Motorcycle Repair: Hard Start, electrical, fuse box, electrical question

Question
QUESTION: I just got a 1996 HD Dyna Glide. It very hard to start. After the bike is running for about 20 minutes it starts to backfire. Also when I stop riding, trying to start the bike is a problem. I hear a clicking sound...seems the battery is dead. This is the second battery I put in the bike. Can you tell me how to check the wiring and fuse box? Whats going on ?

ANSWER: First thing you need to do is start the bike and with a volt meter at the battery, check the voltage with the bike running at around 2000 RPM. What voltage are you getting?
Mike

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: 8.6 volts.

Answer
Your charging system is not working is the problem. You should be getting around 13.5 volts. So you need to test your charging system.
First, disconnect the regulator from the stator and do a OHMs test on the stator pins and then a OHMs test from one pin to ground. What you are doing is looking for a short. Once you do that then plug the regulator back in and start the bike. Unplug the regulator and with a AC volt meter, not DC, check the voltage at the pins of the stator. At 2000 RPM you should get around 60 volts. If the stator does not pass the above tests then its bad and needs replaced. If it passes then the regulator is bad. Sometimes, if the stator goes bad it burns out the regulator too, so you might have to replace both.
Happy holidays
Mike