Thanks to everyone for your helpful and informative posts! I'm an "old hand" (figuratively and literally) at working on my own bikes, but am new this season to Harleys and belt drive, specifically a low-mileage 2001 Road King "find of a lifetime".

Big Twins, for obvious reasons, make a lot of noises that other motorcycles don't, and it took me a while to figure out what each noise was and comfort myself that it was normal. One noise I just couldn't understand or precisely locate, especially because it only occurred when moving. And it kept getting louder, so I finally accepted that it was not a good noise and needed to be isolated and silenced.

Researching here in the forums, I wound up with visions of worn throw-out bearings, floppy primary chains, and transmission rebuilds interfering with my sleep. But I know to assume the simplest solutions and work up from there. I didn't have many steps to take before finding it was caused by an overly-dry drive belt, aggravated to a high degree by living in an extremely dry climate at the end of a .5-mile dirt driveway. Lubed the sides of the belt I could easily reach (lying on my side in the gravel, with no lift - my challenging if rewarding workshop environment at present) in two 18" sections. Voila!

The belt is now virtually silent, and I can go back to listening contentedly to the lifters, pushrods and valves, with images of soaring through the air in a Stearman in my brain. And I sleep better.

Truth be told, the noise wasn't THAT bad, but knowing it was just not right while not knowing what it was really takes a lot of pleasure out of a ride. Now I don't just love my Road King, I think I'm going to ask her to marry me.

Thanks again.

 

Glad it was something easy.

 

Indeed, QC. I wouldn't have minded working on a much bigger problems, but only AFTER the roads ice up and I get my garage finished!