First post here, so hope it's in the right place. I recently purchased a 2002 CVO Road King. I didn't know it at the time of purchase as the bike was on consignment, but the engine was done back in 2003 by Nick Trask out in AZ.


It's got compression releases, and heads say "CNC ported" on them, and pretty "hefty" cams in it. Also says "103" on the engine cover, not "95".


It came with a Screamin Eagle tuner and disk, tune is dead nuts on the money so no problems there, and I make sure to wear underwear on rides because it makes enough power that you'll crap on the seat when you get into it.

The problem, if there is one, is that the engine is really "noisy", sounds like a meat grinder when you bring the revs up. It's almost annoying in the 2500-3500rpm range.


I suspect it's got a gear drive for the cams instead of chains. Is this "normal" for gear drive set-ups?


I've put enough time on the engine that it's not showing any signs of grinding itself up, and the oil filter was clean when I cut it open for inspection during the service.


I don't like the noise it's making, but living with it for now, and just wondering if these gear drives are really that loud?.....tks.....Cliff

 

You are going to hear a gear drive train. TC's do not have outboard shaft bearings and were not designed for gears like the EVO's where. When people check them for runout, it's simply at turning manually by hand. Even if is close, no telling what it is at running rpm. Worst thing it will do is finally do the gears in if that is what you hear. Lot of it may be the exhaust tone of the opening exhaust valve. Put a two ear Harbour Freight stethoscope on it. http://www.harborfreight.com/mechani...ope-69913.html

 

Welcome to the forum.

 

Thanks for the responses.


A good bit of the noise mimics an exhaust leak up at the heads, sort of a dull "tick" at light load, starting around 2500 rpm's or so and blends in and pretty much goes away past 3500rpm's, so that may be the exhaust "tone" from the cams.

I has zero lifter noise or any valvetrain noise at no load, no ticking at start-up or really hot engine when the oil is thinned out some, so I don't think any of the noise I hear under load driving the bike is mechanically valve train related. The gear drive noise is there neutral or when riding it. Not overly obnoxious, but for sure it's noticeable.


I've owned 3 other twin cam bikes, before the upgraded chain and tensioner set-up and before, and none were making nearly the noise this one does, so figured I'd ask about it.


This bike just rolled over 7000 miles on it, so I really had no plans of going into this engine anyhow, unless it starts getting louder or an metal starts showing up in the lube oil/filter, then I'll shut her down and do some investigating......tks again.....Cliff

 

big cam bikes have a tendency to be noisy.

 

Try earplugs

 

No earplugs needed, I already have a 30 percent hearing loss in the "normal" range and 90 percent high frequency, plus tinnitus, so it's probably louder than I think anyhow!......Cliff