Sorry if this is a repeat quesion, i couldnt find much going through previous threads.

I have had my 93 sporty for a year now, it has never had any problems starting, it would usually fire about 2 revolutions of the motor. I took the bike this past fall on about a 300 mile round trip, about halfway, i checked the exhaust coming out of both pipes, rear jug was hot... front jug was cold. I snagged some plugs from one of my buddies riding with me and swapped em out and started the bike, it ran fine, however the front jug was still cooler, firing atleast but wasnt ice cold. Enough to get me home.

I first changed out the coil with an oem, new plugs, wires. The bike ran 100x better. After a short trip around the block i parked the bike. The next day when i tried to start it, it acted like it was flooded, let it set and tried again. Wouldnt start, pulled the plugs, blew the fuel out of the cylinders and no luck. The best i could get out of the bike was a couple backfires.

Since then i have stripped the bike down, traced every single wire out to make sure of no breaks, cuts, scrapes or grounds. Checked all the fuses, pulled the fuses out and rechecked them again. Replaced the coil, wires and plugs again with oem, replaced the ignition coil with a SE(because OEM was so far backorderd.) And still i have yet to get the bike to run. I pulled the plug wires and just placed the boots over the top of the plugs so they have to arc to fire, and when i do that, i can get the bike to either backfire like a shotgun(and always from the rear jug, never the front) or it will try to fire and might run half-arsed for about 3 or 4 revolutions. It actually sounds like its trying to fire at the start of the exaust stroke on the rear cylinder.

The 2 things i havent replaced is the battery(it does the same thing if i use a charger so it dont drain the battery) and the timing sensor behind the timing cover(which the timing plate has not been moved or adjusted since when it was running perfectly)

I'm at my wits end here, i have about a month to ride, and then i deploy to the Persian Gulf for 6 months. If someone has an idea of what could be causing this, please by all means help, as the local Harley shop and custom shops in the area have yet help, all telling me to do/try something i have already done.

[IMG]local://upfiles/9976/58601E410F4044CC8FC808366F44E25D.jpg[/IMG]

 

Have you tried push starting it? Not that that helps isolate and solve the problem, but if you were me and with time running out before my deployment over seas I’d be doing anything I could to get some seat time in.

As far as a solution to your problem I’ll see what I can dig up online ‘cause it seems that most of the stuff you tried for the fix is exactly what I would’ve recommended so, unfortunately, after reading through your post, I’m stumped.

Anyhoo… Good luck with the bike fix and, more importantly, God Speed over seas, man. Stay low, be careful, and come back to ride with all of us again!

 

Yes i tried to push start it and nothing but backfires when it does try to start.


Edit: One of the things i didnt mess with was the V.O.E.S., the vacuum operated switch that advances and retards the timing slightly according to the load of the bike. I am pretty sure (not positive) that regardless, when the bike is not running the timing is retarded as far as possible, easing the inital start.

All of the research i have done about it, nothing has mentioned that switch though.