I have a 10 Limited that sometimes has a really hard bang and will forefire? out of the air cleaner on cold starts. I pulled my primary cover and there was no metal in there but I'm leaning towards a bad compensator. Is there anything else that could cause these issues? Is the SE comp any good or should I just go ahead and get a Baker? Thanks for any advice!!!

 

99.9% chance the bang is the compensator beyond being worn out. The real problem is the weak spring that makes the whole thing work. It exerts such low pressure that the parts that rub togethr show very little wear but that also allows the moving parts to SLAM against the stop when you hit the starter. Whether you go with the Harley or the Baker, you will need a new rotor, both new types will not work with your old rotor. Baker is very honest about the limits on their design. If you have a stock motor it will work very well. If you have a modded engine, they will tell you the max torque limit their comp can handle. If you above that, the Harley comp is your only choice.

I don't know if the M8 still uses the same compensator as the last twin cams but there were few reported early failures of the Harley compensator just before the M8s came out. Harley guaranteed them them for 2 years and unlimited mileage. (on the new machines) I just put one on an 08 Road King and only have about 1000 miles on it so far, but all is well.

A new compensator with the smoother start may eliminate your backfire, and it may not. Take it one step at a time, install the new comp and see if that eliminates the backfire. If not, at least you know it isn't the compensator contributing to the problem.

 

When on the compression stroke, the starter needs to draw more power from the battery. If the battery can’t supply the power, you get a starter back torque, that can be confused as a backfire. Have the battery load tested...or just replace it, and always keep it on a tender. As well, always put the tranny in neutral when starting.

The above solved my perceived backfire starting issue.

 

There may well be quite a bit of odd accuracy in the above comment about the battery and starter motor making the problem worse.

I'm very Harley limited, having had nothing in the name other than my basically stock 04 RK. For as long as I've had it, it was always a little sluggish to start cranking, and prone to sneezing as I call it, and banging on start-up.

Battery finally failed and I replaced it recently. The starter now spins the engine over much more energetically, the sneezing and banging are all but completely gone, and the engine is much more likely to catch and start running quickly and solidly.

Darn thing still sounds like a spanish dancer with castanets when I'm going down the highway, and that could still be my compensator. But, that's a perhaps different problem to chase.

Anyhow, a battery replacement all but ended my banging and sneezing on start-up.

 

 

If you think adding a tuner helped you'd be amazed at how much softer that starts will be with EZ Start Cams.

 

 

I went through about four of the SE comps on my 2010 before I installed a baker a couple years ago, haven't had an issue since. Your stock 2010 comp would be a better option than the SE but I don't think their available any more. I was going through one to two of the SE's a year, no warranty because I had it on my 120R.