I have a 02 Ultra. Eng rebuilt. 88 cu to 103 cu big bore,about 30,000 miles on rebuild. Sometimes the engine cranks really hard .(To much compresion for the stock starter?????) usually does this when the eng is warm (gas stop) and restarting and it will somtimes run the battery down real quick.. Battery is only about 2 yrs old Non H-D battery...Will also do this if the bike has been sitting for a day or two . Bigger starter or new battery or something else ???? Frustrates the hell out of me Thanks

 

battery

 

I went with a bigger starter. But rereading this maybe battery. Though I get 7 years out of battery. 2 years is nothing.

Hot engine is harder on everything.

Being that you upgraded to 103, need to look at both. If you just shut bike off, battery should be charged. Makes me think starter. If hard to start after few days, makes me think battery

 

I had this on a 2013 FLD, Thought for sure it was the ACR not working properly. Tore the starter out and cleaned it and then replaced the 6 ga cables with 4 ga cables that I made myself. Not sure witch of these two actions solved my problem but the bike was a lot better after that.

 

Go threw your electrical system start with your battery have it load tested thats were i would start out good luck. Bigger starter isn't the best idea that means more power bigger electronics and stronger battery you would need a total electrical upgrade.

 

No compression releases I take it? Sounds like you got good feedback. Battery and cables to start and if that doesn't work time to look for an increased capacity starter.

 

New battery and replace your starter clutch with an All ***** unit. Unbelievable difference!

 

Another vote to check connections and replace the battery cables with a better cable. If that doesn't help, look at compression releases if you don't have them already. My indy machined my heads and added automatic compression releases when I bumped my 96 to a 103. Starts great every time.

 

i replaced my starter which had the periodic zigging noise. Both the old and new starter have the same zigging noise. Jumped the starter right from the battery same issue.

 

I went threw the same crap, except I went from a 96 to a 103 with a 10.5:1 compression ratio with no compression releases what so ever. If it got a little warm, like a two mile trip down to the store it would not want to start right up. It would finally start after a few tries, and I got so tired of that stinking **** that I bought the black HD 1.4 KW starter.. No more problems after that, https://www.harley-davidson.com/stor...w-starter#tabs