Hey y'all, after years of riding sport touring bikes, I finally "graduated" to getting a Harley. Just (well, 2 months ago) bought a new '15 Road King. I really enjoy the bike, I don't think I'll be selling it any time soon, it's perfect for what I bought it for - riding daily to work, and weekend 2-up trips with my wife.

Perfect, except one thing - engine noise. I'm not a DIY guy except simple oil changes, so I really have no idea what an air-cooled engine should sound like, but after putting on FP3, some Cobra mufflers, and Alley Cat AC, when I ride it with the shield, the engine is actually louder than the exhaust. Of course the dealer told me "they all sound like that", but I honestly wanted to know - how can I objectively say if my bike is louder than normal? My other bike that I kept is a Suzuki VStrom 1000 - a cheap, soulless, but QUIET ride. I just want to understand what I should truly expect from the Road King. I get the air-cooled part - the design tolerances have to be more liberal, as the temperature tolerances are greater. But how do I know if the bike is truly normal or too loud?? I don't know any HD riders (yet), so I'm just looking for some feedback as to where to go next...

Thanks for any help! Chris

 

IMO, if you don't hear any solid, low-pitched knocking sounds, especially on the left side, and all of the valve gear noises sound smooth and consistent (no single clacking noise that's apparent, other than transient clicking noises that come and go as you accelerate/decelerate) Then I'd say everything's fine.

That loud, obnoxious clank-bang when you go from neutral to first can be greatly alleviated by the installation of a Baker Attitude Adjuster manual primary chain tensioner in the primary. That will also make neutral much easier to find, will make shifting gears easier and smoother, and eliminate some potential mechanical problems later, as well as quieting a lot of other weird noises that come from the primary with the OEM auto-tensioner (IMHO, a total POS!) that comes with these bikes. I put a Baker in mine the day I bought it and couldn't be happier with the performance. I also use Redline tranny oil and I think that it makes the tranny much mechanically-quieter.

Ride safe and enjoy that new RK! It'll never be a "sports tourer" - but then, it wasn't designed to be one, either.

Best wishes,

JP

 

Hard to say since we can't hear your bike but its fairly normal for any bike to "sound louder" when the windscreen is fitted because the lack of wind noise lets you hear things your normally wouldn't. Chances are everything is fine but go by the dealer on a weekend and listed to bikes as people arrive and see if they sound like yours or not.

 

Thanks JP, I guess if I had to describe it, it's a clacking sound that gets louder with RPMs, worst around 3k. I think I'm going to try a different dealer and an indy shop, and if they both tell me not to worry about it, then I'll just stop worrying about it...

As far as the tranny, it has a clank in every gear pretty much, but nothing too obnoxious. I got used to it pretty fast, and doesn't really bother me, actually let's me know the gear is in

Sport tourer it is not, but it's actually very agile at slow speeds, just could use a little more ground clearance at speed!

 

Ride to a different dealer on "silent Suzi" and ask to test ride a new RK. Compare the sound that one makes to how yours sounds. If they sound the same, you know you have nothing to worry about.

Harleys are supposed to sound like machines. That's part of the attraction for a lot of folks, myself included.

 

Start Here>>>> https://www.hdforums.com/forum/new-r...t-is-over.html

 

Welcome to the forum from NoCo!

 

So... I test rode a new RK at a different dealership, and it was much quieter, but it was new. They didn't have any used ones. I tried a 2 year old SG, and it was hard to compare, with loud exhaust and different front protection. I did not hear the clacking sound though like I do on mine.

I also checked out Indian Chief Vintage just for kicks. Different sounding, quieter but somehow not my cup of tea. The looks are also completely not my style.

Decided to take my RK to the HD dealership that I test-rode the bikes at. Took today off to have them check the noise. 3 hours and 55 miles later, they came back and said that it's normal. Not going back there...

At this point I'm not really sure what to do. I really like everything else about the bike, but it's just too loud when I'm not going fast...

 

Did you read the thread that Smittjf pointed out above?

 

Where in DFW are you located? I am in NE Fort Worth / Keller area. If you are close or want to ride out to my neck of the woods, I can have a listen. Also, one of the best Indy shops around is GMR Performance in Keller. If you are a facebook guy, check out the group DFW Harley Riders. They stay pretty active with rides and events.

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