Gday ,

Riding home yesterday from the Dealers after showing him more leaking fork oil from left side, I gave it a bit in third and fourth, was a hot day ,I felt a sort of a Ping in my front pot.It felt like a sort of a ping not unlike when your bikes cooling down but this was under load ,The engine didnt miss but I found I could sort of make it happen at will.( handfull of fat and let it wind out).Is this due to lean stock tune? Will the ECU contain an error message /code from this ? Will I have to purchase a HD Screaming eagle street tuner for the mechanics to sus this out ?I am looking at some performance upgrades for the wet season and was going to go for a TTS.My HD guys wont tune with them only Street tuner.

It didnt feel good at all , it worried me. Bike is totally stock cept for an oil cooler including the George Jettson exhaust still .Almost done 7000Ks and is booked for 8k service on the 13th of November.

 

Before doing anything I'd top it up with some fresh "premium"grade fuel.....95or 98 RON.

Hi
I used to get engine knock (ping). Standard ECU settings. Need "fresh" higher ron fuel, and a ECU reflash to richen it up.(if the new motors can be done). I went the SE super tuner pipes & filter etc. ( heard that that might be a thing of the past too). But I digress, good petrol(not that they make that anymore), or SE petrol treatment.(that would be xy) and a reflash.
Duge

First of all thanks heaps for you guys posts in answer to my problem, I really appreciate the input. I can add I had JUST filled up with BP 98(*which is all the bike has been run on since new.) I checked all heat shields and the exhaust studs and are all tight and at torque values as per HD Service manual. I have previously noticed surge in the motor at low speeds. Just thought it was same as big carbs on shovels and evos.Ok where am I with this? It should be covered under warranty but unless it punched the hole thru the piston Im probably only going to get ear service from HD dealer,unless it has stored an error code for this event How does a modern EFI HD get OUT of tune when it hasn't been altered and hasn't been fitted with a tuner?? it should be as delivered from the factory. I don't really want to add an enriching interface, I don't think it should be needed and I will be shortly changing to a TTS Master tune and other mods. Would you advise to buy a TTS now and enrich ? I had started to get prices on Heads from Branch Okeefe and Dunne performance and looking to do some mods along the lines of a stage 4 around the new year./wet season as Im flat out now at work.What sort of tune can the HD Mechanic do with no tuner ?
Obviously I got heaps to learn about my new twin cam 103 that's for sure. Thanks again .

Hi,

I that first time in 7000kms i would definitely try some different fuel, i got bad batch of what was advertised on pump as vortrx95 just recently, there was no 98 at station, try some a differnt servo or another brand, more so to replicate issue
Thanks
Robots

+ 1 with Hilly .

My stock '12 96ci Superglide pinged quite a bit , tuner fixed it . Power Vision seems very popular now , see efi/tuner section .

Hi guys
Just a few more obs from my experience.
As for why has it changed tune, I had a fair amount of oil making its way into the air filter at that mileage. till I fitted a catch can in the ventilator. My opinion is that if that happens it fowls the mass airflow sensor and fucks with the ECU's brain. Just my opinion.
Bad batch of fuel is a valid reason also.
Yes a tuner is a definite way to improve the tune as they run way too lean on standard tune. And way way too hot. Course its all $$$$$$$.
Duge

Crankcase blow back through the TB is disastrous for the longevity and concistantancy of the engine.

The Rocker Support plate oil drain holes require opening up and a Breather catch can fitted, You need to view the crud build up on piston crowns of low klm stock motors to appreciate the necessity of this mod and then fit the TTS or what ever aftermarket Tuner is your fancy.

Thanks heaps to all of you for these answers. I see from some of your photos Hilly that you made a set up with external breathers too. Having just got back home Ill have to get some sleep and take the bike down to the Dealer to see what they say. Ill pull the air filter and check whether there is oil blow by collecting on / in it. Oil levels I have been monitoring since new and have not appreciably changed. I m aware that an over fill can cause dramas with blow by .Thanks again .

Gday,
Pulled the air cleaner and found a bit of oil inside the cover ,Front breather had a 1 centimetre crack in it right on the breather nipple end. Off to the dealers I went. Got a new one of them no worries. I asked the mechanic about if the oil would cause problems with any sensors and was told that's normal as its hot up here and I use the bike for long runs .... Yep,,, that's why I bought it ...
I then went inside and told the service manager about my Pinging and he explained that my ECU will not have gone out of tune, so they cant retune it.I was then told that I needed to change to a K and N filter as its reusable and the Harley stock one isn't ( despite the service manual telling me it is ) They put one aside for me and I was quoted $170 or some thing to go in on my next service for this air cleaner. I can get an entire new air box for that from Peter Stephens maybe 20 or 30 bucks more. They hinted that because I am still running the stock exhaust and air cleaner that EVERYONE changes is the problem. To this I answered that until the Issues are sorted I WONT be changing any fucking thing until the warranty is honoured and Im happy that the bike has bedded in and isn't going to drop its guts the moment I change things only to have them say" No sorry you changed stuff so warranty is null and void." I quizzed them on Tuners and they never heard of the TTS Master tune. In the end I said " Well look, The motor is pinging what do you intend to do about it? "So he sold me a 29 dollar bottle of petrol additive ,,, lol WTF.? Lucky for him Ide had some sleep or I might just have dragged him from behind his counter and tossed him under the first moving car that went past. I left. Went home and installed the new breather cleaned the air filter and read all I could in the service manual. Ill have to think on this for a while cause I don't want to make a hasty( expensive) decision. I don't really think a K and N air filter is what Im after as its oiled and with the heat up here isn't that just going to add more oil into my inlet? All in all a bit underwhelmed by the dealers response. Cheers.

Or contact Harley Davidson Australia.

Hi
The reflash that they can do is to make it richer. (unless the pollution police have stopped that).. It will still cost you a fair bit.
I was amazed how much better my bike ran after I vented my crank case breather to a catch can, you can just run a hose to a small filter if you like.
I don't care what the stealer told you oil film in the intake is going to fuck up the sensors, then it can't read the correct air fuel mix. Wasn't such a big deal on carby's.
I agree the motor should be able to run good as is, but anti pollution gear has been ruining motors for years and years, now with sensitive electronic's, fuel injection, fly by wire etc,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Duge

Thanks heaps guys for all your input, no it didn't seem to make any difference .Ill give her a wash this morning and park it in the back of the garage till the service. Ill see what the story is after that and make my decision based on there answers. They got a fork seal to fix under warranty so Ill see how they cope with that .
You guys are more knowledgeable and helpful than the dealer has been ,so cheers mates and thanks again.