When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Saw this thread and thought I'd link to another... this has been discussed a few times on the dyna forum.
Several of us have this same thing and it's funny that for most, it started in the 5000 - 7000 mile range.
Guys have changed compensators, oil, etc... Still happens.
Yep. My first tune was nominally 12.5 to 13 AFR WOT. Still too lean, 25-50% throttle roll-on mid-range RPM was horrible sounding. After a few months of that I got sick of it. Got lucky and found a tech that used advanced mode SERT, he gave a tune file in the ballpark from a dyno run, after a couple rides I made small tweaks to tune out the few remaining spots that pinged. The tech would do the same for shop rate, but it is not hard to make a few tweaks yourself. No pinging at any throttle on pump gas and no timing retard.
Yeah it's normal! Like it's normal for bikes to rust after 2 months, and for brake fluid to leak, etc etc.
What b**ls**t about not riding with your throttle fully open! New thing they'll tell you it wouldn't have happened if you hadnt ridden the bike at all.
One thing's for sure, this is not the way to do business in an economic crisis. Customers actually start caring about quality at these times, as we don't have the budgets to change everything on the bike anymore.
Ky Windage, I read your linked thread and agree that it is pretty much identical to this one. While it is really hard to imagine how a noise sounds over the internet, the symtoms do point towards that crappy 07 and up compensator.
If there were a way to make a wager on this, I would bet that is the issue here and on that other thread. Replacing it with the heavier SE version is not that pricey of a deal, if you can do the work yourself. Youl'll likely get more life out of your crank too.
EDIT: Some notice it more than others, but more often than not you do get a smoother ride with the beefed up compensator.
Little bit of a pain to install but a very good functional addition for any 07 and up bike.
The factory spring pack is indeed too weak unless you ride like an old grandma.
.
Last edited by Faast Ed; Oct 17, 2009 at 01:52 PM.
Check the "compensator-bolt" for proper torque in the primary. If loose, the crank and chain-sproket-compensator, sort of hammers on the "power-pulses". Mine came loose on my 96, sorta-kinda sounded like rod knocking and noisy sprocket chair drive. Seems a lot of problems, keeping this bolt tight.
Last edited by Mean Gene; Apr 16, 2012 at 12:43 PM.
Reason: spelling
Slideshow: Jason Momoa's latest restoration project blends 1920s Harley-Davidsons with modern electric technology, creating some of the most unusual hybrid motorcycles ever built.
Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Becomes a Dark, Decepticon-Inspired Custom
Slideshow: Killer Custom's latest build relies on styling changes rather than performance upgrades, giving the cruiser an entirely different personality.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.