As much as I don't like to give the stealers my money any more than I have to , I have to agree that the HD factory service manual is the best way to go, along with the parts manual, it gives many exploded views of the systems you are working on.

 

My 05 standard only when riding makes noise that sounds like valves or lifters. The tech at HD told me that you'll hear more noise from an air cooled engine than liquid cooled because there is the insulation buffer like water passages and the like. I hear the noise on the intake side of the engine. He told me it was normal. Bob

 

Thanks for the info on the rattle and the manuals. I took the bike out for a ride this morning without the windscreen. Whoever said the windscreen acted like a big amplifier was right. Another thing the windscreen does is make the exact origin of the sound hard to determine. With the windscreen on it sounded like the rattle was coming from the whole front of the bike. Once I took it off, the rattle was less but definitely coming from the right side of the bike. I narrowed it down to the heat shield on the exhaust pretty quickly at a red light by banging on it with my gloved hand.

The end towards the back of the bike was simply rattling against the pipe underneath it. All I did was give a slight pull up on the rear end of it maybe raising it by 1/8th of on inch. Wasn't real happy with "bending" the shield a little, but the rattle is gone now.

Thanks again for the help,
KB

 

Glad you found it, that can be annoying.

John TN

 

Something like that can drive ya insane!!!! Glad ya found what it was !!!!!!

 

I agree with TCSTD's answer which it a loose compensating cam holding bolt. I noticed a rattle coming from the foward primary area also. The rattle is present at about2800 RPM and when I back off the throttle during shifting or just slowing down. I checked the primary tension and noticed the stator cover which is inside the compensator cam and sprocket along the output shaft was marked from the chain contact. I adusted the chain andchanged the lube and found metal on the plug. TCSTD has given me enough info to zero in on the problem. I wouldn't ride too much with this condition. My next step was to consult the forum, Thanks TCSTD ! Will locktite work on that bolt ?