Well boys, I hate when guys come on here post a thread like this and after getting a bunch of suggestions from others they don't come back and post an update.

I just came back from my local dealership where the shop foreman is a personal friend of mine. I pulled him aside and asked him to take the bike out for a quick rip to check it.

He listened to it idle for a bit, said it sounded just like a sportster should sound. He then took it for a rip. He came back with the biggest smile on his face and said "dude, there is not one ****ing thing wrong with this". Hahahahahahaha.

He mentioned that the motor on my ol lady's bike had some parts from the Buell line unlike the twin cam engines. That's why the top end makes all that clanking. It's totally normal.

Two side notes,

1-the V&H short shots are LOUD AS HELL!!! When he pulled out of the dealership and when he was pulling in the bike sounded like a freight train was pulling in. I was so surprised to hear that because my wife babies the hell out of this thing (which I think is part of the problem). He said, like some of you mentioned here, that these engines like to be at s certain RPM otherwise the bitch (shake). Lol

2- while I was at the stealer I took advantage of the test rides HD is doing with their project Live Wire". That electric bike is peppy as hell man. And believe it or not I think it would be a ton of fun to ride. Especially those of us who on occasions like to lean and drag our knees through the turns. If you have the opportunity to ride this thing, do it. I was very impressed.

Thanks guys for chiming in and making a dude from the softail side of the family feel at home.

 

Yes, there is a buzz in the sporty that is less on the Softails and even less on the Dynas & Touring models.

But it should not be much, unless the RPM's are too low or something else is going on.

A good objective measurement would be are the mirrors useful, or is it buzzing so much that the mirrors are just a blur at speed? I regularly get up to 90 MPH and while there is some buzz in the mirrors, they are still good at that speed.

I think it is a matter of hearing or feeling the ping on the older Sportys.

That is cool that you got to test ride the electric HD. Waiting for a chance to do that myself!


The wire going into the middle of the head of the rear cylinder is the temperature sensor. It only measures the temperature at that point in the rear cylinder head.

The newer can-bus Sportys do have knock retard. It is an ion sensing system that provides feedback via the spark plug wires, thru the coil and back to the ECM. If you have a Power Vision you can monitor it and data log it.

 

All TwinCam Softails have internal counter-rotating balancer. That's because they don't have rubber mount motors.

edit: Evo Softails were not rubber mount either.

 

thanks DK Customs

so mine has a little protection being a 2015 model iron

regards
RIX

 

DK

My bars and foot rest both buzz at over 50, as for my mirrors I have a blurred image through them at all speeds. Thought that was normal for frame mounts though.



A good objective measurement would be are the mirrors useful, or is it buzzing so much that the mirrors are just a blur at speed? I regularly get up to 90 MPH and while there is some buzz in the mirrors, they are still good at that speed.

 

DK, I'm thinking about the coil relocation kit for my wife's bike. I know your kit comes with SE new spark plug wires.

I read here on the forum that in the softails replacing the stock spark plug wires can lead to pinging. Is that the same case with these sportster engines (the prep can-bus system ones like my wife's) ?

 

Hi Alain,
I'm picking up my first HD tomorrow... it's a 2008 Rocker... and I've been looking for clip on bars for it. Your Rocker looks great with them installed! After seeing the pic of yours, that will definitely be my first mod. can you share which clip ons you went with?
Thanks!
Kelly

 

The service manager at my dealer Boswells Harley, told me my 2014 sportster did not have knock retard or ion sensing. I read some where else that it did not either.

Edit. Was over at Bumpus Harley in Murfreesboro today and they told me the new Sportsters did not have knock sensors or ion sensing as well.

 

Hi Kelly. I went with RSD clip on bars.

I took them off a few weeks ago and went back to ape hangers.
I'm waiting to finish mounting mid controls on my rocker before I go back to the clip on bars.

Riding with the clip ons was a blast. You'll get tons of stares from people trying to figure out what the hell you're ridding hahahaha

 

Hi Alain.
Thanks for sharing that info... those are on the top of my list!
Thanks
Kelly