Tick tick tick
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Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 66
Likes: 1
From: Lynnhood, WA
I have 2k on mine. Recently I've been thinking that the engine exhibits a bit more mechanical noise than it used to after it warms up. Sounds like it's valve-train noise. I'm not too concerned about it. One of these days when I'm at the dealer, I asks the service manager to listen to it, but I'm sure he'll just say "that's normal".
Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 244
Likes: 8
From: N. Tonawanda, NY
Well i normally wear ear plugs and havent really heard this tick till today. (700 miles on the clock) I went for a ride cause i got a new 7" windshield and wanted to see if i could ride without ear plugs (wind noise). Well i think i have a sewing machine for an engine. Slight tick when hot at idle, but at 2k and up it is loud and pronounced. I also have a loud tick at start up for about 2-3 seconds till oil gets up in there. Do i have a bad lifter or does your 103" tick?
My neighbor has a 14 SG and i fired up his, he has a difference AC and i could still hear a tick, so im betting its transmitting threw thew the AC. Next time im in to the dealer, ill ask about it.
Cruiser
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 200
Likes: 1
From: NEW ORLEANS
I have the same issue. Had it checked by the dealer, they gave me the " they all do that". I changed from Harley syn to Amsoil. The change helped the problem with the lifter bleeding down but not the tick.
Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 155
Likes: 12
From: Pittsburgh, PA
Well I took my SGS back to the dealer yesterday for thesewing machine noise. They took it for a ride and found no problems with it.They said the drivetrain noise is normal and even fired up three brand newbikes that sounded the same (like a sewing machine). One thing I did notice waswhen the batwing was straight, the sound got louder. When the batwing wasturned, the noise got quieter. It’s just going to be hard to get used to asound that ordinarily would make you want to stop riding and fix it.
Tourer
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 496
Likes: 6
From: League City, TX
They all make some valve train noise to a certain extent. The thing is some is worse than others and luck of the draw I guess. I had a '12 CVO SG with the 110 that ticked loud and drove me crazy. Harley of course said it was normal on 3 different occasions and I tried all kinds of different oil combinations with nothing making it better. As good as that bike looked I was glad the day I no longer owned it because of that. My 103 has been terrific on my '14.
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Road Captain
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 669
Likes: 7
From: Ohio
I've had 8 Harley's in the last 7 years, I currently own a 2003 Heritage Springer and a 2014 Street Glide Special. The Springer has the sewing machine noise but it's not bad. The new SGS has no noise and I made sure of it before I bought it. I had the dealer Fire it up and I moved all around it listening for any noise in the engine, especially a ticking valve train.
I believe it is truly a luck of the draw if you get one with a noisy valve train. Back 2012 I wanted a two tone root beer Road King Classic, I made the mistake of have my dealer get me one from another dealer because it was at the end do the 2011 model year and they were getting hard to find. I paid for it and in 2 days it showed up.
It was late in the day and the dealer was closing so I jumped on it and fired it up. I thought it was going to shoot a push rod through the head it was so loud! The ticking was the worst I've ever heard! This was a brand new motorcycle. I went back in and got the service manager, he told me that all the 103's are noisy. This was my first 103 so I rode it home.
Well, the more thought about it the more I investigated, they are not all noisy. I checked some other people's 103's and they didn't make any noise. I road mine for 4000 miles with no problems but the noise drove mr crazy! I took it in and had 255 cams installed and guess what? The noise went away! Not more ticking!
Maybe something was not adjusted properly on mine, i never asked but I was much happier after the cam install.
I believe it is truly a luck of the draw if you get one with a noisy valve train. Back 2012 I wanted a two tone root beer Road King Classic, I made the mistake of have my dealer get me one from another dealer because it was at the end do the 2011 model year and they were getting hard to find. I paid for it and in 2 days it showed up.
It was late in the day and the dealer was closing so I jumped on it and fired it up. I thought it was going to shoot a push rod through the head it was so loud! The ticking was the worst I've ever heard! This was a brand new motorcycle. I went back in and got the service manager, he told me that all the 103's are noisy. This was my first 103 so I rode it home.
Well, the more thought about it the more I investigated, they are not all noisy. I checked some other people's 103's and they didn't make any noise. I road mine for 4000 miles with no problems but the noise drove mr crazy! I took it in and had 255 cams installed and guess what? The noise went away! Not more ticking!
Maybe something was not adjusted properly on mine, i never asked but I was much happier after the cam install.
Banned
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,036
Likes: 67
With any new vehicle purchase I always give the selling dealer the opportunity to fix something which clearly does not work correctly. After they muck around with an engine problem a couple of times I set about aggressively running the **** out of it until it absolutely fails. When it fails I want metal parts to break off, bend or warp because of high heat, lack of lubrication, etc. If the sob catches on fire, all the better. If I buy a lemon or a "made on Friday" vehicle, they are going to get it back, one way or another.
Until that happens the inexperienced technicians usually do not know where to look for the problem and all I ever hear is "that is normal". Often times, the technician knows what and where the engine problem exists but is prevented by the Moco's "acceptable" tolerance levels from properly fixing something.
A good example that many are familiar with is the company's policy on vibrating or out of tolerance crankshafts. If I had a new bike and I could not keep my feet on the floorboards because of an out of tolerance crankshaft, I can assure you that my crankshaft would fail within a week and it would probably take the entire crankcase and cylinder assembly with it. Sometimes you have to help mother nature along a bit.
Until that happens the inexperienced technicians usually do not know where to look for the problem and all I ever hear is "that is normal". Often times, the technician knows what and where the engine problem exists but is prevented by the Moco's "acceptable" tolerance levels from properly fixing something.
A good example that many are familiar with is the company's policy on vibrating or out of tolerance crankshafts. If I had a new bike and I could not keep my feet on the floorboards because of an out of tolerance crankshaft, I can assure you that my crankshaft would fail within a week and it would probably take the entire crankcase and cylinder assembly with it. Sometimes you have to help mother nature along a bit.