Been noticing a tapping noise on my 08 wide glide and it appears to be comming from the front cylinder. Being that this is my first twin cam (all my other rides have been some variant of a shovel) my question is, is this sound normal? To me it sounds like a rocker arm is tapping pretty loud but I have had others tell me it's ok, with one Harley shop telling me that this engine is as quiet as a church mouse. I am sure he was a deaf man. Being an engine builder for years, it doesn't sound normal to me at all. When I first got the bike, the horn and shroud assembly got loose a lot and masked the sound i am hearing now. Ever since I fixed that horn issue there is still a tapping I hear and it's mostly from the left side front cylinder. Seem to go away slightly with a higher RPM but is most noticeable when running abou 35-45 mph with a slight throttle and also at idle. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

I have the tapping sound, also. It's louder at idle, and magnified with a windshield. Also had it with a sportster. The tapping is most noticeable when the engine is cold, then I can barely hear it when warmed up. And, I've always been told it's "a Harley" (normal).

 

If your experienced instinct tells you that something may be wrong, then look into it...if there is nothing wrong, at least you will have peace of mind that the noise is normal...You have nothing to loose and everything to gain.

I do not hear any "tapping" noises coming from my 2001 46K mile TC88 engine. If I did, I would definitely be looking into it.

 

Maybe I'll just go with louder pipes. It's just interesting that with all the shovels I have had this engnine is the newest and noisiest. The tapping doesn't go away once it's up to temp. She runs great and the bike is fast and reliable but the tapping is just annoying for me to ignore. Maybe it's just my CDO kicking into high gear.

 

I am going to be ripping into the bike in another month or so as I am just about finished with my other custom build and it is almost ready to ride. Will be interesting to see what I find, if anything, when I dis assemble the bike.

 

Prob. The front intake or exhaust pushrod hitting the tubes.

 

What kind of oil do you use? My dad used to use scamsoil and had a loud tick the whole time he used it. He uses Mobil 1 V-Twin now and its quiet.

 

Mobil 1 and just changed it yesterday and still tapping away.

 

I have an 06 with the same issue. Been there from the day i picked it up new. Took it back 2 times and the standard dealer answer just keep riding it its normal. Once its tuned to your ear it never goes away. If you find the tapping problem let me know.

 

This noise I hear is really not normal even for a Shovelhead. I will find it and get back with my results. Already started taking tthe bike apart today. Couldn't wait.