Jan 2008 - Drops, Pops, Hots & More - Harley Forum

Buzz Kanter · #1 12-17-2008, 09:54 AM

Drops, Pops, Hots, and More

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! That’s right, frustrated ones. You can now get your perplexing problem answered with a simple snail mail or e-mail to AIM.

We kick things off this month with Motorcycle Gary wanting to know how low he can go with his 2002 FLHRCI. The answer? Low enough. Next, Charlie McCracken tells us how things are heating up with his 2005 FLHRCI, though it’s not the type of hot ride he dreamed of. We also have Brian Patterson from Kingston, New York, writing in with a description of the persistent error codes he’s getting for his 2006 Low Rider. Brian’s followed by Tommy Cook lamenting the static he’s experiencing on his 2002 Ultra Classic’s sound system, and it has nothing to do with Tommy groovin’ to those easy-listening classics. Last, but certainly not least, we conclude with Douglas Brown’s 2005 Road King, which is popping and backfiring in a way most unfit for a King.

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 Untitled Document. 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.

Q: I want to lower my 2002 FLHRCI 2" both front and rear. The problem is that I don’t know the best way to accomplish this. There are numerous lowering kits and shocks for the rear. Some, like TP Products, say that I’ll have to space out my left saddlebag. With the saddlebag rail, there isn't much room. Other kits change the angle of the shocks, and I’m uncertain how the saddlebags will fit. Progressive shocks might be the answer, but they’re kind of pricey compared to the kits. The front doesn’t seem to be a problem as there are a number of kits to accomplish the project. Do you think 2" might be too much? I hope not. I ran a 1971 FLH lowered 2"; it rode the pipes sometimes, and dragged the primary cover in hard turns, but that ’71 sure looked awesome and rode great. If you could give me your opinion on products and heights, I would greatly appreciate it.
Motorcycle Gary
Via Internet

A: Yes Gary, I do think 2” is too much! There’s not much travel left in the suspension, and it becomes rather stiff. Dragging the primary cover and exhaust system makes cornering kind of tricky, even in less than hard turns. Harley makes kits that lower both ends about 1” and retain the ride quality of the stock suspension. You won’t have to move the saddlebags, but you should watch the clearance between the fender mounts and the fork covers when the forks are fully collapsed.

Q: I have a 2005 FLHRCI with 11,650 kilometers, SE Stage I, and H-D touring mufflers (#65259-00). The bike runs hot enough to blister the inside of my leg, the plugs are gray and fouling, and it backfired the other day through the injectors, emitting a beautiful cloud of blue smoke. The next morning it backfired through the injectors when I started it; it didn’t stall, but kept running. The dealer’s first theory was the MAP sensor was no good; the latest theory is that either the synthetic oil I use (Ames Oil) lost viscosity and overheated the engine, or I rolled off the throttle and the counter balancer revolved backwards, causing the backfire through the injectors. What’s your take?
Charlie McCracken
Via Internet

A: I don’t agree with the dealer’s diagnosis. The first thing to do is get the bike on the dyno and check the fuel-air figures. If the bike is running way too lean, it will run hot and backfire through the air cleaner. See what the fuel-air ratio is, and then you can decide how to correct it.

Q: My ride is a 2006 Low Rider, on which I’ve been getting intermittent error codes P0261, P0263, and P1003. These occur all at the same time and about once per week. The bike shuts down, but I can reset it by flipping the kill switch off then on again without stopping the bike. I checked it out, and found that even the fuel pump is dead when this happens. P1003 is a system relay open error, and the other two are open or low injector faults. Everything I have mentioned is related. The system relay feeds the fuel pump, coil, and injectors. I think the computer is detecting something wrong and just shuts the motor off. My dealer said to check the ground connections at the two bolts under the seat. I did, and they are clean and tight. I checked as many connections as I could, as well as the relay, but my bike dies about once a week. Any suggestions?
Brian Patterson
Kingston, NY

A: Keep looking for that bad connection, Brian. Check the wiring from the ECM fuse. Look closely at the terminals in the fuse block and along the blue/gray wire to the system relay. Also check the green/orange wire that goes to the ECM on pin four. The ECM grounds this wire to activate the relay to power the components that are triggering the DTCs. It could even be that the ECM is not making the connection needed. The diagnostic computer at your dealer can step through the system and help pinpoint the cause. If you have an Electrical Diagnostic Manual, you can use the flow charts to follow the same steps that the computer uses. Since your bike is a 2006, your dealer, not you, should be checking the ground connections and using its resources to find the problem.

Q: I have a 2002 Ultra Classic that runs perfectly, but the sound system has given me some problems. When the bike is idling, everything functions properly, but when I get rolling up to 50 mph, I hear a lot static on all four speakers. The dealer has replaced the amplifier and speakers, but the static still happens. Do you have any ideas on fixing this problem?
Tommy Cook, Sr
Via Internet

A: There’s a good chance you have a bad ground connection somewhere. When the vibrations of the bike increase with speed and rpm, the connection shakes loose. The same thing can happen with the antenna connections. Also check the antenna wire along its length for abrasions or pinches.

Q: I ride a 2005 Road King with roughly 7500 miles on it. It’s my first new Harley, so I’m concerned about the different answers I’ve gotten to the same problem from three different service departments. I have stock pipes with Stage I slip-ons and a Screamin’ Eagle air filter. When the bike is at operating temperature, it has a tendency to sneeze back through the throttle body filter when I pull away from a dead stop or when raising the rpm going into a downshift, and it backfires when I back off the throttle. This doesn't happen all the time, but just enough to make me feel uncomfortable. When talking to my dealer’s service department, I was told that’s just the way the bike runs, but it didn’t originally. Of course, I can purchase a Harley power module and tune it on the dyno for $600. And if I go aftermarket with a Power Commander, it will void my warranty. Another service tech told me that there was a silent recall on some ’05s and ’06s, where H-D had installed fuel injectors with the wrong spray angle. Another local dealer told me that the MAP being used for the 2005-06 Stage I gets lost on the chip, so the computer goes to a default setting that's good for stock exhaust only, and this can happen three or four times, each requiring a remapping before the right numbers lock in. I'm a regular reader of your great mag, and after reading many responses from other owners with problems, and hearing the same kind of lame answers, I don't know who to believe. I'm not a wrench, but I'm not stupid either, and I just want the bike the way it was. Any ideas as to who I should believe?
Douglas L. Brown
Via Internet

A: First of all Doug, I would run, not walk, away from anyone that tells you about a silent recall. Recalls are serious safety matters that Harley wants its customers to know about. If there was a recall on your motorcycle, you would get a letter from Harley detailing the problem. The issue with the injectors is not a recall. There is an upgrade to the older injectors, and if your bike is involved, the Motor Company will cover the cost to replace them. Your dealer has all the information in a factory service bulletin to determine if your bike is involved. All the dealer has to do is look at the part number on your injectors.

As far as the popping and backfiring, my advice is to get a Power Commander. It’s a little less expensive and easier to tune than the Race Tuner so the dyno time will be reduced. Yes, it will void the warranty, but so will the Race Tuner. Besides, your factory warranty should be about up anyway, and the PC will do wonders for the drivability of the bike. And lastly Doug, there are good techs out there; you may just have to search around a little. Keep asking questions until you feel comfortable with the people and the answers you’re getting.