| Author | Message | ||
     Bill0351 |
Very cool bike. I liked my 883/1200 a lot. The Sportster line is the best deal in the HD catalog. I got mine for $500.00 under MSRP with no setup. I should never have sold it. It would have looked good next to my Cyclone. As an 883 it was a pretty good basic bike. At $6,000 it was a really good deal too. The conversion was cheap and it really woke it up. Big couch? Not hardly! Bill | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
with all due apologies again to Rieguy for our blatant thread theft... ...Blake, Road Thing and i are having a discussion in the BadWeB board room as we speak about finally creating a Harley-specific section on BadWeB. we're good on principal. the only thing holding us up at this point is giving it a proper name. suggestions? we'll consider as many as you want, and please put your best effort into it. the sooner we choose something, the sooner this thing lives. Bill, i'd like to ask some more questions about the issues you had with your RK, but right now i need to get back to work. i'll be back in a bit. FB | ||
| Mikej |
BigTwins 97%ers TheOtherGuys(TOG for short) H-D-Threads OwnTheLongRoad ParentCorp (PC for short) MotherShip WillieG Harley and the Three Davidsons Non-Buell V-Twins (NBVT for short) Harley-Dialog (H-D for short)(Probably a winner here) | ||
| Rubberdown |
Mothership; Hogwild; BlatBoard; Putts; Knuckledraggers ... | ||
| Mikej |
You do realize that as soon as you build a H-D sub-section then there will be requests to break it up into the following: XL/Sportster FlatHeads Knuckleheads PanHeads ShovelHeads Evolution TwinCams V-Rods SoftTails HardTails Customs Dyna's and variants | ||
| Bill0351 |
Jerry, Any time. In fact, I have some questions for you too. If I ever do get another, I want one of the "good ones." It's funny. When I think about it, the guy who bought it got a really good deal. I had the thing mostly sorted out, but I had enough. If he got the oil leak fixed, the tranny actually did "break in" and he got the fuel map right, he could have the exact same friendship you have with yours. Mine was white too! Could it be your bike's evil twin? Bill | ||
| Cityxslicker |
Swine Holl'ar, Pig Pen, Hog Den, Boars Nest, Oink & Rant, and in the vain of Big Bad & Dirty. Heavy Chromed and CLEAN. | ||
| Ezblast |
Harley-Dialog (H-D for short)(Probably a winner here)   | ||
| Bill0351 |
I like Harley-Dialog too. H-D Good one. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
Then I can move my Rant about the XR1200 to an appropriate forum.  Come on and build it, dont leave me hanging like the Buell Muell did. | ||
| Thumper74 |
City, you can buy the stuff to make your own... Then you can fix all the concerns that the engineers had to compromise on... | ||
| Jackbequick |
Big Mothers & The Holding Company Jack | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
Here are a couple of possible names for the Harley topic: Hog Heaven Hog Pen Pig Pen Steamin' Eagle Buell's Eye : Buelligans on Harleys | ||
| Rieguy187 |
no big deal guys, I was just looking for some advice. As for the rocket scientists working for buell may be they can make them better. I don't think a rocket scientist could make a good track bike though. I work for mitsubishi motors right now but would love to work for Harley or buell so I can take a little more pride in an american icon like harley. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
Jerry, Here is a list of issues I had with my '06: Pulsing brakes (repaired) no neutral (never improved was told it needed to break in) front end wobble (repaired) squeaking brakes (at least they weren't pulsing so I just lived with it.) HARSH idle, ran HOT and popped on decel. (slip-ons/SE-AC/PCIII cured that, but fuel economy went to 35mpg) When it started spotting the driveway I put it in the paper for $12,500... hello again Bill - i'm curious about the items in your list: - can you define "front end wobble," and what exactly was done to repair this? - no neutral: how many miles on your bike when you sold it? what fluid were you running in the chaincase and the tranny? - the pulsing/squeaking brakes: what was done to resolve it/them? - the harsh, hot-running engine: what is a "HARSH" idle, and how would you describe "ran HOT" in your case? was the bike still stock intake and exhaust-wise at this time? - and the "spotting" the driveway thing - what exactly was leaking? thx, FB | ||
| Jlnance |
potato-potato | ||
| Light_keeper |
Other Twins or OT | ||
| Bill0351 |
Hey Jerry, Here is the list of issues and what was done to resolve them. I used to have a folder with the details, but that was passed on to the new owner. Front brakes pulsing turned out to be a warped rotor. (Replaced under warranty) Wobble was first just barely noticeable at slow speeds, but progressed to really noticeable. It was loose steering-head bearings. The squeaking breaks should have been addressed. They seemed to be working fine even with the noise, and they were way better than they were. I just kind of got used to it. The squeaking was usually right before coming to a complete stop. The tranny shifted fine from gear to gear, but neutral was REALLY tough to find. I had the clutch adjusted, and that didn’t seem to help. I also heard that too much oil could cause it, but the levels seemed fine. They did tell me that the transmissions shift better when they have some miles on them. After roughly 3,000 miles I would think that any breakin would be done. When I got the bike the tranny was running whatever the factory puts in there. I switched to Mobil-1 (75-90?) then I tried Amsoil. None of them made much difference as far as I could tell. I got good at catching neutral as I pulled up to a stop, or goosing the engine just right seemed to let it drop in too. As far as the harsh idle, it just had an edge to it that my Sportster didn’t have, and neither did my friends Fatboy. Those bikes had that nice feeling at idle that you get with a good running HD. Then under load you kind of feel that power pulse until the revs get up a little. The RK had a really rough hammering feeling that just didn’t feel right at all. When the bike was warmed up, there was a noticeable surge at moderate speeds. It knocked under hard acceleration and when you got off, you could feel how hot it was compared to my Sportster and my friends ’05. It would ping and knock as it cooled off. You could just slightly hear a popping on decel with the stock pipes. The dealer said I would be fine without a cert or PCIII with just the slip-ons, but the popping was horrible and the surge got noticeably worse. Like I said, the PCIII and the SE-AC made it a totally different bike. The fuel economy dropped WAY down, but I’m sure that could have been improved. I had planned a dyno-tune since I was just using the canned map along with some higher numbers at the 0% and 2% settings to cure the popping. I actually thought things were all set but then on the way up to a party in Northern WI we stopped for gas and I did a quick once over. The underside of the engine was wet with oil on the primary side. When I got home I retorqued the bolts and it seemed to stop. A little while later I noticed it spotting the driveway again. It was from the primary side. The warranty had expired in July and I had gotten sick of wrestling with it. That’s when I put it in the paper and bailed. I sold my Sportster which I liked a lot for a bike that was nothing but a PITA. It had sucked all the fun out of riding. In fact, it took me forever to sell the Sportster, and I kept having to change the mileage in the ad because I was riding it so much, and the RK was starting to sit more and more. When it sold, I used the last of the money I saved up during a military deployment to buy my Cyclone. I got the information on what to pay and what to look for here on Badweb. My Sportster was a really well constructed and good running bike. Even my old ’85 XLX was pretty solid for its age and miles. With the exception of having to replace a failing Hayden M6 tensioner, and a new battery (to be on the safe side) my M2 has been perfect for 2,000 miles. In fact, I rode more miles on the M2 in the last two months of riding than I rode that RK all year. I really do think I must have gotten a lemon. Just tonight the GF and I looked on ebay and Cycle Trader for a bigger touring bike. I have noticed older EGs and RKs dropping into the sub $10,000 zone. I think I could swing that. I can tell my GF has her heart set on the 105th on a HD and not on the Buell. What is your setup on your RK? I tried to see from the pics you posted on the Lonely highway thread, but I couldn’t make out any details. Anyway... This turned into a long post... In fact, it is just about as long as the paper I was supposed to be writing for a class I’m taking. Bikes are just a little more interesting than the long term effects of obesity on middle adolescents. Bill | ||
| Badlionsfan |
why not call the HD forum "Chrome Corner"? | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
Hey Jerry, Here is the list of issues and what was done to resolve them. hi Bill, thx for taking the time. Front brakes pulsing turned out to be a warped rotor. (Replaced under warranty) were your front rotors chromed from the factory? mine are, and have developed definite high and low spots as the plating wears away, with subsequent pulsing while braking at low speeds. i don't notice it much, but i don't like it, either. one of these days, maybe next winter, i'll pull the rotors and have them broach milled (i think that's the correct term), which should hopefully cure the problem. Wobble was first just barely noticeable at slow speeds, but progressed to really noticeable. It was loose steering-head bearings. this doesn't sound like a deal-breaking issue to me. all steering head bearings need periodic service. i assume the front end wobble disappeared for good after the adjustment? The squeaking breaks should have been addressed. They seemed to be working fine even with the noise, and they were way better than they were. I just kind of got used to it. The squeaking was usually right before coming to a complete stop. i've owned a lot of bikes, and i'd say prolly half of them had squeaky front brakes. back in the old days i'd pull the pads and cut an X-shaped groove in the friction material down to the backing plate with a hacksaw. this worked most of the time. the front brakes on my RK will sometimes squeal at low speeds like you describe, but it hasn't bothered me enough yet to pull the pads and do the X thing. i also assume that the pads are glazed somewhat from chrome from the rotors, and when i pull the pads i'll also sand the glaze off, too, or better yet buy and install a set of new pads. i don't consider this issue to be a deal-breaker, either. The tranny shifted fine from gear to gear, but neutral was REALLY tough to find. I had the clutch adjusted, and that didn’t seem to help. I also heard that too much oil could cause it, but the levels seemed fine. They did tell me that the transmissions shift better when they have some miles on them. After roughly 3,000 miles I would think that any breakin would be done. you only had 3000 miles on the bike when you offed it? that doesn't seem truly broken in to me. most of the bikes i've owned really seem to start getting happy at the 10,000 mark. that said, my tranny has shifted fine since day one. neutral will sometimes fight me if i don't find it before coming to a complete stop, but this has been the case on almost every bike i've owned, both domestic and foreign. When I got the bike the tranny was running whatever the factory puts in there. did you get the bike new? I switched to Mobil-1 (75-90?) then I tried Amsoil. None of them made much difference as far as I could tell. I got good at catching neutral as I pulled up to a stop, or goosing the engine just right seemed to let it drop in too. for what it's worth, neither of those brands is recommended by Harley. i'm running Syn3 in all three cavities, and am happy with how the bike is working overall. As far as the harsh idle, it just had an edge to it that my Sportster didn’t have, and neither did my friends Fatboy. Those bikes had that nice feeling at idle that you get with a good running HD. Then under load you kind of feel that power pulse until the revs get up a little. The RK had a really rough hammering feeling that just didn’t feel right at all. i'm still curious whether your bike was new and "unmolested" before you bought it. When the bike was warmed up, there was a noticeable surge at moderate speeds. It knocked under hard acceleration and when you got off, you could feel how hot it was compared to my Sportster and my friends ’05. It would ping and knock as it cooled off. You could just slightly hear a popping on decel with the stock pipes. The dealer said I would be fine without a cert or PCIII with just the slip-ons, but the popping was horrible and the surge got noticeably worse. Like I said, the PCIII and the SE-AC made it a totally different bike. The fuel economy dropped WAY down, but I’m sure that could have been improved. I had planned a dyno-tune since I was just using the canned map along with some higher numbers at the 0% and 2% settings to cure the popping. your bike had all the classic symptoms of being extremely lean. your dealer told you wrong - installing slip-ons without fattening the fuel load will only make the problem worse (as you discovered). i've done a lot of internet research on air, fuel and exhaust options for my RK. i'm not after absolute power, just a happy, efficient engine with the classic Harley-Davidson rumble. i've read many, many good things about FuelMoto. they sell a K&N air filter/PCIII/Rush muffler package that Jamie has specifically developed for H-D's various touring bikes. the Power Commander is loaded with a map he custom-designs after many hours on his dyno, and the Rush mufflers (slip-ons, so that the scavenging benefits of the stock header pipes ((which is, for all intents and purposes, a 2-into-1 system)) are maintained) are also specially modified by Jamie, again specifically for this (touring H-D) application. the result is no guess work, i.e. plug and play, with no doubts that the air/fuel mixture is absolutely spot on. i don't know what kind of mileage to expect from this arrangement. i would hope it wouldn't drop as low as your stated mileage. I actually thought things were all set but then on the way up to a party in Northern WI we stopped for gas and I did a quick once over. The underside of the engine was wet with oil on the primary side. When I got home I retorqued the bolts and it seemed to stop. A little while later I noticed it spotting the driveway again. It was from the primary side. The warranty had expired in July and I had gotten sick of wrestling with it. That’s when I put it in the paper and bailed. so it was the primary (chaincase) cover that was leaking? had the cover been off before, and if so, who had done the work? it's sometimes tough to stop a gasket leak just by snugging down bolts, plus i would worry about over-torquing them in this situation. sounds like a new gasket would have cured the problem? no offense, but based on what i've read i wouldn't have offed your bike, but that's just me. with the exception of the runability issue, it all sounds pretty simple, and i'd like to know more about whether your bike was purchased new and was totally bone-stock when you were first having these issues. What is your setup on your RK? I tried to see from the pics you posted on the Lonely highway thread, but I couldn’t make out any details. absolutely stock to this point. i'll do the K&N/PCIII/Rush thing as described above when i can afford to, but in the meantime the bike has been quite happy in its duties, both one-up and two-up, and has never missed a beat. my longest trip on it so far is right at 9000 miles, and the bike's showing just over 20K on the clock right now. i wouldn't hesitate for a second to jump on it and ride it anywhere in the world. This turned into a long post... no worries.  In fact, it is just about as long as the paper I was supposed to be writing for a class I’m taking. Bikes are just a little more interesting than the long term effects of obesity on middle adolescents. heck, i can tell you first-hand the long-term effects of obesity on middle-aged males - what do you need to know??? FB | ||
| Jb2 |
Bill, Your neutral problem was a clutch adjustment problem. You would not believe the number of dealers who put bikes into the hands of customers with poor clutch adjustments. It's even specified on service intervals. I just read a thread on another board where a gentleman had paid for a 15,000 mile service and listed on "services performed" was a clutch adjustment. The bike gave out three days into a trip. He had it towed to a dealer. The mechanic found the problem right away after listening to the symptoms. The clutch had never been adjusted even though he had paid good money for three major services(5k,10k,15k). I'm not of talking of the cable adjustment but the one you make by removing the derby cover. Did your exhaust ever fall off? I have a good friend who swears by his Road King but the last time I rode with him we were constantly bolting his pipes back on. JB2 | ||
| Road_thing |
re: pulsing front brakes. I bought my '96 RK with about 25,000 miles in late '99. It was pulsing, my local dealer replaced both rotors with OEM pieces under the extended warranty. They warped again, same deal, OEM pieces. After the warranty expired, when they warped again I replaced them with solid aftermarket rotors. Bike's now up to almost 80,000 and no pulsing issues since I replaced the OEM rotors. FWIW rt | ||
| Road_thing |
Hi, Jim! That neutral thing sounds like a mis-adjusted primary chain, too. rt | ||
| Jb2 |
Howdy RT! You are indeed right. Most of the time if a person can't find neutral it's anything but a transmission problem. JB | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
Did your exhaust ever fall off? I have a good friend who swears by his Road King but the last time I rode with him we were constantly bolting his pipes back on. i was wondering how long it'd take to hear this story... | ||
| Bill0351 |
Hi Jerry, I can answer more a little later. I kind of/sort of agree with you. 3,000 miles was kind a short time before offing the bike. I took a fairly large hit doing it. I just expected better from the most expensive (by far) bike I had ever owned. It was like owning a decade old machine, not a bike that I had owned for all but a few hundred miles of its life. Just like you, it was supposed to be the bike that lived in my garage until my estate sale. Back to work! Talk to you later. Bill | ||
| Jb2 |
FB1, I didn't want to disappoint. I just needed to find the perfect place to drop it in. I'm assuming you have replaced those clamps? Harley should make it clearer in the owner's/service manual that those are one-time-use only. But hey, if you gotta reuse them a beer can tab or discarded guitar pick will take up the slack, eh? JB2 | ||
| Bill0351 |
"i've read many, many good things about FuelMoto. they sell a K&N air filter/PCIII/Rush muffler package that Jamie has specifically developed for H-D's various touring bikes. the Power Commander is loaded with a map he custom-designs after many hours on his dyno, and the Rush mufflers (slip-ons, so that the scavenging benefits of the stock header pipes ((which is, for all intents and purposes, a 2-into-1 system)) are maintained) are also specially modified by Jamie, again specifically for this (touring H-D) application." I can't say enough about the PCIII. It was extremely easy to install. It was easy to use, and it worked exactly as advertized.The way the program works, it is extremely easy to mess with your map and then just revert back to the original. The only downside is that you lose that "instant start" feeling of EFI. It takes about 2 or 3 more revolutions to fire the bike up. It's NBD though. It has something to do with the way the fuel pump is integrated into the system or something like that. That information is available all over the place though. For all I know it has even been addressed by now. Great piece of gear. I would recommend it to anyone. Back to work again! Bill | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
JB2, which is it: Did your exhaust ever fall off? I have a good friend who swears by his Road King but the last time I rode with him we were constantly bolting his pipes back on. or I'm assuming you have replaced those clamps? were we constantly bolting on my exhaust pipes that were falling off, or simply shimming a stubborn muffler clamp that only wanted to tighten 95% of the way? inquiring minds want to know. | ||
| Jb2 |
FB1, Of all the Harleys in the world I love yours the most. I think the exhaust kept coming loose because the lugnut who owned it had reused the one-time-use clamps. But, you have to agree that "exhaust kept falling off the bike" adds just the right amount of embellishment to the story. That would surely bring a smile of satisfaction to any self respecting Vic rider, dontchya think? :-) JB2 |
