I bought a 2013 CVO Road Glide at the end of June. It has been very good except:

I was told at the 1,000 mile service that the ticking from around 2000 rpm to 2700 rpm is normal. Is it? Considering what I paid for this motorcycle I am a bit surprised that HD would want it on the street sounding like a sewing machine. For those that hate the Vrod exhaust note, it's motor sounded great at any RPM.

I am not into spending thousands on a stage 1 (or similar alternate) with new pipes just to get a little more HP/Torque (5-10%?) but would consider it to make the Road Glide run a bit cooler, more efficient and ELIMINATE THE TICKING.

Would a tune/exhaust eliminate it, should I just write it off as normal HD big twin engine noise or always ride above 3,000 rpm?

If a tune/exhaust changeout eliminates this, I find it sad that I have to go aftermarket to fix something the factory should have addressed.

I am not worried about the longevity as HD gives a great 2 year unlimited mile warranty which I also extended 4 years.

Thanks.

 

Yep, ticking is normal and you aint getting rid of it. does you motor caugh thru the intake occaisionally?

be carefull when buying a tuner to make it run cooler or better, I just got off the phone for the third time with Harley customer service and they gave me this explanation of what would void warranty, if the item states that it is for street use, no problem, if it states for racing or off road use, warranty void. You might be surprised to see the fine print on some of the tuners available out there.

 

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Nope. No coughing. The motor runs fine. It is still stock. I also haven't had the issue with the gas cap either.

I just had to change the windshield to a Madstadt for highway speeds and the Road Glide has been great except for that ticking that is annoying and doesn't appear to affect performance.

Thanks for giving the heads up on after market kits. I would let the local HD put one in just to make sure HD warranty is not voided.

 

My local wanted to install the Pro Super Tuner to cure the issue, Harley says to be carefull and make sure it does not say it's for race use, I'm not sure the local dealer knows what would and would not void warranty, I asked them the same question and they did the Texas Two Step and never answered the question. You find it in the Screaming Eagle catalog but when you log into to view the catalog, a caution comes up informing you that items within the catalog are for race use only.

While I know I could fight the issue if it came up, I would have to spend time and money to do so.

 

That's BS. Your dealer is an asshat. For instance, pipes usually say for off road use only because they do not meet EPA regs and the manufacturer is covering his ***. It is not going to hurt the engine. A good tuner like a Power Commander will help cool the engine by enrichening the fuel mixture.

 

My 2011 FLTRSE had the famous 110" ticking / valve train noise that you mentioned. I replaced the cam & lifters early on and that took care of the noise. I also went with Andrews 54H Cams, Andrews +4* crank sprocket & SE Lifters. Installed a FuelMoto 2/1/2 "B" pipe and used a TTS tuner. Runs great and that dreaded valve train noise is long gone.

Ride Safe!

Frank

 

I've read that because synthetic oil is thinner, so it'll cool faster, it causes the engine to tick. I know at 4th gear and 2000-2200 rpm, it sounds like a sewing machine. I can hear it over my pipes too. It's embarrassing.

 

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Thanks Frank. I will look into that. One of the guys at the local watering holes who tunes his bike thought that the Andrews 54H would be a good upgrade. It saddens me that HD asks $33,000 for a motorcycle and you have to pay more money to silence annoying noises. It should come from the CVO team....perfected.

 

If you really want it gone you have to get rid of he excessive valve train clearance that is causing it. Adjustable push rods and really loading up the lifter pre-load will usually clear it up. You have to decide if it's worth it to you though.

 

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That was the service advisers answer too. I would rather have a cooler (temperature) bike with some noises but for HD prices especially CVO prices you would think a solution would have been implemented. Maybe that is why they are redesigning the road glide? If they could mix the watercooled performance of the Vrod with the exhaust sound of the other HD motors in a kick *** touring bagger, I would be the 1st in line for 1.