2003 Wide Glide Reliability When Riding it Hard
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Road Captain
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 725
Likes: 3
From: Hagerstown, MD
2003 Wide Glide Reliability When Riding it Hard
I just picked up a 2003 FXDWG, the good thing is that I got it at a dealer so it came with a HD warranty, I chose the 3 year option.
but I usually like to ride bike pretty hard, and I'm wondering how will reliability be with this like if I drive it pretty hard? What kind of issues will this bike have?
I don't usually run it out to high rpms, but just heavy throttle at up to like 3500rpm.
ideally I would like to have this bike for a long time, beyond the 3 year warranty I have, should that be possible without costing me a fortune in repairs?
I was just reading about than flywheel slipping issue, and that sounds pretty bad, did that ever happen on the older bikes?
I was thinking it should be decent because it's still the old 88CI with 5 speed, and is carbureted, it has a stage 1 done already, so it's certainly capable of more power than stock./
thanks
but I usually like to ride bike pretty hard, and I'm wondering how will reliability be with this like if I drive it pretty hard? What kind of issues will this bike have?
I don't usually run it out to high rpms, but just heavy throttle at up to like 3500rpm.
ideally I would like to have this bike for a long time, beyond the 3 year warranty I have, should that be possible without costing me a fortune in repairs?
I was just reading about than flywheel slipping issue, and that sounds pretty bad, did that ever happen on the older bikes?
I was thinking it should be decent because it's still the old 88CI with 5 speed, and is carbureted, it has a stage 1 done already, so it's certainly capable of more power than stock./
thanks
Last edited by 06Sporty75; Jul 20, 2014 at 12:09 PM.
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 831
Likes: 10
From: Kentucky
Well the more you read about it and search the web for problems the less you will enjoy the motorcycle. Lots of guys logged many miles on the early carbureted twin cams.
I bought a 2002 Wide glide with 16,000 miles. I've been riding the hell out of it with no problems, and don't expect any either. Keep oil changed, everything adjusted and tight, and rock on. I will look into the cam chain tensioner this winter and maybe convert to gear drive with a new set of cams while I'm at it.
Btw....post a pic. I love the 100th year bikes especially vivid black. My first bike was a 2003 100th anniversary 883 in vivid black. That bike was bulletproof and I still miss it.
I bought a 2002 Wide glide with 16,000 miles. I've been riding the hell out of it with no problems, and don't expect any either. Keep oil changed, everything adjusted and tight, and rock on. I will look into the cam chain tensioner this winter and maybe convert to gear drive with a new set of cams while I'm at it.
Btw....post a pic. I love the 100th year bikes especially vivid black. My first bike was a 2003 100th anniversary 883 in vivid black. That bike was bulletproof and I still miss it.
Last edited by JohnnyRebKY; Jul 20, 2014 at 08:26 PM.
senior experienced all-knowing leader of the unwise
Joined: Apr 2008
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From: USA
2003 was one of the good years for lower ends. The cam chain tensioners will go if you ride it hard. The harder you ride the quicker they will go. When they start coming apart they take the oil pump with them and sometimes the rest of the engine. Put gear drives cams in there and don't worry about it ever again.
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I bought my 2003 in 2011. It had 2k miles. I ride hard and have 28k miles now. No problems.
I will probably do the cam chain tensioners this winter.
I will probably do the cam chain tensioners this winter.
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Thread Starter
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Road Captain
Joined: Sep 2011
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From: Hagerstown, MD
well, I guess the smart thing for me to do would be to just ride the bike for 3 years under the HD warranty and at the end of the warranty if it hasn't failed then upgrade the Cam chain tensioners, however at that point I might have over 40,000 miles on the bike, if the engines blows up, I guess Harley will fix it right under the HD warranty, IDK, you think that Harley would do an internal recall on these items and upgrade bike coming into the dealerships before they had to sale them with warranties again. because if they had to replace a $4k motor against an $1100 warranty, that would suck for them. but they would probably void my warranty if I had the gears installed myself so I better leave it as is.
so the tensioner pad breaks into pieces & clogs the oil passages? Has anyone seen an engine with this failure? How common is it?
my father is having his upgraded on his 2004 ultra glide with 70,000 miles to the hydraulic tensioners, he has a shop that is doing that for only like $400. I bet the gear option costs more but again would be more reliable,
so the tensioner pad breaks into pieces & clogs the oil passages? Has anyone seen an engine with this failure? How common is it?
my father is having his upgraded on his 2004 ultra glide with 70,000 miles to the hydraulic tensioners, he has a shop that is doing that for only like $400. I bet the gear option costs more but again would be more reliable,
