Is there an agreed to "steps" to check if lifters are going bad? Is there a way to tell if the noise is NOT the lifters...
2021 Road Glide

 

Yes and Yes; replace the suspected lifter(s). If the noise goes away, you know the lifter has gone bad. If the noise still presents, you know its not the lifter(s).

 

A 2 ear mechanic's stethoscope. It's probably not a lifter.

How many miles. How is it treated? What oil is in it and filter on it.

Stock cams and pushrods? Lot of performance cams don't have a degree or so of about a few thousands of an inch rise before valve lift like on stock cams.

Stock cams takes care of the slight leak down a lifter does when it opens and closes the valve and then around to lift again. There quite.

All lifter leak down some from spring pressure. If they didn't, and could actually over ride the spring, the apx .100 left in the .200 total travel would float a valve and let it burn.

Hopefully, if you are talking a roller bearing is bad, a stethoscope can detect that.

If you hear a rough click with stethoscope, you probably need to go internal.

 

Use a mechanics stethoscope and if the noise does not come from the heads/rocker area, pushrods or cam chest. it's definitely not the lifters.

 

History of bike.......

 

2021 Road Glide. Stage II 19 months ago. Torque cam. Dyno tuned at dealer over a year ago. Installed SE oil pump and cam. All seemed to run well until last week, when I heard slapping noise. Next day, started bike and slapping still there, sounded from front upper area.

 

"Slapping" sound ominous as compared to "ticking". Mileage not mentiioned; maybe time for a compression test?

 

Maybe not slapping but a little louder than a tick and a bit lower in tone, if that makes sense.