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Orygun
| | Posted on Monday, July 15, 2013 - 10:27 pm: | 
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Just put a few hundred miles on my bike this weekend. Took my girlfriend out for a ride. Perfect weather for it in the PNW. This thing handles very very well - even with a wild blonde on the back seat. Was very tempting to give it "the beans" - but I controlled my urge, and actually let people pass me - sigh. I dont know the character of these engines, but I did notice some "clacking" that sounded like valve noise when it was nice and hot. I'm assuming that is normal???
Did my first mod too. Had an HID light and ballast left over from another project so I replaced the low beam with it...easy peazy...and now I can SEE at night! Why oh why do they all seem to put such miserable headlights on bikes???
I saw the electrical ground up at the front end of the bike when I was messing with the lights so I pulled the bolt and sanded the connection point. I'll get to the main one this week. Thanks very much for the tip!
Oh, and sorry guys, but I am keeping both seats. The low one for around town use and the regular one for longer trips. |
Panhead_dan
| | Posted on Monday, July 15, 2013 - 11:14 pm: |
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"I dont know the character of these engines, but I did notice some "clacking" that sounded like valve noise when it was nice and hot. I'm assuming that is normal???"
Normal yes but not right. You heard either pre ignition knock or valve noise due to too thin oil. It's been pretty hot lately here in the Great Pacific Northwest. You need heavy oil for hot weather. Straight 60w will eliminate it but make it start hard on cold mornings.
Use highest octane fuel for hot weather to reduce pre ignition knock and if you hear it, let off the throttle. It's damaging your pistons.
I just use 20-50 oil but I don't run it hard in the hot weather for very long. If the engine gets toasty, I'm babying it. I fill it with 91 octane fuel but again, I take it easy in the hot weather and let off the gas immediately if I hear any knocking. |
Arcticktm
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 17, 2013 - 01:09 pm: |
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Isn't anyone going to just tell him to go to "New Ulysses Owner Information" link at the top of the Big, Bad & Dirty forum?
That has all the details on what is commonly done by those on this forum.
That will get you going in the right direction.
Great collection of knowledge and options (like that moving the ECM is only 1 solution - you can also just make sure your seat is not contacting your stock location, or add a 2nd spacer block like I did) |
Teeps
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 17, 2013 - 01:14 pm: |
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Arcticktm Posted on Wednesday, July 17, 2013 - 01:09 pm:
Isn't anyone going to just tell him to go to "New Ulysses Owner Information" link at the top of the Big, Bad & Dirty forum?
Yea, that would be too easy.
You know we thrive on personal anecdotes. |
General_ulysses
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 17, 2013 - 08:15 pm: |
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The clacking sound you hear may simply be the sound of the fuel injectors cycling open and shut. They sound a bit like a Dodge slant 6 cylinder with solid lifters. |
Arcticktm
| | Posted on Thursday, July 18, 2013 - 09:12 am: |
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Teeps - point taken! |
Orygun
| | Posted on Thursday, July 18, 2013 - 01:46 pm: |
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Thanks guys:
I actually have been reading the "New Owner info" - I just wanted to get a list of the most important things to do first, so I can prioritize my work.
General - I used to own a 74 Dodge Dart that someone gave me for free when I lived in Hawaii...my favorite car EVER!!! - so yes, I do know that sound - and that is an apt description of what I am hearing...I am very sensitive to engine sounds and am used to how my Beemers sound - more like a sewing machines than a rock crushers. Guess I am in the process of being broken in by the bike at the same time I am breaking in the bike.
I have one other concern - the bike seems to run pretty ragged when cold. It starts OK but to me seems pretty rough until it gets all the way hot (when the fan cycles at high speed). I dont know if it is a "feature" of the bike or if it is some symptom of the bike having been sitting for 7 years...I am thinking of riding it to the 1K mark, then having the Harley stealership service it - but wondering whether I should attend to this sooner. (of course, I changed ALL the fluids when I picked the thing up) Seems to idle just fine once it is hot. What do you guys think??? |
Panhead_dan
| | Posted on Friday, July 19, 2013 - 09:46 am: |
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They all runt crappy to some degree when cold. If the fuel air mixture is correct, it should only need a couple of minutes warmup and then it should run fine.
You are about to get some responses that tell you you need an EBR ecm and a bunch of other stuff but please know that the bike should be capable of running well in stock form if there are no other problems.
If you can find someone local to you that has ecmspy AND KNOWS HOW TO USE IT, you can get info about the air-fuel ratio as well as lots of other info and make adjustments as needed. The thing is that tweeking the ecm when the problem is an intermittent intake leak for example will lead you down the wrong path. A lean condition when cold needs to be properly diagnosed as to cause before any ecm values are changed. |
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