HELLO
I am new to the site so please do forgive me for being a newbie and if i post something in the wrong place just let me know so i can learn and fix my mistakes.. also sorry in advance for my dull witted line of questions but i am trying to cover everything possible to get this problem fixed..

My bike is a 2001 Suzuki Marauder VZ800. Garage kept and owned since 11.5.01. Always kept on the battery tender float charger every night. Upgrades are a new set of gears geared for top end speed, a few added small led lights for nighttime lighting, Cobra Straight Racing pipes, and a few minor changes to appearance and a ish load of chrome lol (will post pictures tomorrow after work)

So i was riding down the I-95 highway doing near 80mph and then out of nowhere the bike just felt superrrr sluggish so i let off the throttle and pulled the clutch in and noticed the engine had died but lights and everything still running and bright. so as i am still coasting i try to crank it with the electric starter and nothing at first was a few small electric cranks as its trying to turn the starter and it was cranking but just couldn't turn over but then as i tried it a few seconds later it would just make a zapping sound as if a wire was arcing to the frame or something metal and not allowed it to reach the motor to kick over or perhaps a loose/dirt ground wire.. i also tried to pop start it and it did absolutely nothing it was just dead!!

i am now on the left side of a 5 lane MAJOR highway with speed limit of 65 so im in a danger zone! i waited for the right time to push my bike across and make it to the off ramp to try to hear the engine "cranking" sound better (the sound that is made when hitting the electric starter) and i called my buddy to bring jumper cables to help me get a jump because i was sure that would do it....BUT AS YOU GUESSED IT.. IT DIDN'T DO ISH!!

So i had to had my dad come get me with his truck and after trying to jump it with the cables it just wouldn't turn over... was making a weird sound as if the electric wasn't making it was to the engine or arcing to something metal and grounding out ( also i have to have my clutch level pulled in to start the bike) so i pull the clutch lever and hit the starter and sometimes it would make a sound of nothing a dying sound and lights would dim and then a split second later or another attempt later it would make a healthy sound and sound as if the starter motor was turning and the sound right before the motor would fire up and turn over but then other attempts it would make a zapping sound (same as the sound my starter relay on my 84 Kawasaki made when my battery was low and wouldn't turn the bike over it sounds similar to that.. a zapping sound but no engine cranking at all...i can make a video and post it here after work)


the bike has died once before on me while running but i was able to get it running by the electric starter while the bike was still coasting but it did take a few seconds of holding it to get it to turn back over but once it fired back up it ran as it always did.


so today i took it all apart and cleaned and tighten all the cables and the grounds and the starter motor ground cable.. also unplugged and plugged back in every connector piece and tighten battery terminals but still nothing has happened even tho i had it on the battery tender all night long (also for its whole life its always sat with the tender on during off season and every night to keep battery charged)

after i did all of that it DID sound a tad healthier when trying to start ( healthier meaning making the correct sound of the starter motor spinning but the engine wouldn't fire up... as to before was barley making the starter motor sound just made no sound really just a small zap when i would click the starter) so it did sound better but still not firing up AND to mention i also was trying to crank it with a "fast charger" hooked up with alligator clips on the battery running a cold start 50AMP charge and it sounded its best TRYING to start but it was actually cranking this time but still wouldn't fire up...

my next step for tomorrow will be to pull the plugs clean/gap them...test my coil packs.. make sure the plug is showing a arc from the plug to the frame to test i'm getting spark.. but my question is has anybody ever heard of this before? and if so what could it be? my stator, regulator/rectifier? or maybe still some wire in the mess of wires is shorting out? i have no idea and its killing me because this is my only way to work and i've been having to take an Uber for the last two days so i need to tackle this problem head on!

PLEASE any advice or any insight that can help or anybody have an idea or anything i should do check or test or can help me and explain to me how to test the certain parts will be GREATLY APPRECIATED!!

THANK YOU ALL!!