 at 12:00 PM, David B <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> So, I bought my 1982 Nighthawk CB650 about 4 years ago, but it's been >>> sitting in my shed for about 2+ years. I've only owned one other bike - an >>> '82 Suzuki GS650, and although I worked on that one..a lot...I would like >>> some advice on any basic maintenance I should do *before* I start >>> riding again. I'm starting with a new battery & an oil change. Any >>> suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks! >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>> an email to [email protected]. >>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >>> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>> >> >> -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
