I took my 13 Super Glide Custom in the shop because I was having starting problems.

When it is cold it starts fine. I would ride the bike and stop it to get gas, or go in the donut shop, something that would cause the bike to sit for a few minutes, up to 10 min.

When I would go to start it, it would crank, and crank, and crank.

One day it started and I swear it ran backwards.....making this clump, clump, shhhh, clump, clump, shhhh.. after about 5 or 6 of those it died.

I rode the bike 150 miles on a Friday and dropped it off at the dealer. They tell me the battery was dead and they had to charge it to get it running.

They say that I need to keep it on a battery tender and they couldn't find any problems with the bike, and sent me home. I got the impression, with the engine being built up like it is with the stage II that I could not expect it to run like a stock bike. Is it possible I need compression release cylinder heads?

If it were me....I would have replaced the battery....I bought the bike 9 months ago. Is the warranty on the battery over already?

 

Doesn't sound right. Shouldn't be doing that.

 

It is very possible you need compression releases.
What cams, and compression?

 

For sure you need the compression releases. That is what HD recommended to me when they did my 103 big bore conversion with the SE 204's. Its been a year and a half with no problems.

 

The first thing that comes to mind is... you must be waiting for the fuel pump to finish priming. My suggestion is put it in neutral, with the clutch in turn on the ign and run switches and hit the starter immediately. I've been running mine like that for 6 years .

 

Yes it would crank better if the battery will turn over the engine. Too much compression will destroy a starter. When just doing a big bore kit, nothing else, I use easy start cams.

 

The SE 255 cams came with the 103 Stage II kit from Harley Davidson. I don't know what the compression is, I guess I could find out.

I would think that if the bike needed compression releases, the HD catalog would say so.

 

if its turning over but not starting, it sounds more like a tuning/timing problem than a battery or starter issue to me

 

Could also be a fuel problem. I had the vented gas cap seize closed. The vent in the cap not opening caused an airlock in the tank. The bike would die.