We get lots of great technical questions at American Iron Magazine's HOG Helpline from our readers about their Harleys. So we thought it might be a good idea to share some of the questions and answers from our experts here. Got a problem with your stock H-D that your local dealer can’t fix? Well, put away that hammer, grab a pen, and let our resident pro get you back on the road! Anyone wishing to submit a question to our H-D expert should send in as much info about the problem and bike as possible, which definitely includes the bike’s year, model, and mileage, to Hog Helpline, c/o American Iron Magazine, 1010 Summer Street, Stamford, CT 06905, or e-mail it to ChrisM@AmericanIronMag.com. Ready for the disclaimer? Unfortunately, we can’t answer all of the questions that we receive or respond directly to the submitter, owing to volume. Select questions will be answered only through this monthly column.
Big doin’s this month in Hog Helpline, so we’ll kick things off with Internet Ed and his 2002 Softail Standard. Seems that Ed left his bike in the hands of a caregiver who needs some home schooling on the ins and outs of various plugs. Next up, we visit with Dean Dettman in Seattle who has a few ignition gremlins inhabiting his 2000 Road King. Richard J. Savino follows, inquiring about the fork lowering kit supposedly installed on his 2007 Deluxe FLSTN, and Ed Thompson joins the fray, explaining that the tach on his 1975 FXE Super Glide is neither super nor gliding. If that wasn’t sad enough, Carlos Diaz owns a 2000 Fat Boy that enjoys a steady diet of voltage regulators, making it a very fat Boy. Eric Shiver has a 2006 Street Glide with a mysterious engine idle issue, while Kevin McHugh’s 2006 Road King Classic has taught him much about the virtues of exhaust system modifications.
Q: I’m currently overseas, and the person who is taking care of my 2002 Softail Standard said that the main case drain plug can’t be removed. This is the plug that’s torqued to 20 ft-lbs., and drains the engine oil. My friend has tried heating it up without any success. When I return, I may try CO2 or dry ice on the plug while heating the case. Or, I may just take it to the dealer. Does the case have a sleeve where the drain plug goes? If not, and the threads strip out, is there an authorized fix for this?
- Ed Mros Via Internet
A: I think the person taking care of your bike is trying to remove the wrong plug. He shouldn’t have to remove anything from the main case. Only remove the drain plugs from the oil tank, primary housing, and transmission. The transmission and oil tank drain plugs will have a 5/8” hex, and the primary housing will have a 3/16” Allen plug, or possibly a T-40 torx drive. The crankcase doesn’t hold enough oil to need draining.
Q: I have a 2000 Road King with about 40,000 miles on it, which I bought last year. While I’m riding, the engine light will come on, then shut off for a couple of seconds, then restart like nothing happened. The bike sometimes refuses to start, though when it does fire up, it runs normally. Then we have the idle problem, where the bike won’t idle steadily. And finally, the King backfires when I decelerate. I went to my dealer, who found no problem. The bike has the Stage 1 download, as well as Sampson oval slip-ons. I’ve been told the pipes are responsible for some of the problems. Would a Power Commander help? Any help would be appreciated.
- Dean Dettman Seattle, WA
A: Check the connection to the ignition switch. Your year bike had no retention clips on this plug. Also look closely at the switch itself. Look for corrosion coming out of the bottom of the switch. Wiggling the switch will show you if the contacts in the switch are failing. As for the idle issue, check for intake leaks first. Make sure the ISC is working properly and not sticking. The engine temperature sensor can also cause these difficulties.
And finally, those pipes can indeed cause the backfiring. A properly tuned Power Commander should fix that.
Q: I recently bought a 2007 Deluxe FLSTN, and the odometer currently sits at only 100 miles. I requested that the dealer install a Harley front fork lowering kit (which is supposed to lower the front end about 1”). I had this kit on three of my other Harleys (all Fat Boys). Frankly, I don’t think that the dealer actually installed the lowering kit, as I don’t feel the bike is any lower than stock. Is there any way that I can tell if the kit has been installed without having another dealer take it apart? Perhaps by measuring the length of the fork?
- Richard J. Savino Via Internet
A: A quick way to check the fork is to measure the distance between the bottom of the fork cover to the fender mounting boss on the fork leg. Compare this measurement to a stock bike. Keep in mind that it may take a few miles for the new springs to loosen up, and the bike to sag down to its final measurements. Put a few more miles on the bike before you make any judgments. Did the dealer give you back your original springs and dampers? You can compare them to other known stock-length parts.
Q: I have a 1975 FXE Super Glide, which I built about 11 years ago from a basket case. Recently, I installed a Compu-Fire regulator. I made all the checks according to the instructions and everything runs fine, except for the tach, which was working before the change. I’m running a Crane HI-4 single-fire ignition. I called both Crane and Compu-Fire, but was unable to solve the problem.
- Ed Thompson Sr. Via Internet
A: The tachometer on your bike is triggered by an alternator that is turning at engine speed. The connection is made through the voltage regulator on a separate wire. Your new Compu-Fire regulator probably doesn’t have the connection you need. Call Compu-Fire to see if it has a fix. You may need to change your tach to a newer style that will trigger off the coil.
Q: I have a 2000 Fat Boy with pretty extensive engine mods (big-bore cylinders, stroker kit, .630 cams, Hemi heads, 48mm Mikuni). It runs sweet, but it's on its fourth voltage regulator. The local Harley shop can't explain it. Any reason why this bike eats up regulators? Could the decorative chrome cover be causing it to overheat? Or possibly engine vibration? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
- Carlos Diaz Via Internet
A: The chrome cover could definitely cause your problem. If the cover impedes the flow of air at all, it should come off. Also, check all your ground connections at the battery cables and the regulator. The bad connections can overwork the regulator, causing excessive heat that damages the components of the regulator. The engine modifications you’ve made shouldn’t cause the regulator to fail.
Q: I have a 2006 Street Glide. I had a high flow remapping done on the fuel injection, and I also installed a Rheinhart true dual exhaust system. The bike runs super and sounds great, too. The problem I have is the engine idle speed. Because of the fuel injection and electronic ignition, I’m told it has to be set high (900-1000 rpm). This high idle speed is driving me nuts, especially after many enjoyable years riding bikes with carbs that I could set for a mild, loping idle speed. What is really the lowest idle rpm setting that I can set for this bike? I’m about ready to go back to vintage carb’ed bikes.
- Eric Shiver Via Internet
A: The idle speed on your bike is not too high, Eric. The mild, loping idle of the older engines is not good for the Twin Cam. The charging system won’t be able to keep up with the draw of the electronics and lights, and the oil pressure will drop off. The idle speed is controlled by the ECM so you won’t be able to change it anyway.
Q: I own a 2006 Road King Classic and I have religiously followed the scheduled maintenance. I even went with synthetic oil at the 5,000-mile check. The dealer did changed out my fuel injectors when I first got my bike, due to a service bulletin. The dealer installed a Sampson fishtail exhaust before delivery. During the summer months, when it is above 85 degrees or so, the bike starts to run extremely rough (particularly while sitting in traffic) and often it stalls completely. I consulted the dealer about this numerous times, and was told the ’06 Road King Classics were designed to shut down a cylinder when it reached a certain high temperature. I was also told that the bike should have a Power Commander installed and tuned because the exhaust was changed. I asked why this was not done before I took delivery of the bike (which was delivered with zero miles on the odometer; indicating that it was never test ridden before it arrived). The next recommendation was to change to a K&N air filter. Then I was asked if I ride with my passing lights on. My answer was yes, and the dealer told me not to use them because the lights were drawing too much current, thus overloading the system and causing the bike to sputter in traffic on hot days. I feel that since I paid over $24,000 for the bike, and also a couple of thousand more for the extended warranty, this problem should be solved. I wonder if you can help me out with some advice.
- Kevin McHugh Via Internet
A: The changes to your exhaust system are probably the cause of your problems, Kevin. The bike was running lean to begin with, and the freer flowing exhaust just makes it leaner. The addition of the air filter will make it even leaner. I’d go with the Power Commander and tuning to get the engine running at the proper fuel/air ratio. The charging system on your bike should be fully capable of handling the passing lamps, as long as you don’t have overly high-powered bulbs installed. It would be a good idea to check the charging system though, just to be sure it’s operating at full potential.
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