I'm sorry you discovered this the hard way, we've all made mistakes tinkering with these bikes. I think this is exactly why, when someone asks "will my bike run without a battery", the answer is "you must have a good battery for the bike to operate properly". The last thing anyone on this forum wants to do is tell someone to basically "hot wire" their bike to get it running. As you know you can blow bulbs, all of them in some cases, damage the rectifier and in some cases start melting the wiring harness. I think the key point here is when a known good battery is installed and the key is on showing the neutral light, your good to start the bike. Please don't think I'm chastising you in any way, as you said this is good information for the next person. I have done all the above in my life, and worse, but I'm trying to turn over a new leaf.

It's recomended if your bike sits for long periods of time, use a battery tender of some sort to keep the battery in good shape. I personally use this model on all my 6 volt bikes: Part # BBFC200

http://www.lectriclimited.com/battery-butler.htm

Tom

Last Edited By: tomsexpress Feb 10 10 6:39 AM. Edited 1 times.