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.
The holiday edition of Helpline is here, so let’s press and roll our way through all your cycling snafus! Jon Wells in California leads off with a sad tale. Seems that he once flipped someone the bird, and now has a whole nest of ’em roosting in his 2007 Night Train. What goes around, comes around, eh, Jonny boy? Internet Neil Hooper’s primary concern appears to be a primary concern with his 2006 Street Bob. No worries, Neil! Check out our expert diagnosis. Internet Doug White is next, just scraping by on his new Ultra, when he should stick to those easy straightaways. Slick Jack Duggan from Massachusetts writes in about an oil leak he’s experiencing with his 2001 Heritage Softail, but, like always, we’ve got it covered. And closing out the show is Internet Scott LaCoss, telling us about his buddy’s 2000 Road King, and all the related starter problems the bike is having. Hey, Scott, don’t get us started …
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 St., 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.
Q:I own a 2007 Night Train with 10,000 miles. Recently, I started hearing a squeaking noise from the rear that sounds like a nest of baby birds. The noise can only be duplicated under acceleration through all gears, and at all speeds. It doesn’t happen on deceleration or coasting, or when the suspension is exercised. The dealer has twice failed to correct the issue and seems to be focused on the belt and rear suspension. The techs have adjusted the belt, cleaned the shocks, and applied anti-seize, but still the noise persists. I replaced rear brake pads with factory pads, but to no avail. Do you have any advice?
Jon Wells
Valencia, California
A:Try rubbing some Teflon lubricant onto the outer edge of your belt. Spray some lube on a rag and hold the rag against the edge while a friend rolls the bike until the whole belt is contacted. If you have a stand or jack to get the rear wheel off the ground, you won’t need the friend. Just make sure not to jam your fingers. If the squeaking is from the belt, it will go away when you do this. Make sure the rear wheel is properly aligned, and that the belt, pulley flange, and teeth are clean.
Q:In March 2006, I bought an ’06 Street Bob in the UK. I’ve had it serviced by H-D dealers at 1,000 and 5,000 miles, with SYN-3 oil added at the 1,000-mile service. A noise developed recently, which I believe is the inner primary bearing failing (the two-year warranty expired in March of this year). This appears to be a common fault from what I have read on the web. In your June issue, one of your readers wrote in with a similar problem on his 2006 Dyna, and noted that the dealer replaced his worn inner primary bearing free of charge. Is his bike still under warranty, or was this a goodwill gesture by his dealer? H-D UK says that I have to pay for the repair, but all the evidence points to a faulty part or assembly issue.
Neil Hooper
Via Internet
A:You should bring the bike into the dealer, and have it verified that the noise is, in fact, the inner primary bearing. The bearing shouldn’t fail at that mileage, and since you’ve had the bike in for the regular services, I’m pretty sure the Motor Company will cover the repair. If you have a problem with your dealer, contact H-D customer service directly and state your case.
Q:I’m a Sportster rider who bought an Ultra so I could bring the bride with me. But I’m frustrated. Cornering is now a limited engagement where that oddly shaped floorboard bracket scrapes on right turns, and the sidestand limits left turns. On my Sporty, I never scrape, but with the Glide, I scrape frequently, often despite pumping up the air pressure on the shocks. (I know this is not designed to help.) What is your easiest solution? Taller wheels? Extended forks may help the front, but are rear lifters available? I have already moved the floorboards to the higher stock position (1"), and this helped a small bit. Are there aftermarket floorboard mounts to raise height? Even a modified floorboard mounting would help by eliminating the reverse L-shape that offers the initial contact point when cornering. It’s odd that footpegs would seem a big improvement for the Glide were it not for the jiffy stand!
Doug White
Via Internet
A:The best thing to do is leave the Glide alone and hot rod the XL for when you want to go road racing. Making those kinds of changes to the FL will only ruin the handling and ride. Raising the suspension enough to keep the footboards from scraping will make the bike unstable and top heavy. You’ll lose what makes the FL what it is, and your bride may not be as happy. You know where that leads! Put a solo seat on the Sporty and keep the peace on the Glide.
Q:I have a 2001 Heritage Softail with 43,000 miles on it. At 40,000 miles, I had Andrews cams with a gear drive installed. While the shop techs had the bike, they noticed a slight leak from one of the rocker boxes. So while they had the boxes apart, they replaced the lifters (hydraulic) and the breather assemblies. When I went to clean the SE air filter, I noticed oil
coming from the breather tubes. I don’t know how long it was like that because I think the oil is being sucked into the throttle body. The shop says it’s the nature of the beast. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Jack Duggan
Brockton, Massachusetts
A:Some oil in the breather tubes is normal. The air coming out of the engine has oil mixed with it and exits into the air filter. The excess oil should get drawn into the induction track and burned. The wide-open SE filter assembly will sometimes allow oil to drip out and spray back onto the side of the motorcycle. If this becomes a problem, try a CVO air cleaner back-plate and filter element. It’s a little less wide open, and catches the excess oil before it gets onto the side of your bike.
Q:My buddy has a 2000 Road King. The bike is carbureted with a 103" kit installed. He took delivery of the bike from a Harley dealer in Germany, purchased through Military Sales. He’s owned the bike since new. From the beginning, there have been times when he turns the switch to On, hits the start button, and nothing happens. The lights and accessories come on and the electrics seem okay, however, the starter doesn’t turn over. When he lets up on the start button, there’s an audible click from the starter/solenoid area. Nothing happens when the switch is depressed. The starter switch was under recall, and was previously replaced. The bike will push-start when this condition appears, but the starter won’t engage/turn over; there is absolutely no sound/action from the start button.
Sometimes the bike will start normally a few minutes or hours later. Other times, it’s days before the starter works (assuming we don’t push-start it). The bike has over 100,000 miles on it, and has been to numerous dealers over the years, but none have been able to identify the problem. As usual, by the time the bike gets to the shop floor, the problem either disappears or the dealer can’t reproduce it. Any ideas?
Scott LaCoss
Via Internet
A:With 100,000 on the bike, I can think of many things that could cause this issue. The fact that you hear a click when you let up on the button leads me to think the starter button is failing. If the contacts are partially burned or corroded, they may only make the connection at one tiny spot in their throw. That spot is burned away at the limit of its throw, so nothing happens when you hold it all the way down. I’d try changing that button first. Another trick is to carry a small length of jumper wire to bypass the whole starting system. On the top of the starter is the heavy cable that comes from the battery’s positive terminal. There is also another white connector with a green wire on the end of the starter. If you use the jumper to connect the heavy cable to the terminal where the green wire is, the engine will crank. If you can do this and the engine cranks when the starter button isn’t functioning, you’ll know the starter is not the problem, and you can concentrate on the wiring to and from the button.
AIM 
Dec. 2008-BIRDS, SCRAPES, LEAKS, AND MORE 
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